40 Family Dinner Ideas for Kids

Tips for Easy Family Dinners

1. Prep Ahead – To save your sanity during the week – prep one or two items that you are planning on using for dinners that week on the weekend – chopped an onion, marinate some chicken, make a veggie-loaded pasta sauce, etc. It doesn’t have to be an all-day event. Even 30 minutes of prep time goes a long way.
2. One Meal for Toddlers, Kids and Adults – Make one dinner for toddlers, kids and you! I developed these recipes for toddlers and kids, but I eat them as well! Don’t think that you have to make an extra meal just for yourself. I sometimes add sriracha, a large green salad or more veggies to my portion depending on what the recipe is, but the base recipe is always the same.
3. Plan Ahead – The one thing that has helped me endlessly is meal planning. I choose my meals for the week, go shopping once and then everything is there when I need it. I never worry about what I’m going to make that evening and I can also plan to cook double batches for freezer meals.

Nutritional Tips for your Family

Eating healthy for the whole family does not have to be complicated.  Kids learn by example so if they see you eating the same meal they have, they will be more likely to eat it. Here are a few tips to make it easier on the whole fam. 

• Ideally, plates should be made up of ½ fruits and vegetables, ¼ whole grains and ¼ protein with a serving of dairy at each meal. But don’t worry if your or your child’s plate doesn’t always look like this (or they don’t always eat a balanced meal). Just try to make it even out throughout the week.
• Eating together as a family, without distractions like the TV or phones, tends to create healthier eating habits for kids, and they learn healthy eating behaviors from others at the table. 
• Don’t worry if your child doesn’t eat everything on their plate. Kids need to learn to honor their hunger and fullness cues so no more “Clean Plate Club.” 
• Serve small portions so kids do not feel overwhelmed but what is on their plate. They can always ask for seconds if they want more.
• Offer a variety of foods from all five food groups each day. Variety is key when trying to prevent picky eating, but remember it may take up to 10 times for a child to accept a new food so don’t be discouraged if they don’t eat something on the first try. 
• A good rule of thumb to follow when feeding kids is: Parents choose when and what foods to offer and children decide how much to eat and whether they eat at all.