Monthly Dinner Ideas: A Healthy and Easy Menu
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“What’s for dinner?” … “Mom, mom, what are we having for dinner?” … “Babe, what do you want to do for dinner?” Are these questions constantly being asked in your household too? Hah! I feel you. That’s why I’m sharing these monthly dinner ideas!
And if we’re not connected on Instagram already, be sure to say hi over there and follow along for more simple recipe ideas, nutrition tips and meal prep inspo! @daniellemgodfrey
Dinner Ideas for the Whole Family
Mamas with picky eaters unite! This section is for you! When my son started eating solids, I did the normal pureed fruits and veggies but then he became a toddler and became the pickiest eater. I decided with my second child that I was done making completely separate meals for the kids than what we were having and decided to tweak their meals while still introducing some of our foods. Here are some of our family favorites:
Taco night
Options for taco night based on how picky you, your spouse or your kids are:
- Tacos – hard shell, soft shell (corn or flour)
- Taco salad, Tostada salad
- Quesadilla
- Nachos
- Bell pepper nachos
- Spaghetti squash taco bake
Spaghetti/ Pasta Night
- Regular pasta (my kids love angel hair)
- No sauce, butter sauce, pesto, marinara sauce, chicken alfredo
- On Spaghetti squash
- Spaghetti squash or pasta bake
- Zoodles
- Sauce with ground beef, turkey or chicken or turned into meat balls
These are two of our favorite dinner ideas that we rotate through quite often and just tweak a little so we don’t get bored and so we can tailor our meals to the littles as well.
Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Nights
Some nights are just SO busy and the last thing you want to do is cook right? Well this section for an easy weeknight dinner is for you!
Sheet Pan Meals
Omgsh we love these because they are truly so easy! Grab a protein, a variety of veggies and roast it all in the oven!
Chicken apple sausage with veggies
We love these chicken apple sausages! I like to roast them with Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, sometimes onions! Bake at 350 until everything is cooked through (around 30-45 minutes depending on what veggies you’re cooking). So good!
Salmon with veggies
Same idea as above but a different protein! Season your salmon how you like. I like to keep it simple at just use Kinders The Blend seasoning. Bake at 350 until everything is cooked through (around 30-45 minutes depending on what veggies you’re cooking).
One Pan Meals
A one pan meal is something you can make just using one pan!
Feta Chicken Artichoke Bake
This bake was a hit on Instagram! You can checkout the recipe there!
Cauliflower fried rice
Another easy favorite is cauliflower fried rice. You’re going to grab some frozen and fresh veggies – I like to use pre-made “riced” frozen cauliflower, frozen peas and corn, fresh shredded carrots, onion and green onions. I start with the onion and soften that with some garlic in olive oil. Then, I add all my frozen veggies and let those cook. Once they’re almost done heating through, I move them around to the edge of the pan to create a hole in the middle to crack, scramble and cook a couple eggs. Last, I add carrots and green onions on top! Finish with some soy sauce or cocoaminos.
Healthier Meals
When I’m following my healthy meal plan to a T, I create my dinners using a plating system. I fill my plate 25% with protein and 75% with veggies. There are of course many different nutrition plans and meal plans you can follow but this is a very sustainable system that works for me! SO I meal plan and cook my dinners accordingly.
Usually when I’m setting my week’s meal plan, I just grab a bunch of different proteins and a variety of vegetables.
Things that are always on my grocery shopping list:
- Chicken thighs
- Ground turkey
- Ground beef
- Chicken apple sausage
- Steak (we get from a butcher)
- Broccoli (the pre cut bags – come on.. make it easy mama!)
- Onions
- Zucchini
- Brussel sprouts
- Bell peppers
- Spaghetti squash
- Lettuce/veggies to make a simple a salad
And from that list I mix and match a protein with one or two vegetables and it’s a healthy dinner!
Slow Cooker Meals
My favorite recipes are easy recipes… and what’s easier than putting something in your slow cooker, setting, forgetting and coming home to dinner made!? Slow cooker meals are a great way to simplify your dinners for the month. They’re also great when you have little time in the evening!
Pulled pork is one of my favorite recipes to make in the slow cooker because you can make a large amount and have it many ways. With the pork we make carnitas, add bbq sauce for salads, put on a sweet bun for sliders. Delish!
Shredded chicken is another good slow cooker meal you can make and have many ways. Shred it for chicken tacos or enchiladas. Put this Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger sauce on for a chinese chicken salad. Seriously endless possibilities! Just place your chicken breasts in the slow cooker, cover with chicken broth and seasonings and slow cook for 6-8 hours.
Instant Pot Recipe Ideas
Instant pot recipes are great for busy weeknights as this pressure cooker shortens your cook time! This is the Instant Pot I have and love!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This recipe comes from this Skinnytaste recipe book! And there are a TON of other really delicious recipes in this cookbook.
Air Fryer Dinner Ideas
The air fryer is probably my most used kitchen appliance! I am absolutely obsessed with it and it makes cooking dinner very simple and delicious! Here’s a post all about my favorite air fryer recipes.
An air fryer dinner we have probably once a week is either chicken or salmon done in the air fryer! You can season however you like and for the chicken air fry for 10 minutes on both sides at 390 degrees. For the salmon, air fry at 350 for 10 minutes. Super simple and makes for a crispy protein! Pair with your favorite veggies and you have yourself a healthy dinner idea!
Side Dishes
When you’re making dinner, you of course need some side dish ideas! Here are some of my favorites!
Green beans
Super simple, we just put in the pan to cook, season with salt and pepper and a little bit of butter.
Pesto Whole Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe was SO easy and delicious, especially if you love pesto!
Fresh Veggies and Seasonal Produce
Be sure to check out your local farmers market to grab some fresh veggies and seasonal produce to pair with your dinners for the week! We love to walk and check out the local farmers market (although we really should go more often!)
Rice – White Rice, Wild Rice, Cauliflower Rice
So many rice options! This is a great addition to any meal for dinner.
Potatoes – Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes
Also a staple in our house! We don’t make them often but I looooove a twice baked potato! We usually save this for holidays or special occasions for some reason but man they are so good!
Free Weekly Meal Plans
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Weekly Meal Planning Schedule
Something that has really changed my life and created less stress over meals is through following this weekly meal planning schedule.
My plan:
Thursdays – plan out the meals for the following week. This includes breakfasts and lunches that I plan on meal prepping. I also have a general idea of our weekly dinner menu! I create shopping lists from where I need to get the food. Usually I order groceries from Sprouts, our local grocery store, on Instacart but sometimes we’ll go to Costco for bulk items.
Fridays – Order groceries to be delivered (make it easy on yourself mama!)
Saturdays or Sundays – I take a few hours, usually one morning over the weekend, to meal prep breakfast and sometimes lunches for the week! Meal prepping has been a life savor for saving time and sanity during the week! I get way less hangry when I meal prep!
Check out some of my favorite meal prep recipes and resources in these posts:
EASY MEAL PREPPING RECIPES FOR EVERY MEAL