Family Meal Plan: Summer Menu

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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.

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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. You can check out my food philosophy here (LINK). 

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.

  1. Scrambled Eggs + Muffins 
  2. Whole Wheat Waffles
  3. Breakfast Burritos (with roasted sweet potatoes)
  4. Oatmeal (with frozen berries)
  5. Egg Bake 
  6. Pancakes
  7. Granola + berries + milk (like cold cereal)
  8. Scrambled Eggs + Muffins 
  9. Waffles 
  10. Breakfast Cookies
  11. Oatmeal or Overnight Oats
  12. Egg Bake 
  13. Strawberry Pancakes
  14. 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.

  1. Homemade Lunchables
  2. Quesadillas
  3. Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches
  4. Sandwich on a Stick Lunchbox Ideas
  5. Leftovers
  6. Muffin Tray Meal
  7. Hummus Sandwich
  8. 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?”!

About Melissa

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586 Comments

  1. Can I I bother you for a grocery list please. ?. Maybe to both plans. ? I appreciate this more than you know. It is such s blessing that you share all of this. I would buy your book in a heart beat. Email katepage44@gmail.com. . Thank you so much

    1. Just mailed it! Have a great day Kate. And I’ll for sure bug you when the book is done!

  2. Thanks for the blot post!! Great for my family– trying to be clean without being neurotic about it; enjoying healthy food without fearing the other stuff; being healthy and budget friendly at the same time- all the good stuff!! We appreciate it! You may also consider a sequel e-book that’s the A-Zs (if you will) for starting your own garden, particularly for those without a ton of space or money. Anyway, thanks again!!

    1. Kelley! Such a great idea. I’ll put it on me list! Thanks for commenting friend.

  3. Could you send me the grocery list as well! Trying to get organized before the school year begins!
    Thanks!

  4. How would you edit some of these meals for a single person? I’ve tried to eat clean repeatedly but it’s hard when i’m the only one eating the meals. i’m a single college student who is really trying to get healthy!

    1. left overs are your friends dana! plan so you preparefor 2 meals or at least part of the meal can be adapted for a second meal. So if you are cooking sweet potatoes make enough to mash for a veggie burger for the next day. It will stand you in good stead for family life as well when prepreparing is the only thing between you and a takeaway sometimes!

  5. Thank you, Pinterest for leading me to this blog! I LOVE that you not only write down what to eat for dinner, but include SIDES! EVERYONE forgets the sides and sometimes, I am just not creative enough to think of something. I have pinned both spring/summer and fall/winter editions! Thank you for being budget and family friendly! You rock 🙂

    1. Thanks so much Amanda. I was just reading a thread about how horrible I am because it’s not grain, dairy, and everything else free. You just made my day and helped me to remember that not everyone wants to give up everything but kale in the name of health. I needed your comment today 🙂

    2. No problem. I cannot imagine some of the comments. Unnecessary, in my thoughts. I make everything peanut/tree nut free bc my sister is allergic. I don’t email everyone or comment on blogs that use peanut ingredients-I simply make it my own without it. BOOM. People need to appreciate your help more than bash it. Have a great rest of the day, Melissa!

    3. Good attitude Amanda. Melissa, thank you for this, I adapt it to Scottish seasonal food but my 1 yr old eats everything I give him from this and my husband too (and soldiers are hard to please when it comes to healthy food!). I totally agree with the 80/20 principal, we have lived with it for a few yrs now, no sugar, alcohol and little refined flour in the week and much more relaxed at the weekend but being realistic as we both work and I study too.
      I want my son to know the joy that is great cake as well as the excitement of in season strawberries and peas – and so far he loves all of those!

  6. This is awesome!!! Can’t wait to share with my friends!!! Thank you for making it look so simple!!!

  7. Love your blog and the yummy recipes! My family is much like yours, we love to eat clean but we are also realistic and enjoy (unfortunately) sugary treats. We also live in the middle of no where and are on a budget, but we found a great website called greenpolkadotbox.com and it is all non-GMO foods that are much cheaper than retail in the health foods store. Just thought I would share! Thanks again for the recipes!

    1. Thanks Kelli! That site is great, it was new to me, but the prices seem really great, especially on the nuts. Looking forward to looking more into it!