Quick and Easy Meals for Busy Parents

If you’re a busy parent trying to figure out quick, healthy meal ideas for weeknights, having a few simple go-to meals can make life much easier. This post includes easy meal ideas for busy families that require minimal time and planning.

Meal planning and preparation sometimes feels like the most draining part of my week. Trying to plan meals that work for everyone’s schedules, are actually nutritious, and that I have the time to prepare can feel like a lot, especially when I’m 30 weeks pregnant. I often turn to social media and Pinterest to find recipes, so I thought I’d compile a few recipes I’ve used lately that were easy and family-approved, in hopes that it makes your week a little bit easier!

• Cinnamon Crunch Peach Muffin Bread

  God, I love Half Baked Harvest! Her meals are always so flavorful and although the ingredients lists look long, I usually have most of them on hand since it’s usually a bunch of spices. I needed something to give to my neighbors as a thank you for watching my dog while we were away, so I doubled this recipe and made a loaf for them and a loaf for us. I made this last night and we’re already halfway through ours!

  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/peach-muffin-bread/

• Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos

  Smash tacos were very popular on TikTok about a month or so ago, and since I’m a millennial not on TikTok, I’m delayed in discovering them. There’s tons of different smash taco recipes online, but I wanted to do the caesar salad one because veggies were built right into the recipe. I used a griddle to make these - I could make 6 at a time, which sped up the process. I’ve also seen Big Mac smash tacos that allegedly taste like a McDonald’s Big Mac, but haven’t tried them myself yet!

  https://basicswithbails.com/ingredients/chicken/smash-chicken-caesar-tacos/

• Ground Chicken Parm Meatballs

  I’m making these tonight for the first time, so hopefully they’re delicious! I don’t have a cast iron skillet, so I’m going to make the meatballs on the stove before transferring them to a baking dish with sauce and cheese to cook.

  https://www.lifeisbutadish.com/baked-chicken-parmesan-meatballs/#recipe

• Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls

  I really love this recipe because it makes a TON of chicken that I can reuse for quesadillas too. This week, I’m making it with cilantro lime rice, black beans, and veggies, but I’ve done this as a regular taco recipe too!

  https://thecleaneatingcouple.com/crockpot-chicken-tacos/#recipe

• Non-Recipe Ideas

  Some other meals I’ve made recently that don’t require recipes:

  • Burgers - doing this Thursday with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries

  • Grilled chicken with veggies and tortellini (I’ll probably use an Italian dressing on it)

  • Homemade pizza - if you have kids with different preferences, I highly recommend using naan. Each kid can make their own pizza with their own toppings so everyone is happy!

  • Buffalo chicken caesar salads - if I’m really not feeling like cooking, I use Just Bare chicken bites in a caesar salad and add buffalo sauce. Not the fanciest but it does the trick!