Family Meal Plan: Summer Menu
on Oct 03, 2017, Updated Sep 17, 2024
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This family-friendly, two-week healthy meal plan is designed for the spring and summer months and is full of recipes the whole family will love that are easy to make — plus, it comes with a free printable shopping list.
Healthy Meal Plan + Tips
If you want to feed your family well but aren’t sure where to start, this is the post for you. I have a whole foods approach to eating that your whole family will gobble up (with no health food store needed… score).
This meal plan is ideal for families because all of the recipes are beyond simple, the ingredients are easy to find, and your whole family will chow down the meals. If you are new to healthy eating or trying to eat with a focus on whole foods, this a great place to start because the recipes are very traditional while also being simply delicious, if I do say so myself.
I do want to mention that “healthy” is a relative term, and we may not agree on what it means. To me, it’s about balance, eating foods that make you feel good, and not restricting yourself.
Table of Contents
- Healthy Meal Plan + Tips
- Healthy Eating Meal Plan: Summer Menu
- Breakfast:
- Lunch:
- I’ve made this EVEN EASIER! Sign up here to get a free PDF printable shopping list for the dinners included in this meal plan.
- 2 Weeks of Dinners the Whole Family Will Love
- Week 1
- Week 2:
- Sides for dinner:
- Snacks:
- I’ve made this EVEN EASIER! Sign up here to get a free PDF printable shopping list for the dinners included in this meal plan.
🍽️ More Easy Family Meal Planning Ideas!
Healthy Eating Meal Plan: Summer Menu
Let me take the thinking out of feeding your family! This eating clean meal plan is great for busy families who want to eat at home more! You are going to love all of the tried-and-true recipes I’ve been making for my family of seven for years.
Breakfast:
Here are 14 breakfast ideas to start your morning off well.
- Scrambled Eggs + Muffins
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Breakfast Burritos (with roasted sweet potatoes)
- Oatmeal (with frozen berries)
- Egg Bake
- Pancakes
- Granola + berries + milk (like cold cereal)
- Scrambled Eggs + Muffins
- Waffles
- Breakfast Cookies
- Oatmeal or Overnight Oats
- Egg Bake
- Strawberry Pancakes
- Granola + berries + milk
Tip: Make a double batch of the waffles and pancakes on the first day, and freeze half for the second time you plan to serve them for breakfast. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat in a toaster. Easy as can be!
Lunch:
Here are some simple lunch ideas for your family that can be made at home or taken on the go to work, school, or the park.
- Homemade Lunchables
- Quesadillas
- Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches
- Sandwich on a Stick Lunchbox Ideas
- Leftovers
- Muffin Tray Meal
- Hummus Sandwich
- Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
Remember: Don’t overthink lunch! I feel like this should be a fuss-free meal in the day.
I’ve made this EVEN EASIER! Sign up here to get a free PDF printable shopping list for the dinners included in this meal plan.
2 Weeks of Dinners the Whole Family Will Love
Dinner is the hardest meal of the day because everyone’s a little bit tired, and there’s still a lot left to do (homework, sports practice, baths, bedtime, cleanup, etc.). Here’s my easy meal plan that is perfect for summertime dinners that’ll take the stress out of getting the final meal of the day on the table! All of these recipes are made WITHOUT TURNING ON THE OVEN! They are made in the slow cooker, on the grill, or on the stove top. No hot house needed!
Week 1
Day 1: Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork (the BBQ sauce is served as an optional addition at the end)
Day 2: Grilled Salmon Foil Packets
Day 3: Stovetop Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Day 4: Garden Veggie Pasta
Day 5: One Pot Sausage Rice and Peas
Day 6: One Pot Farmstand Wonder
Day 7: Leftovers/Eat out
Week 2:
Day 1: 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
Day 2: The BEST chicken tacos
Day 3: Healthy Quinoa Taco Casserole
Day 4: Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna
Day 5: Shrimp Stir Fry
Day 6: Grilled Sausage and Veggie Foil Packs
Day 7: Leftovers/Eat out
Sides for dinner:
Summer is such an EASY time to get sides for dinner. Serve fresh fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, peaches, cherries, or berries) just as they are because they are in season and taste great.
Veggie options include corn on the cob, grilled or lightly sauteed zucchini, fresh green beans boiled with onion until tender (it takes a good long while for them to cook, about 40 minutes), simple salads with great dressings, cucumber salads, or just garden cucumbers and tomatoes on a plate with salt and pepper.
Don’t overthink your sides in the summer, but do plan on them (and add them to your shopping list accordingly). Hit up the roadside stands, your grandpa’s garden, the farmer’s market, or your neighbor. Summer is a great time to eat simple foods just as they are from the earth. Fresh and seasonal produce makes fruits and veggies a treat to add to meals.
Snacks:
If your kids are like mine, I bet they are eating you out of house and home while home from school!
- You have lots of snack options that go beyond sliced fruit, vegetables, and string cheese sticks, but don’t discount those simple options, as well.
- I always keep a veggie box in my fridge. It’s the best thing ever, and makes it way easier to eat veggies regularly!
- One of my 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Bites are always in my fridge! My kids LOVE these.
- Smoothies in all shapes and sizes. Just don’t get tricked into using sugar if your recipe calls for yogurt. Read that label!
- Popcorn… Did you know you can pop it in a brown paper bag in the microwave?
- Homemade Graham Crackers.
- Whole Peanuts. Peanuts in the shell are so much more fun to eat if you don’t mind the mess. Trust me.
- Popsicles. Easy Rainbow Popsicles are a favorite around here. I make a double-batch of smoothies and freeze half in popsicle molds all the time, but you can also try freezing a 100% fruit juice for easy popsicles. Popsicles are the easiest way for my kids to enjoy fruit and hidden veggies.
- Boiled Eggs.
- No-Bake Date Balls. The peanut butter and jelly ones are our favorite.
- I always have a loaf or two of 100% whole wheat bread ready to slice and butter. Just toast a piece and spread peanut butter on it for a really good and filling snack.
- Healthy Snack Bars.
- Healthy Fruit Dip. This is perfect with apples for some extra protein and fat.
See? Meal planning is easy… Just let me do it for you!
I’ve made this EVEN EASIER! Sign up here to get a free PDF printable shopping list for the dinners included in this meal plan.
Love a summer meal plan? Don’t worry, I have a fall and winter one too! You can find my fall and winter meal plan here.
I hope this free meal plan for families really helps you out, saves you time, and takes some of the thinking out of “what’s for dinner?”!
This is how I feel too!
Hi, could youy email me that grocery list, please? Just found your blogs, love the topic!
I am so happy I found this! Easy and budget friendly recipes that my whole family can enjoy. I think I would always tend to “cheat” a little bit because my three year old is ridiculously picky but these recipes are definitely something that I can tweak just a little for my little one and keep it clean for me & my hubby! Thank you!!! Do you have a fall/winter meal plan??
Love this! Will be using it in my next week of meal planning…. Thank you!
Hey, I just found your blog via Pinterest and it really intreages me. My son was diagnosed with type one diabetes last year and I am always looking for a better way to feed my family. I love your 80/20 philosophy because even with a diabetic baby( well he’ll be 3 next month but still my baby lol) there is really no way to keep all processed foods and sugars out of our lives.
I am looking for something other than sugar to cook with. I have tried Agave and Coconut sugar.
But, it doesn’t set things like cookies and Brittles like regular sugar does. Any suggestions?
When it comes to candy making I’ve seen a few recipe for maple and honey candy that use those things but I think most recipes just won’t work without traditional granulated sugar. As far as cookies go I’ve tried a few recipes with honey in them and they were ok… you’ll have to look around! Or just save cookies and candy for a special treat 🙂
I appreciate all the effort that you shared with us. Hard to imagine people wasting time leaving rude comments. If I disagree with blogs, I just close the browser and move on. Keep on doing your good work and know many are thankful for your gift
Thank you so much for your post. I love the 80/20 rule as well as your meal plans and recipes.
For my family this is something that can be totally attainable. Kudos to those that can go hardcore on 100%. I just know that this will work for my family much better than trying to go cold turkey. Life with a two year old doesn’t always go according to schedule. I need backup meals and snacks ready.
I’m so excited to start this. Thanks again and happy 2014!
A woman after my own heart! I don’t do well with tons of rules and can’t do this scenarios. I feel like those things make me destined for failure or feeling bad about myself. I am excited to try your plan AND eat real cake on my birthday!
What is your weekly or biweekly budget? 80/20 fits my family to a T. I love this blog. Aksi did you ever get the grocery list done?