Family-Friendly Meal Plans: 5 Weekly Menus Even Picky Eaters Will Love

Trying to plan meals everyone will enjoy is not easy if your kids won’t try new foods. Selecting the best meals means everybody can eat together, remaining healthy by consuming the nutrients needed for development.

For this guide, we’ve made five family menus for fussy eaters, putting emphasis on tasty options, lots of variety and foods with nutritional value.

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Problems Families Face Without Meal Planning

Having a plan for meals at home helps you save both time and effort and you can avoid spending too much money. Especially, it allows your family to always benefit from a balanced diet. Varied meals for children bring about good development of their brains, immunity and energy levels.

Following a balanced diet gives you the following:

• Needed for growing muscle and recovering injured tissue
• Carbohydrates that help give you energy for a longer period
• Natural fats to control hormones and keep brains healthy
• Vitamins that help your immune system and minerals important for bones

So now let’s explore the weekly meal plans that will make cooking and eating dinner stress-free and good for health.

The first week’s menu includes updated classics.

1. Monday: Chicken tenders that are baked with sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli
2. Tuesday: Pasta made with a veggie marinara sauce that is hard to see
3. Black bean quesadillas with turkey, scallion and cheese are on the menu for Wednesday.
4. Thursday’s meal includes mini meatloaf muffins, soft mashed potatoes and green peas.
5. Friday is the night for homemade pizza, topped with a whole wheat base and many toppings.

This week has a lot of protein and vegetables which balance the digestive process and encourage healthy growth in kids.

Week 2: Covering Veggies in Flavor & Creamy Textures

1. Mac and cheese is made with puréed butternut squash for the first meal of the week.
2. On Tuesday, the tacos had ground beef with shredded lettuce, cheese and corn.
3. Grilled cheese and tomato soup are on the menu for Wednesday.
4. On Thursday, have chicken stir fry cooked with bell peppers, carrots and rice.
5. For breakfast-for-dinner on Friday, you might try scrambled eggs, whole wheat pancakes and some fruit.

The biological effect: Compared to eating similar-colored vegetables, you gain more antioxidants for a healthy immune system and glowing skin from the blue, orange and pink-colored veggies.

Third Week: Dishes that Are Slight and Suitable for Sensitive People

1. On Mondays we eat baked fish sticks with tasty mashed cauliflower and green beans.
2. On Tuesday, you could eat penne pasta with creamy spinach Alfredo (chicken is optional).
3. Wednesday’s meal will be a homemade soup made with pasta, chicken, carrots and celery.
4. Sliders made using sweet potato rounds on Thursday.
5. On Friday we eat English muffin pizzas and cucumber sticks for lunch.

The brain and cognitive abilities of children can be enhanced by the omega-3 fatty acids included in fish.

In Week 4, the meals are world inspired and popular with kids.

1. Mild chicken is cooked in a curry and eaten with rice and peas.
2. Have soft tacos with meat and add on guacamole and salsa.
3. Wednesday: Chicken and veggie skewers with noodles cooked in teriyaki sauce
4. On Thursday: baked ziti the Italian way with zucchini in the sauce
5. On Friday, try Greek chicken pitas, hummus and sliced cucumbers.

Children who eat herbs and spices might like food more and it could help develop the beneficial bacteria in their guts.

Fifth week, learn how to eat healthily on a limited budget.

1. Monday’s meal can be lentil soup and whole grain bread.
2. Tuna melts paired with apple slices
3. On Wednesday, the meal was a baked potato bar with some cheese, broccoli and beans.
4. Make Whole Wheat sloppy joes with plenty of veggies.
5. Friday: A chance to eat last night’s dinner or a quick bowl of cereal

Legumes and whole grains supply protein and iron from plants which is important for energy and hemoglobin levels.

Suggestions for Helping Picky Eaters

• Provide a range of foods: When kids are exposed to new foods many times, they start to enjoy them more.
• Keep foods simple in texture, since mixed or mushy textures may not be liked.
• Let your kids participate: Giving them a role in meals builds a successful atmosphere.
• Freeing yourself of stress should take priority over finishing all the food.

Final Thoughts

Weekly family meals do not have to be confusing or boring. You can make even the most stubborn eaters happy using just a few ingredients, a balance of nutrients and some creativity in presentation.