Take some of the work off of your plate this month with easy ideas for your family for each meal of the day. The recipes and ideas here are all straight forward, kid-friendly, and made with approachable ingredients so you don’t have to go to 4 stores to make dinner.
Healthy Family Meals for April
This meal plan keeps the reality of feeding a family in mind, and also has a few fun ideas to help you celebrate Easter (if you do). This plan follows a basic theme structure to make meal planning easy, so each day of the week we start with a category and have a lot of flexibility with in it.
This means that you’re never starting from scratch when deciding what to make, which can make things so much easier!
TIP: you can grab a downloadable version of my templates here.
Family Meal Plan Rotation
I’m offering ideas for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinners for each week to hopefully give you plenty of options. This meal plan is built around the ideas of themes, which is meant to help reduce decision fatigue—since you start with narrower categories—and make it a little easier to feed your family.
Week 1
I like to add simple sides to main meals to round them out and ensure that there’s always something on the table that the kids like. Things like fruit, veggies, cheese, or crackers are my go-tos.
Breakfast
With an easy method and the option to flavor with a range of fruit, Chia Seed Oatmeal is a delicious, nutritious breakfast for kids…and us parents! See the flavor options for ways to customize this recipe for your family.
Make the simple base recipe or try one of the variations with a veggie and more nutrient-dense add-ins. All are delicious! Freeze the banana ahead of time.
This recipe makes one small batch of super tender 2-Ingredient Pancakes. It usually makes 1-2 little-kid-size servings. To make more, simply double the recipe. These are delicate pancakes with a texture that’s sort of custardy like French toast, so be gentle when flipping them. See the NOTES at the bottom for the flavor variations.
Lunch Ideas
Add a simple side of fruit or applesauce, or matchstick-size slices of cucumbers or bell peppers, to round out any of these lunch ideas.
I like to grate the carrot on a box grater and cut the top of each broccoli floret off and finely dice with a knife. Avoid the stems since they won’t blend into the batter as well.
You can also do this with full size spinach if that’s what you’re able to find. Just discard any stems before starting the recipe.
These have the flavors of traditional falafel, but are made with iron-rich lentils. They’re a nice vegetarian main dish option.
Snack Ideas
Pair with milk or water as needed and remember that some kids may be more or less hungry for snack—that’s normal!
These are an easy whole grain cookie to share with the kids—they’re a great baby cookie! Try them for snack, dessert, or as a breakfast cookie
You can use fresh or frozen mango, or start with mango puree. All three options work similarly. This is an easy way to make flavored yogurt at home for breakfast or snack.
Dinners
Try a side of roasted veggies to go with any of these meals, or easy Cornbread Muffins.
We like this with rice or rice noodles, but you can adjust how you serve it to fit your family!
I prefer to make these vegetarian since it’s easier, but you can of course add in cooked chicken, beef, or shrimp if you like! Add another can of beans or additional corn to feed a larger family or appetites.
You can double this recipe to feed a family of 4-6. Or make this smaller batch and serve to your toddler throughout the week. Try serving these with ketchup, ranch, or marinara sauce.
You can also do this with full size spinach if that’s what you’re able to find. Just discard any stems before starting the recipe.
With just 5 simple ingredients, you can bake Pizza Rolls with delicious flavor from pesto. These are versatile, perfect for any age, and a great make-ahead lunch or dinner option.
Make a batch of these healthy oatmeal cookies for dessert, snack time, or a special breakfast. You can make these half the size using 1-tablespoon batter for each cookie and reducing the baking time to about 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
TIP: Get my Master List of Lunch Ideas for Kids here.
Week 2
Make a batch of muffins to have on hand for easy breakfasts or snacks—they all freeze really well too! I also recommend keeping a running list of meals that everyone likes on the fridge (or somewhere you’ll see it often) so you always have a few ideas to turn to when you need them.
Breakfast
Be sure to use super ripe bananas—the more black and brown spots, the better the flavor and sweetness will be!—for the best results here.
You can easily double (or triple!) the recipe to make more servings. It uses a 1 to 1 ratio of yogurt to applesauce so you can easily scale it up. Mix these up the night before you plan to serve them.
Frozen banana will create a slightly thicker smoothie, so if you plan to serve this through a straw, I recommend doing either frozen blueberries OR bananas, but not both. You can do all frozen fruit if you plan to serve it through a pouch or in an open cup—or if your child is used to drinking thick smoothies!
Lunch
Add some fruit, toast, or cheese to make these lunch ideas more substantial.
These are delicious served warm soon after baking, at room temperature or even chilled, so see what your family prefers. They are naturally dairy-free and can be made gluten-free and egg-free as well. See the Notes section for details.
Learn how to make the easiest, most delish Baked Tofu with basic pantry staples and a hands-off method. This is our favorite way to turn an affordable plant-based protein into a meal component to share. We like this over rice noodles, rice, or quinoa, but it’s very versatile.
You can season the cooked egg with a little salt, butter or cheese if you’d like, but it’s very good as is. See the Note about the heat setting when cooking in a microwave.
Snack Ideas
Embrace the spring flavors with these easy snack ideas.
This simple puree is no-cook, so be sure to start with great tasting berries. It’s a perfect fruit puree for a baby, or a delicious way to add flavor to yogurt and oatmeal for older members of the family. (It’s also great with ice cream and waffles!)
Perfectly moist mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes (with easy Cream Cheese Frosting) are a delicious dessert to share with the kids—whether for a spring holiday, Easter, a kid’s birthday, or any special occasion!
Dinners
Swap in takeout, leftovers, or another favorite recipe as desired and use these meal ideas as inspiration for easy cooking.
With a no-cook, stir-together sauce, this easy Cherry Tomato Pasta is an easy family dinner. And OH so delicious and fresh. You can leave it chunky or blend it smooth—it’s so versatile for all preferences!
These easy quesadillas can be made with pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, or butternut squash puree. You can also skip it and just go with beans and cheese! I make these as half moon shapes since it helps contain the mess a little when feeding these to kids.
You can meal prep this recipe to have ready for future lunches or dinners to share with the kids or you can make it as a family dinner. Add flavor to your bowl with the optional ingredients.
You can do a big family-style platter or individual ones for the kids depending on your preference. Add anything else that sounds appealing and know that the nutrition info will vary according to what you use.
For delicious homemade pizza without the work and in a lot less time, Flatbread Pizza to the rescue. Adjust this for allergies as you need.
Week 3
For the hummus sandwiches, try serving the components separated for littler kids or make an open face “sandwich” and cut into cubes for easy eating. You can also serve the chopped salad deconstructed and let the kids choose which ingredients they want to put on their plates.
Breakfast
This simple smoothie is easy to make and is super creamy without many ingredients. You can even share it with your kiddo! Be sure to blend it very well to ensure the best creamy texture.
We like these on their own, topped with nut or seed butter, or even with a smear of cream cheese. See what your littles like!
This is a thicker pancake batter due to the carrots and whole grain flours. If you prefer a thinner batter, add a few tablespoons of milk. Heat the oven to 200 F and keep the cooked pancakes warm on a baking sheet while you finish the batch, or serve them up as you go. (Recipe updated with more info on how to make with whole-wheat flour in March 2021.)
Lunch
Add a side of diced or pureed fruit to round out these easy lunch options.
Taste the hummus and adjust for salt as needed. You may need more depending on whether or not you started with canned beans, and sometimes after the hummus sits in the fridge, it needs another sprinkle of salt.
For the best flavor and sweeteness, use bananas with a lot of brown spots.
You can make as few or as many of these easy quesadillas as you like.
Use yellow or white cheese according to your child’s color expectations!
Snack Ideas
Add a drink, like water or milk, to these snacks.
These no-bake bites taste like a cross between oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookie dough. I use natural creamy peanut butter (like the kind from Smuckers) and it works really well. (Recipe updated slightly in June 2021 to ensure the best texture.)
You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, freeze-dried strawberries or strawberry puree. This is an easy way to make flavored yogurt at home for breakfast or snack.
With simple ingredients and ample moistness, this easy Carrot Cake Bar recipe is a delicious dessert or snack to share with the kids.
Dinners
Add a favorite instant pot or slow cooker meal to make the start of this week easy.
Try this quick family dinner the next time you’re craving healthy comfort food—and want to please the entire family!
If using frozen shrimp, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before or in the morning that you plan to make this.
Feel free to cut this recipe in half to make a smaller portion for your family. (Or make the full batch and enjoy the leftovers!)
Serve these mini meatballs with grains and veggies or pasta.
Fluffy pizza bites are a delicious lunch or dinner option—and you can customize the filling to please your kids! We like these with a little side of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
TIP: Find 15 Easy Toddler Meals for the days you don’t feel like cooking.
Week 4
If you have any challenges finding ingredients, comment below and I’ll do my best to offer suggestions for foods you can swap in!
Breakfast
This is a nice breakfast option to share with the kids starting around 9/10 months and up.
Learn to customize yummy smoothies for your toddler by starting with one simple recipe, then adjusting based on which fruit and veggies you’d like to use.
I love the burst of flavor that the fresh lemon adds to this recipe, so it’s worth adding that ingredient if you can. These can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed according to your preference.
These oatmeal bars taste like an oatmeal cookie and are great for breakfast or snack. You can make them ahead, too! (You can add the egg or leave it out. Without egg, these are a crisp cookie bar texture. With it, they’re a little cakier.)
Lunch
You can make any of these lunch ideas the night before and warm up as needed for the kids.
This meal is perfect for when you’re short on time or when you want to make pizza with less fuss. Add a simple side of cut up fruit, applesauce, or a salad kit and call it good.
Pair a soft sandwich bread with your filling of choice to make this easy toddler lunch or school lunch. You can even make them the night before.
With an easy method and a yummy, satisfying result, this quick toddler meal is one of our go-to shortcut kids meals.
Snack Ideas
Mix in these homemade snacks with easy store bought options.
Feel free to double the recipe and use two sheet pans to make more at once.
If you use larger cookie cutters, you may need to bake on the longer end of the baking time—and mini cookie cutters on the shorter end. This makes a relatively small batch, so double it if you want extras to last all week!
I like to use canned full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and creamy texture, though you can use “light” coconut milk if that’s what you can find at your store.
These should chill for 30 minutes before serving to allow the oats to soften up a bit. (You can eat them immediately, they’ll just be a little chewy.)
Dinners
If you can’t find garam masala, you can leave it out, though it adds authentic flavor that you’d expect if you’ve eaten Chana Masala in a restaurant. This will likely make enough for two meals—I like to freeze the second half for a future week.
I like to use vegetables like carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and snap peas in this easy recipe. Plan to cook the rice ahead of time or to get it started first.
You can try serving this to your toddler with the components separated if they aren’t quite up to holding and eating a regular taco. Simply arrange the filling, the tortillas, and toppings on a plate and let them eat them however they like!
This bright green pesto is cheesy and mild, making it a perfect sauce for a quick dinner of pasta and peas!
You can also do this with full size spinach if that’s what you’re able to find. Just discard any stems before starting the recipe.
With just 5 simple ingredients, you can bake Pizza Rolls with delicious flavor from pesto. These are versatile, perfect for any age, and a great make-ahead lunch or dinner option.
This recipe was updated in February 2021 to increase the amount of cupcakes from 9 to 12. You can make the strawberry puree up to 3 days ahead of time to make this easier.
Happy Family Meals
If you’re looking for more guided meal plans with grocery lists, feeding tips, and a super easy approach to feeding your family, my Happy Family Meals system is ready for you—and it’s on sale! Check it out here.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please comment below so I can continue to make my posts better for you!
This post was first published April 2019.
