Nutrition & Delicious: Meal Prep Ideas The Whole Family Will Love
Feeding an entire family can be daunting at best. Busy schedules, picky eaters, and the demand of screen time can leave a family feeling distant and overwhelmed. The value of eating together as a family can get lost in the chaos. Many times, the workload of a routine family dinner may not seem worth it. In this article, we’ll show you how to take the work out of family dinners. We’ll teach you meal prep ideas the whole family will love so you can enjoy the beauty of a family dinner without the stress.
Nutrition & Delicious Meal Prep Ideas
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Breakfast and Dinner Burritos – Burritos are a convenient, freezer-friendly meal prep option that the whole family will enjoy. The beauty of burritos is that you can customize them to suit even the pickiest of eaters. They can be filled with ground beef, turkey, chicken, eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, cheese, sour cream, potatoes, and more. Burritos freeze well, so don’t hesitate to make extras for easy meals on busy days.
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Breakfast Bowls – A simple, delicious, and protein-packed meal idea. Gather the family and start by cracking some eggs. Scramble the eggs in a skillet with butter, then divide the scrambled eggs into meal prep containers or bowls. Customize the eggs with healthy toppings such as bacon, sausage, diced potatoes, avocado, cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, or salsa. Breakfast bowls freeze well, making them a perfect option for a quick family breakfast or dinner.
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Sweet Potato or Banana Pancakes1 – A common complaint from parents is struggling to get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables. A simple solution is to disguise the healthy ingredients in a pancake-shaped form. Top the pancakes with butter, natural peanut butter, real maple syrup, honey, or fruit, and you’ve got a delicious breakfast (or dinner) the whole family will enjoy. The best part is that these pancakes freeze well. Cook a large batch and freeze the extras for quick, easy meals on busy days.
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Crockpot Pulled Pork – Here’s a super simple, delicious, and inexpensive meal option that can last you the entire week. Start with a Boston butt or pork shoulder. Make sure it’s small enough to fit in your crockpot or opt for a boneless cut that you can cut in half. Season the pork with salt and pepper, and place it in the crockpot. Cook on low until the meat is tender and easily shreds. Cooking it without sauces allows everyone in the family to enjoy the pulled pork as is or add their favorite sauces when preparing their meal.
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Chicken Nuggets – A classic favorite for kids young and old. Cut chicken breasts or thighs into nugget-sized pieces, fry them in a skillet with butter, tallow, or olive oil, and serve with a side of homemade ranch, sugar-free BBQ sauce, or all-natural ketchup. It’s a delicious, healthier alternative to store-bought nuggets that the whole family will devour.
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Taco Bowls – Prepare a large batch of ground beef or ground turkey and use it as a versatile base for multiple meals. Heat it up in a bowl and add toppings like beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa, or avocado. Ground beef or turkey also pairs well with scrambled eggs seasoned with onion salt. You can also chop up some lettuce and make a quick taco salad. The possibilities are endless with ground beef and turkey, offering plenty of healthy, customizable meal options for the whole family.
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Crockpot Shredded Chicken – Add any cut of chicken—frozen or thawed—to the crockpot. Flavor it however you like! You can toss in a jar of salsa, canned beans, seasoning, chicken broth, vegetables—really, the sky’s the limit. Whether you’re using chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, or even a whole chicken, the crockpot makes it easy to create a flavorful, delicious meal with minimal effort.
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Crockpot Chili – Chili is a versatile meal prep staple that can be made in countless ways. It works with chicken, beef, turkey, or pork and offers endless flavor possibilities, from spicy to enchilada-style to creamy. With so many variations, you could enjoy chili every week for an entire year and never eat the same meal twice!
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Rice – Though rice is often considered a side dish, it earns a spot on this list for its ease of cooking and versatility. A small amount can go a long way, adding variety and substance to almost any meal. As a whole food staple, rice is perfect for meal prepping and can enhance any dinner menu with its ability to complement a wide range of dishes.
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Leftovers! – Don’t forget the most important meal of the week. Clean up the fridge and reduce food waste by setting up a buffet of meal prep leftovers. Everyone fills their plate, heats it up in the microwave, and you have an easy dinner (and a clean fridge) in just minutes.
Eating Healthy on a Budget
The common misconception about eating healthy is that it’s expensive, but that doesn’t have to be the case. A key strategy is to plan meals around grocery store sales, particularly on meat. Instead of paying full price, seek out manager’s specials and weekly discounts to save significant money over time. Opt for store-brand items when possible, only choosing name-brand products when they are truly superior.
Bulk buying can also be a cost-saver, but it’s important to check the price per pound, ounce, or unit on the price tag—sometimes, bulk items are actually more expensive than smaller packages. By shopping wisely, you can feed your family nutritious, whole foods without breaking the bank, and often for less than the cost of processed alternatives.
The Power of Family Meals
It’s time to bring back traditional family dinners! Turn off the TV, set aside the cell phones and tablets, and focus on enjoying each other’s company. Research shows that children who regularly have family dinners are less likely to face challenges such as eating disorders, substance abuse, violent behavior, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts2. Family meal time also contributes to higher self-esteem3 and greater dedication to learning, often leading to better academic performance.
Some studies have also found that females in particular feel a sense of safety and security when sharing meals with their family, leading them to feel safer and more secure in the world and in themselves. Middle to high-school-aged kids were also found to make healthier food choices when eating with friends if their families shared meals together4.
Parents who reported frequently shared meals were found to have stronger family dynamics, better family functioning, healthier relationships, and better mental health when compared to families who did not routinely eat together5. Parents who incorporated family dinners into the weekly schedule were also found to have less depression and better self-esteem6.
Meal Prep Ideas The Whole Family Will Love
The power of family dinners and healthy meals is fully supported by science. Several studies have found that family routines, time together, and sharing a meal are associated with better health and mental well-being for all family members7. Family dinners are also associated with feelings of parental competence and marital satisfaction. Both feelings result in children having more confidence and a stronger feeling of security within their home and family unit.
Family dinners (or breakfasts/lunches) do not have to be overly complex, complicated, and stressful. The most important thing is that the family sits down together, spends time socializing as a unit, and builds a stronger connection with every meal. There is power in family meals – even scientists agree. Meal prep is a great tool to simplify family dinners and reduce the stress of planning a new meal every night. As you begin to introduce meal prep and family dinners into your family culture you will likely see your family strengthening as a unit. Healthy meals eaten together have the power to unite a family and develop a bond that cannot be shaken.
For more tips on family meal planning and prep, be sure to explore our other articles:
Supporting Research
- Nutritious & Delicious: Breakfast Swaps Kids Will Love. Human Health Co. (2024a, September 20). https://humanhealthco.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3296&action=edit ↩︎
- Harrison ME, Norris ML, Obeid N, Fu M, Weinstangel H, Sampson M. Systematic review of the effects of family meal frequency on psychosocial outcomes in youth. Can Fam Physician. 2015 Feb;61(2):e96-106. PMID: 25676655; PMCID: PMC4325878. ↩︎
- Fulkerson JA, Story M, Mellin A, Leffert N, Neumark-Sztainer D, French SA. Family dinner meal frequency and adolescent development: relationships with developmental assets and high-risk behaviors. J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(3):337–45. Epub 2006 Jul 10. ↩︎
- Woodruff SJ, Hanning RM. Associations between family dinner frequency and specific food behaviors among grade six, seven, and eight students from Ontario and Nova Scotia. J Adolesc Health. 2009;44(5):431–6. Epub 2009 Jan 9. ↩︎
- Utter J, Larson N, Berge JM, Eisenberg ME, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D. Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing. Prev Med. 2018 Aug;113:7-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.006. Epub 2018 May 7. PMID: 29746973; PMCID: PMC6309329. ↩︎
- Berge JM, Miller J, Watts A, Larson N, Loth KA, Neumark-Sztainer D. Intergenerational transmission of family meal patterns from adolescence to parenthood: longitudinal associations with parents’ dietary intake, weight-related behaviours and psychosocial well-being. Public Health Nutr 2018;21(2):299–308. ↩︎
- Fiese BH, Tomcho TJ, Douglas M, Josephs K, Poltrock S, Baker T. A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals: cause for celebration? J Fam Psychol 2002;16(4):381–90. ↩︎
