Kid Friendly Dinner Recipes for Every Night of the Week
Leftovers have never really excited me. If I could have it my way, I’d cook something new every night of the week. As a mother of 3 kids under 6 years-old, this is easier said than done. Over the years, I have experimented with hundreds of ways to keep meals stress-free, organized, but not boring. The way I cook for my family has helped inspire the way we create Fire & Flavor products.
Our mission at Fire & Flavor is to inspire you to cook healthy, creative meals of your own. All of our products were created to give you a kick start to simple, but flavorful meals that kids and adults can enjoy together.
Kid Friendly Meal Planning Tips
Choose Food Themes
The sheer amount of recipes available to us online, through social media, in magazines or cookbooks can be daunting. Narrowing down your options by assigning a food theme for each night can definitely take a lot of stress off your plate.
Whether that means having Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or Breakfast for Dinner Wednesday, sticking to one theme for each night of the week will keep you focused when looking for recipes. It will also help you at the grocery store by providing a game plan for what to add to the shopping list. Some of our favorite themes change from season to season; for example, we love Salad Night in the summer and Crock Pot Night in the fall.
Keep Monday night’s meal as simple as possible since it’s often the most hectic day of the week.
Prepare Ingredients When You Can
Prep for meals whenever you have spare time, even if it’s just five minutes. For example, as you clean up the kitchen from lunch, take a few extra minutes to dice an onion, mince some garlic, and wrap them tightly and put in the fridge. Trust me, you will be thankful you had two fewer things to do when 5:30 rolls around and you have toddlers screaming at your feet or kids needing help with homework.
Get the Kids Involved in Meal Preparation
Get your kids involved in prepping! Not only will they learn their way around the kitchen, but they will also quickly learn the definition of a healthy, well-balanced meal. It teaches them very valuable life skills, and they will thank you later.
Fire & Flavor's Favorite Kid Friendly Recipes
Here is a sample of my weekly meal plan with recipes my kids love…
Monday: Mexican Monday
Chicken Enchiladas are a great option for a busy Monday night. What I like best about this recipe is that you can make this dish on Sunday afternoon, refrigerate it, and bake when you get home from work Monday evening.
Tuesday: Seafood Night
Fish Sticks are my daughter’s favorite. I serve fish sticks with roasted sweet potato fries and broccoli for a boost of Vitamin A.
Wednesday: Burger Night
Mexican Turkey Burger Sliders are a fun alternative to traditional burgers. And since sliders are smaller than your standard burger, they are the perfect size for kids’ tiny hands!
Thursday: Kid’s Choice
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders are one of the ultimate kid-friendly foods. Serve with mashed cauliflower for a well-rounded meal.
Friday: Skillet Dinners
Fall Skillet Pork Tenderloin with Apples is a flavorful but simple meal cooked in one skillet to unwind the week. Even if you have Friday night dinner guests, this one will fit the bill!
Saturday: DATE NIGHT