Healthy Meal Ideas For Family Of 4

A full month of easy healthy family dinner ideas to spark some new dinner inspiration, plus a printable calendar and tons of recipes to try!

We had a play date Saturday morning, followed by a fun bounce house birthday party, followed by an afternoon at the pool and then a movie night -- cause we were wiped! We watched Moana for the first time and it's super cute.

Easy

Yesterday, we took the kids to our local amusement park, Carowinds, and had a blast! J (almost 4) was really into the kiddie roller coasters while older sister M screamed her head off. 😂 But she still had fun and it was a great, sunny day of rides!

Easy Healthy Dinner Ideas: 49 Low Effort And Healthy Dinner Recipes — Eatwell101

That's right, depending on where you live, you may have days or weeks left until school kicks back up and we rush head-first into fall.

I love to do it. I’ve got all of our August dinner menu filled out already and I spilled over into September before I could stop myself.

Today, I’m trying to make it easy on YOU by giving you 30 days of prompts for easy healthy family dinner ideas.

Easy And Healthy Family Meal Ideas

Yes, that's right, a full month of family friendly dinners so you don't have to even think about it. And these dishes are sure to please even the picky eaters in your family. (Well, most of them at least. Can't win 'em all, right? 😂)

These aren’t specific recipes, though I’m gonna provide you with some of those, too, in case you want to browse for inspiration or a starting point.

Instead, these are general healthy dinner ideas - such as spaghetti, fajitas, chicken curry - that can prompt you to find a recipe that’ll suit your family’s needs.

Dinner Ideas For Tonight

I’ve kept these prompts very basic. Most are probably recipes that you’ve had before, maybe cooked before, maybe eat on a regular basis. We’re not reinventing the wheel here. We’re starting slow.

So that’s the list of the basic ideas. Hopefully some old favorite and hopefully some can be the new go-to dinner you need for busy nights!

Also, because I love you, and because I am type A and loved putting it together, I made you a free calendar printable with these dinner prompts spaced out - perfect for planning ahead!

November Meal Plan & Shopping Haul For Family Of 4

Is this helpful? What do you like or not like about this set-up? What else do you need to help you get organized and plan a menu?

I’ve got so many ideas for more prompts and other types of menu planning posts but I want to do what’s most helpful for YOU!

Or if there’s some other way I could help you with meal planning, please let me know in the comments below or send me an email. 😊 (Or follow me over on Instagram and send me a DM there.)What’s for dinner? I have 50 Easy, Healthy Family Meals to get you out of the dinnertime rut, and bringing dinnertime joy back to the table for everyone. No need to make separate meals for kids and adults. Dinnertime is about sharing the same meal together. After all, you are not a short order cook!

Healthy Family Recipes

Being a parent is hard. So why does dinner have to be hard too? Today, I’m focusing on ways to help not only simplify your dinner time routine but get you out of the “what’s for dinner” rut! My recipe round-up of 50+ Easy Healthy Family Meals is sure to be your new go-to. My hope, is that you will save (or pin) this list of family meals and start cooking down the entire list.

Family

Most dinners are perfect for a family of 4. However, some might make more or a little less. Either way–I know you are going to love this time saving guide to give you a wide variety of ideas for dinner.

Cooking healthy for your family can be easier if you set yourself up for success. Here are a few of my tips and tricks on how to start cooking healthy for your family.

Shortcut Toddler Meal Ideas (super Quick And Healthy!)

1. Meal Plan– This sounds like a no brainer, but it really is the way to start cooking healthier. If you have a plan in place for the week you are less likely to steer away from it, and more likely to actually stick to the plan.

2. Whole Foods – These are foods with a single-item ingredient list like carrots, broccoli, chicken, salmon… See below because I go into this in more detail.

3. Meal Prep – Circling back to number 1… if take time to meal prep like chopping vegetables, marinating meat in the beginning of the week you will set yourself up for success.

Weekly Meal Plan

4. Healthy Swaps – This is a somewhat easier one for some and not so easy for others. Instead of fried chicken try an oven baked chicken that resembles the crispness of that fried chicken you love so much. Think outside of the box. Try little swaps to start with.

5. Flavor – Don’t skimp on flavor. Healthy food does not have to taste bland or bad! Add some homemade cajun or blackening seasoning on fish or veggies. You will be surprised by how much flavor it has and it’s still healthy for you!

Healthy

I am not a nutritionist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know a thing or two about foods. Here are a few of my go-to tips for eating cleaner as a family.

This 7 Day Family Friendly Diet Is Packed With Superfoods

Cook your own meals – Try staying away from eating out and eat in more. During these current times it’s a little easier; however, when you eat out you don’t know the quality of food nor what is really in it. Thinking you are eating healthy, but in all actuality that fried chicken salad has over 1, 000 calories in it!

–Eat Whole Foods – Think of whole foods (not like the Supermarket) as stuff that either has a heart beat or grown. So essentially meat, vegetables, and fruits. They are not packaged–fresh and full of so much nutrients.

–Avoid Packaged Foods – This is a biggie and one that is so hard to do in this day in age. Don’t get me wrong my family eats their fair share of packaged foods. However, when I can afford it both time and money I will make the recipe by scratch vs grabbing a package that is pre-made. Packaged foods tend to have tons of extra ingredients that we don’t typically need (i.e., preservatives, chemicals and other stuff that you can’t understand on the label).

Master List Of Healthy Family Meals (kid Approved)

– Read the labels – Yes, this is really a thing! Read the labels. If you can’t pronounce it then you probably shouldn’t put it in your body. At least that’s my motto.

If you are looking for Healthy Beef Dinner Ideas I have over a dozen for you. From my family favorite of Skillet Picadillo to my kids most requested dinner of Instant Pot Mongolian Beef. Or give my Instant Pot Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatoes you cook both the potatoes and meat together! You are sure to find something to please your palate.

My easy recipe for Instant Pot Mongolian Beef is make with a flavorful homemade sauce that will fool your family into thinking they are eating Chinese takeout. This gluten free dinner recipe comes together in about 45 minutes from start to finish.

Best

Meals For Large Groups {easy & Inexpensive Ideas!}

Bring a little taste of Cuba into your home with an easy and family-friendly recipe for Skillet Picadillo, made in just 30 minutes!

One Pot Supreme Pizza Pasta Skillet is the perfect mix of loaded pizza and the flavors of a delicious hearty pasta dinner.

This Southwest taco stuffed spaghetti squash is packed full of ground beef, vegetables, delicious spices, and herbs and topped with spicy pepper jack cheese.

Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Meal Prep

Chili Pasta is a mix of pasta with ground beef chili in a rich tomato sauce and is the ultimate easy comfort food recipe. The entire dinner cooks in one pot in just 30 minutes.

Easy beef Greek bowl with Meatballs and cucumber tomato salad over couscous drizzled with creamy Tzatsiki sauce, is an explosion of exciting flavors in every bite! Fresh ingredients make all the difference!!

Italian Meatloaf is a comfort food classic dinner. This meatloaf mixture includes spices, egg, Italian style bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and my secret ingredient, shredded zucchini! This is the perfect way to sneak vegetables into your meal. Even the pickiest eater won't notice.

One Week $50 Weekly Meal Plan (family Of 4)

Zucchini Bolognese is a lightened up and gluten free recipe with the same great tastes as classic spaghetti bolognese but made with zucchini noodles also known as zoodles. This entire dinner serves a family of four and is made in about half hours time.