“What’s for dinner?”
That’s the question we’re all really asking.

We’ve got a lot going on. Sometimes its a lot just to get through the day, let alone get dinner on the table.
But still, we’re humans and we need to eat.

So, what’s for dinner tonight? Let’s settle that question first.

Here are my top meals to throw together when I don’t have a plan or a super well stocked fridge.

Quick and easy meals you can make tonight

These ideas are so simple, no elaborate recipe is required.

  1. Stir fry and Rice: Put on a pot of rice and then chop up any veggies you have on hand and stir fry them in olive oil. Add chicken or a can of black beans and there you have it.
  2. Loaded Baked Potatoes: Wash potatoes, pierce with a fork, and rub with olive oil. Bake potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and ground sausage, beef, or turkey.
  3. Peanut Butter Noodles: Switch up the pasta and marinara sauce routine and make a peanut butter sauce by blending a can of coconut milk with 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and some fresh garlic and ginger. Cook and drain your pasta, then toss with the sauce.

The freedom of meal planning

I sometimes joke that it’s plan or starve at our house. But seriously. Without a plan, things can get pretty desperate around here.

If you find yourself regularly scrambling for a quick last minute meal to feed your hungry family, I’d like to share the freedom I’ve found from having a good meal plan.

With a bit of intentionality, you can create a plan that reduces the number of decisions you need to make in a week, and ensures you’ve got a good meal waiting for you at the end of a long day.

I meal plan seasonally. Just four times a year.

Before the seasons change, I’ll select 6-10 meals we’ll put on repeat for the upcoming season. These meals will capitalize on what’s in season, whether the produce comes from my garden, a farmer’s market, or the grocery store. Reevaluating seasonally allows me to change up what we’re eating regularly, as well as factor in real life schedules, like the accommodations we need to make during our kids’ fall sports seasons. I’ll have a basic grocery list that covers everything I want to keep on hand that season, which simplifies grocery shopping too. 

Then at the start of each week, I’ll glance at the plan, compare it with our family calendar, jot down what meals we’ll actually want to have that week, and make a shopping list based on what I know we’ll use that week. All that’s left to do now is put the plan into action.

I share more about meal planning and the meals my family regularly has in our seasonal meal plan in my book, Loved, Fed & Enough.