A Week Of Easy Kids Meal Ideas

I know firsthand how it can often feel like you’re totally out of ideas for what to make the kids each day. The endlessness of feeding a family is real! Thankfully, I also know that simply seeing new ideas can help bust any of us out of a rut—so these seven sample days worth of kids meal ideas are here to help. I’ve included a toddler breakfast, snack for kids, kids lunches, healthy snacks for kids, and toddler dinner ideas for each day of a sample week. These are real meals and foods that I’ve served to my middle kiddo when she was two years old, so know that you may need to adjust the specifics of how a food is served or the serving size for your own child. (For more easy kids meal ideas, you can also find some of my go-to shortcut toddler meals, easy summer lunch ideas, and no-cook school lunch ideas, too.) TIP: I hope this is implied, but OF COURSE sub in similar prepared or purchased foods if and when you can’t make everything homemade.

How to Plan Kids Meals Step-by-Step

Before we jump into the specifics of each meal, here are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to planning out kids meals. Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox. TIP: Keep the personality of your child in mind and adjust any advice accordingly. Every kiddo is unique and may react differently to different scenarios. There’s no perfect here!

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 1

Swap in leftover homemade pancakes from the weekend or pick up a low sugar frozen waffle. I like Kashi or Vans brand.

Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal Pancakes or waffles (homemade, leftover, or frozen from the store), milk, extra sliced banana Morning Snack: Homemade Granola Bar (or a store kids bought one) with optional milk Lunch: Spinach and Cheese Pizza Roll, fruit and cucumbers Afternoon Snack: Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Cauliflower Dinner: Broccoli Pesto Pasta, Pan-Seared Chicken, side applesauce

TIP: Each day should include an iron-rich food for kids to help kids get enough of that nutrient.

Kids Breakfast Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 2

Sub in yogurt with homemade granola if that’s easier for you to pull together for breakfast. The muffins work well to make ahead and stash in the fridge to use throughout the week (and into the freezer for future weeks).

Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Berries Morning Snack: Spinach Banana Muffin (add milk as needed) Lunch: Deconstructed turkey and cheese sandwich, fruit and veggie Afternoon Snack: Strawberry Applesauce Dinner: 30-Minute Lentil Soup with Cornbread Muffin or crackers

TIP: If your kiddo is hungrier for afternoon snack, add something else to go with the applesauce such as cereal for kids, crackers, or a cheese stick.

Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 3

Add 1/2-1 cup of milk to each main meal if desired to round out the nutrients in the day. (It’s okay if your child doesn’t love or drink milk though. They just need 2-3 servings of dairy a day to meet their calcium needs.)

Breakfast: Baked French Toast, banana Morning Snack: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls Lunch: Mac and cheese with Peas, berries, clementine, pepperoni Afternoon Snack: Strawberry Muffin (add milk if needed) Dinner: Baked Chicken Tenders with Cheesy Rice and melon

TIP: Sub in freezer waffles or toast for the French Toast if that’s easier for you!

Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 4

If you want to try a genius shortcut for the eggs, try making eggs in the microwave!

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, berries, milk Morning Snack: Cheese crackers recipe (you can do store bought if you prefer), banana Lunch: Veggie Hummus, crackers, sliced peach, carrot ribbons Afternoon Snack: Cereal for kids, fruit, and milk or water Dinner: Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, zucchini, applesauce

TIP: I try to make veggies taste good to me before I serve them to my kids, so add seasoning, sauces, and dips as needed to make sure they are yummy!

Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 5

You can make the oatmeal cups ahead, or try this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal that’s a great breakfast for the whole family.

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal Cups; avocado, banana Morning Snack: Healthy Breakfast Bar, fruit Lunch: Snack plate and milk or water Afternoon Snack: Mango Smoothie with Yogurt Dinner: Lentils and rice, melon, cucumbers

TIP: Add a simple snack before bed if needed.

Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 6

I like to make a batch of healthy muffins for kids every week or so to make sure I always have some in the freezer for quick snacks.

Breakfast: Apple Raisin Oatmeal and milk Morning Snack: Vegan Banana Muffin Lunch: Grilled Cheese with Mashed Butternut Squash, Roasted Broccoli, canned fruit in 100% fruit juice Afternoon Snack: Yogurt and cucumber slices Dinner: Stir Fry Noodles and veggies, pineapple

TIP: You can quickly cut up noodles for kids with a pair of kitchen shears.

Recipes to Try

Kids Meal Ideas: Day 7

Green smoothies are a great way to add a lot of nutrients to a snack. Serve it in a cup or a reusable pouch.

Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and berries and milk or water Morning Snack: Green Smoothie for Kids Lunch: Deconstructed Kids Salad and fruit Afternoon Snack: Chocolate Protein Muffin with milk or water Dinner: Instant Pot Butter Chicken, rice, naan with Roasted Zucchini

TIP: Add a side of fruit to dinner if needed/preferred.

Recipes to Try

Sample Kids Meal Plan

If you’re struggling with when to offer foods and how to time them around activities and snacks, this sample toddler meal plan will help to give you some ideas.

Tips for Making Family Meals Work for Everyone

Learn more about my overall approach to feeding kids—yet serve the same meal to everyone at the table—in this post on the Division of Responsibility.

Happy Family Meals

My full service meal planning system, Happy Family Meals, is here to take some of the work out of feeding your family. It’s an easy to use 4-week meal plan with menus, grocery lists, and helpful hints. It contains weekly menus built on “themes” so you can easily make your own meal plans in future weeks. It’s so helpful for streamlining family meals. I’d love to hear what your toddler’s favorite meal is right now—or which meal gives you the biggest trouble!