All done.
Mom, seriously??
Not hungry.
No thanks.
I’m NOT eating that.
Gross.
How many more bites?
Whoops, it fell on the ground.
Do these phrases/demands sound familiar? I heard them last week at our dinner table.
Somehow I have this idea that I have been a foodie since birth, eating sushi out of the womb, but the reality is that I was probably a picky eater as a kid too, just like our kids are (what planet are you from that you don’t like caramelized onions, my beautiful offspring?). I had previously put together some thoughts on how to help encourage our kids in the food department, and now I’ve assembled some go-to dishes I think your kids will enjoy for when you just don’t care to fight with them anymore. Try them all and you’ll spend less than $45 for 7 meals! Forget fast food!
Meal #1:
Prep and Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Total: $8.70
Why kids will love it: Chicken, rice, beans, cheese, and veggies having a party in a pyrex pan. It’s so creamy and flavorful the kiddos will never mind that there are so many nutritious goodies thrown in.
Meal #2:
Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total: $6.60
Why the kids will love it: What kid doesn’t like pizza, or breakfast? This is the best of both worlds, with bacon and eggs on top of a pizza crust with cheese! It’s not breakfast, it’s not pizza, it’s brizza!
Meal #3:
Grilled Lime Chicken with Garlic Black Bean Sauce
Prep and Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours (most of that marinading and black bean simmering)
Total: $5.60
Why kids will love this: Grilled chicken can be shredded and served with black bean sauce on top of tortillas. From there the sky’s the limit for options – guacamole, cheese, avocado, you name it. Hooray for toppings!
Meal #4:
Honey Peanut Chicken with Brown Rice
Prep and Cooking Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (most of that marinating)
Total: $5.39
Why kids will love this: This dish is sweet, salty and peanut buttery, PLUS your kids can choose what veggie will get tossed in! They DO get a say in what they eat after all!
Meal #5:
Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total: $2.68
Why kids will love this: What’s not to love about crepe-like pancakes? They’ll never know you’ve included protein-packed cottage cheese! Plus throw on some fruit and maple syrup and they’ll think they’ve died and gone to breakfast (or dinner) heaven.
Meal #6:
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Prep and Cooking Time: 1 hour (after cooking chicken)
Total: $8.12
Why kids will love this: They can get into the assembly of these enchiladas, and there’s creamy and cheesy chicken goodness to enjoy! It’s a win for everyone.
Meal #7:
Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta
Prep and Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total: $6.80
Why kids will love it: Who doesn’t love pasta with sausage and cheese? The cook on duty will love that this dish can be whipped up in 20 minutes, with the results being spectacular.
Total for 7 kid-friendly recipes: about $45!
Based on finding items for approximately what I pay for them using this little spreadsheet.
Shopping List:
Meat and Seafood
- 10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound italian sausage (I prefer chicken but pork would work great too)
- 1/2 cup bacon (turkey or regular, about 3-4 slices)
Produce/Herbs
- 3/4 cup corn
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 onions
- 1 lemon
- 6 limes
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 cup basil
- 2 tablespoons italian parsley
- veggies for honey peanut chicken
- pancake toppings (various fruit, if you’d like it)
- avocados to make your own guacamole or put on grilled lime chicken
Pantry
- 6 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans (or make your own!)
- 4 ounce can green chiles
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 8+ corn tortillas (more if you’d like them with the grilled lime chicken with black beans)
- 1 16-ounce jar green chile salsa
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 pizza dough
Dairy/Eggs
- 2 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt
- 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese, shredded (use for mexican chicken and rice bake and enchiladas)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 14 eggs
- 3/4 cup grated asiago cheese
- 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese
Need more meal plans? I’ve got plenty more to share if you need inspiration in the kitchen!
Browse more plans (with shopping lists!) here.
