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    Home » Meal Planning » Weekly Meal Plans

    Updated: Mar 12, 2023 · Published: Mar 11, 2023 by Cassie Waltman · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Back to School Meal Plan Recipes

    Sample weekly meal plans are here to show you the way when it comes to planning dinners for your family that will accommodate your busy lifestyle. This sample collection of back to school meal plan recipes uses the meal planning by calendar framework outlined in my Family Meal Planning Strategies post.

    A yellow graphic depicting a school bus overlaid with the words, "back to school meal plan" in green letters.

    Back to school week is a hectic one for our family. Everyone is getting used to new schedules! In our district the first week is full of half days; it's so tough to plan around!

    I know that my kids will be tired, cranky, and hyper-emotional in the first weeks of school. This is not a time to introduce new foods or make complicated dinners.

    When I'm trying to plan dinner meals for a week like this, I like to take out the calendar and identify those "pinch points". These are nights when our schedule will be hectic or when I know I'd default to ordering in a pizza if I didn't have something better planned.

    Working with the calendar to meal plan

    On the first day I know the kids are going to want to have a good reason for coming in from playing outside, so the dinner has to be kids' choice to entice them.

    One night of the week we have back-to-back after school activities, so I need a meal that is no-cook and easy to prepare ahead so that I can just grab it from the fridge and get it on the dinner table.

    Finally, we need a special occasion meal to look forward to at the end of the week to celebrate!

    A column of calendar page cartoons and a daily schedule for a back-to-school week.

    Pulling that all together, I estimate we will need a kid's choice meal on Monday, a 30-minute meal on Tuesday and Wednesday, a no-cook dinner on Thursday, and we'll go out for dinner on Friday. For the weekend I'll need one additional meal and we'll eat leftovers on the last day.

    This is a great example of using the calendar to build out the meal plan. We know which days are pinch points and now we can just fill in the slots with meals that fit the bill.

    Dinner meal plan for the week

    Put this back to school meal plan in action by choosing a meal that fits each of the requirements above and you are all set.

    A great kids' choice dinner is this flavorful Pad Kaprow. My kids love it with ground pork or turkey and they each want a fried egg on top.

    Basil Stir Fry with Pork (Pad Kaprow)
    A lightning-quick, easy, and deeply flavorful basil stir fry with ground pork can be yours at home with this Thai recipe, no takeout needed!
    Click here for recipe
    A white platter filled with a ground pork stir fry with red pepper pieces and green basil sits on a black and white woven fabric.

    The next two dinners are 30-minute meals that don't skimp on flavor. Both of these meals are hearty and delicious!

    Shortcut Mujadara with Instant Pot Rice and Precooked Lentils
    This shortcut mujadara is a warmly-spiced combination of instant pot rice, precooked lentils, and deeply caramelized crispy shallots.
    Click here for recipe
    A white platter heaped with mujadara: white rice and brown lentils all topped with golden shallots.
    Vegan Chili Mac
    All of the cheesy goodness and none of the cheese, this Vegan Chili Mac uses cashews and spices to flavor tender pasta tomatoes, and black beans.
    Click here for recipe
    A pot of Vegan Chili Mac sits on a black surface next to a stack of white bowls and a serving of pasta garnished with chopped fresh tomatoes.

    Having all of the ingredients to this Antipasto Chopped Salad ready to go in the fridge will make this a 5-minute meal when you need it. Add some sliced bread and you are ready to go!

    Antipasto Chopped Salad with Air Fryer Pepperoni Chips
    Antipasto Chopped Salad with Air Fryer Pepperoni has your Italian chopped salad favorites, an easy vinaigrette, and crisp pepperoni chips!
    Click here for recipe
    The mixed salad is plated on a black and white plate and has pieces of crispy pepperoni, chickpeas, olives, mozzarella, basil, pepper, and tomato visible.

    On the weekend, take a bit more time to bring something delicious to the table with this Pan Seared Salmon. The peach and mango salsa is perfect for a shoulder season meal.

    Cast Iron Salmon with Homemade Mango and Peach Salsa
    Cast iron salmon is quick and easy and the zesty mango and peach salsa adds a sweet and spicy contrast to the warmly spiced fish.
    Click here for recipe
    A filet of salmon with a brown crust on a white plate. It is topped with a chunky yellow salsa.

    Reach out!

    I'd love to hear what dinners would make the back-to-school week a success in your home. Leave your favorite kids' choice dinner in the comments, or tag me on Instagram or Facebook @planeatpostrepeat the next time you make your go-to 30-minute meal!

    More Weekly Meal Plans

    • Two concentric rings in light and dark green surrounding the words "sample meal plan for busy nights" with the blog name in a yellow box at the bottom.
      Busy Weeknight Meal Plan Recipes
    • Two concentric rings in light and dark green surrounding the words "sample meal plan, make ahead meals" with the blog name in a yellow box at the bottom.
      Make Ahead Meal Plan Recipes
    • Two concentric rings in light and dark green surrounding the words "sample meal plan, kid favorites" with the blog name in a yellow box at the bottom.
      Kid Favorites Meal Plan Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cassie @ Plan. Eat. Post. Repeat. says

      August 22, 2023 at 8:15 am

      What dinners do you plan for the first week of school?

      Reply

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