What I Fed My Family This Week (Kid-Friendly Meal Ideas)

Inside: easy, healthy, kid-friendly meal ideas from my family of 5 AKA what I fed my kids this week. If you’re in need of ideas for quick breakfasts, healthy snacks to lunches & weeknight dinners I’ve got you covered with these family favorites.

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Feeding a family is a full-time job, right?

From meal planning to grocery shopping to actually cooking the meals, it’s a lot to think about and plan for.

For me, feeding my family starts with a grocery list, a plan, and a well-stocked freezer and pantry!

what I fed my family this week | easy family meal ideas

On Feeding Everyone the Same Thing AKA Kid-Friendly Meal Ideas

This comes up often on my Instagram, but worth repeating here.

I do not always make the same meal for everyone.

I know we often see this shared as a hard and fast rule: no “separate” meals, everyone eats the same thing, etc.

And to be honest?

It’s not always realistic to make the same thing for everyone.

Here’s why:

Leftovers need to get used up
Different ingredients need to be used before they go to waste
Grown ups are having a “date night” dinner at home
Quicker/easier to make kids a box of macaroni and cheese at 4:30 PM

Life with kids is complex and as they get older it gets even more busy.

With 3 kids, it’s not always practical to make one meal on any given night.

Sometimes the toddler needs to be fed early (and of course it can be a portion of what everyone is having), or one child has sports or dance and needs to eat on the go, etc.

feeding a family | home management | stay at home mom organization

I think instead of telling ourselves that every dinner needs to be a family meal 7 nights a week, it’s more realistic to attempt 3-4 family meals (typically dinner) where everyone eats a version of the same thing.

Easy family meal ideas that are kid-friendly

Today I’ll be sharing easy and healthy meal ideas for:

breakfast
lunch
dinner
snacks

Plus visuals showing how I serve things and a quick peek at my fridge, freezer, and pantry organization.

meal prep | getting organized in the kitchen

All of the ideas shared here are kid-friendly meal ideas AKA they work for my family, toddler through tween.

Of course, we all eat differently and you probably have different favorites and meals on rotation in your house, but hopefully these ideas can help inspire you and you can adapt them to work for your family.

You’ll also love these easy recipes:

make-ahead family dinner idea | freezer-friendly | kid-friendly meal ideas

What I Fed My Family This Week (Kid-Friendly Meal Ideas)

Here you’ll find easy snack and meal ideas for your family – I basically took pictures of everything I made within a week to share with you!

Of course what was eaten is always different and depends on the kid and the meal, but here’s a look at what was served.

Quick Kid-Friendly Breakfast Ideas

Eggs + Toast + Fruit

If you follow me on IG, you’ve definitely heard me share this tip before!

Don’t reinvent the wheel on breakfast – instead follow this simple formula: eggs + toast +fruit

And here’s the best part: any combo works!

make-ahead breakfast idea | kid-friendly meals

For example:

hardboiled eggs + english muffin + strawberries
scrambled eggs + pita + sliced apples

I will basically make eggs of any style, any type of “toast” I have, and whatever fruit is in season.

Pancakes

My kids love pancakes and they work so well for make-ahead breakfasts.

I usually make sheet pan pancakes, but every once in a while my kids request “circle” pancakes 😀

When I make pancakes, I follow a similar breakfast formula as above:

pancakes
breakfast sausage or bacon
fruit

I’ve found that using divided plates also helps make feeding kids easier!

And of course, syrup! I buy the Kirkland Organic one and I find it’s the best deal for our big family.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos

Can you tell we love a make-ahead breakfast?

Sometimes you want a make-ahead breakfast that isn’t sweet, and these are my go-to.

My kids like them “classic” with scrambled eggs, cheese, and breakfast sausage (I use Jones Dairy Farm).
You could of course add whatever you want like bell peppers, spinach, or different types of cheese.
Once you’re rolling up one burrito, it’s just as easy to quickly roll up 10 of them to freeze.
If freezing, wrap them in foil and then store in a ziploc bag in the freezer.
Reheat in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel (remove the foil first)

Toddler & Kid Snack Ideas

No-Bake Energy Bites

This is hands-down my favorite recipe from the My Little Food Critic app.

I double the recipe and store half in the freezer – my kids really like them frozen as well!

Hot tip: use a mini cookie scoop to make perfect energy balls!

Pretzels & Hummus + Applesauce

Classic, store-bought, easy + the energy balls from above, packed to go!

Here are more of my favorite store-bought snacks

Toddler Snack Box

Here’s what I included:

hummus & pretzels
freeze-dried strawberries
string cheese
yogurt drink
cheese balls (Pipcorn brand)

Get more toddler snack box ideas here.

Apples & Peanut Butter

A classic & simple after school snack + how I bring it on-the-go.

I slice up the apples and add a squeeze of lemon juice, then store them in glass jars.

on-the-go after school snack idea | feeding my kids

Then I bring Jiff Natural peanut butter cups to make it easy!

If you want a no-sugar peanut butter, you can make your own individual peanut butter cups to go, by using small salad dressing size containers.

Afternoon Mom Treat

La Colombe canned latte + Siete cookies! Can’t go wrong.

Lunch Ideas (Lunchbox & Home)

DIY “lunchable”

pepperoni
cracker-cut cheese
hummus & pretzels
strawberries
baby carrots
madegood crispy bar

Chicken Salad

Make a quick chicken salad with rotisserie chicken or grab some store-bought chicken salad from the deli.
We also love tuna salad made with Wild Planet tuna (I get it at Costco!)
Serve with crackers & grapes (halved lengthwise for kids under 5)

An easy, at-home, kid-friendly lunch idea!