These 20 Easy Healthy Back-To-School Dinner Recipes are a must try for busy school nights. Planning ahead is the key to reducing stress when it comes to getting dinner on the table for hungry kids during the busy school week. I’ve included some tips I’ve learned over the years from feeding four hungry boys with a busy after-school schedule.
School is back in session and many of us are looking for easy, healthy dinner ideas for our kids. With all the after-school activities, it can be difficult to get everyone to sit down at the table together. When my boys were younger, I used to feed them dinner as soon as they got home from school. They were starving, so it was easy to get them to eat an entire dinner, including fruits and vegetables.
As my boys got older, dinner time became later and later, with sports practices into the evening. So, slow cooker recipes or recipes that could be made quickly became my staples.
I’ve got 20 easy healthy back-to-school dinner recipes that are sure to please your entire family. You’ll find easy recipes that take less than 30 minutes to cook as well as slow cooker recipes in this collection.
Tips for Cooking Healthy Family Dinners
Over the years, I learned a few easy tricks to getting a healthy dinner on the table:
- On Sunday, write down your menu for Monday through Friday. Look at your kids’ afterschool schedules to decide which nights might be better to make certain recipes. On nights when everyone seems to have a different dinner schedule, make a slow cooker meal so kids can help themselves when they are ready to eat. Rice cookers are great for keeping rice and other grains warm for a couple of hours.
- Once you have your menu, come up with a shopping list by supermarket aisle. This makes shopping easier and helps avoid buying unnecessary items that add to the grocery bill. To save time, order groceries using an online grocery delivery service such as Peapod.com
- Some recipes can be started or prepped as soon as the kids get on the bus. This will give you a headstart for dinner.
- For super busy nights, opt for recipes that include both the protein and vegetables in the same dish. Otherwise, serve a simple salad as the vegetable.
Easy Healthy Pasta Recipes
Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken PastaÂ
Easy Pasta with Spinach Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese
Pasta Primavera with Fresh Tomatoes Basil and Garlic
Lemon Pasta with Shrimp Peppers Tomatoes Corn and Basil
Easy Chili Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta
Easy Healthy Chicken Recipes
Easy Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Easy Herb Spiced Roasted Chicken
Roast Chicken with Cumin and Cilantro Scallion Salsa
One Pot Chicken Chorizo Paella
Chicken Cheese Pasta Casserole with Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping
Slow Cooker Jamaican Spiced Chicken
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Stew with Rosemary Thyme and Sage
Slow Cooker Chinese Curry Chicken
Easy Healthy Ground Meat Recipes
Mexican Turkey Taco Meatloaf Muffins
Mexican Taco Nacho Macaroni and Cheese (great way to use up leftover taco meat)
Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese Sauce (serve over whole grain pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash)
Easy Healthy Fish Recipes
15 Minute Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon
Do you have any easy healthy back-to-school dinner recipes? Please share in the comments below.
Easy College Dinner Recipes with Printable Weekly Meal Plan and Shopping List
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Great tips and recipes! That spice rubbed salmon looks amazing!!
Thank you Brynn!
These all look so delicious! Just pinned a couple I will definitely be making in the coming weeks!
Thanks so much Jessica!
Great tips for planning and prepping dinners for the family. I also plan the meals and do the grocery shopping before the week starts – saves much time later! Also, I’d definitely recommend getting the kids doing the prepping and cooking with you. Some of them actually enjoy the work and do it much better than you’d imagine!
Thanks Luna – great suggestion getting the kids to help out!