Forgive us if we’re preaching to the choir here, but meal planning is SUCH a lifesaver for each of our families here at Fourganic Sisters. Just because we love meal planning equally doesn’t mean we do it the same way. Booo-ring. We do all rely on some type of dinner theme nights for meal planning when we get into a rut. It happens to the best of us.
We all go through nights, weeks, even seasons where we just can’t. Whether it’s adjusting to a new baby, an extended illness or health issue in the family, a death of someone you love, or just the business of being busy. Know that it’s okay to just get through it. If that means rotating between frozen pizza, cereal, and ramen for a while… that’s okay.
That said, if and when you are ready to get the meal planning train back on its tracks, here are some easy meal plan themes and ideas that can help you start planning menus.
If you are BRAND NEW to meal planning, we encourage you to start here.
Why Should I Use Dinner Theme Nights for Meal Planning?
If you like the ease of a routine, then dinner theme nights are the way to go. I’ve always been a “flexible schedule” type of person. I do like a routine but get bored easily. Meal Planning theme nights are a perfect solution for this.
Do you:
-love pasta, but don’t want to eat spaghetti every week?
-love tacos, but get bored with the same old, same old?
-really, really love pizza, but even pizza once a week sounds boring?
Here’s how having a theme helps. If you have pasta every Wednesday, you could do spaghetti every other week or even once a month. You can switch it up with a Chicken Parm Pasta, Summer Squash Pasta, Lasagna, Mac & Cheese, etc.
We have several categories listed below than can give you a little inspiration, with a handful of our favorite recipes within those categories. We’ve linked to some of the recipes. You can also check out our Pinterest boards, where we break things down into categories, like Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Pasta, Taco Tuesday, Pizza, Vegetarian, Seafood, Chicken, Ground Beef, Soup, etc. (You can find our Pinterest account to the right of your screen on your computer and at the bottom of this post on your phone! 🙂 )
Slow Cooker Sunday
Barbeque Chicken
Whole Chicken
Meatless Monday
Veggie Stir-Fry
Veggie Flatbreads
Black Bean Burgers
Mushroom Spinach Skillet
Tomato Soup
Tofu Tacos
Red Lentil Curry
Taco Tuesday
We’re obsessed with tacos at Fourganic Sisters but are constantly experimenting with new taco ideas. It’s the of ultimate dinner theme nights. We have more than a hundred ways to taco in this post here. Yes, there are certain recipes we make repeatedly but having some options to switch it up is awesome.
Salsa Chicken Skillet
Ground Beef Taco Bowls
Quesadillas
Enchilada Soup
Mexican Pizzas
Mexican Lasagna
Pasta Night
Mac and Cheese
Creamy Tomato Spinach Penne
Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Roasted Red Pepper Penne
Fettucine Alfredo
Taco Pasta
Lasagna
Soup Night
Chicken Noodle Soup
Tomato Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Curried Lentil Soup
Black Bean Soup
Red Lentil Curry
Sweet Potato Quinoa Soup
Sopa de Lima
Taco Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Fish Friday
You can find a seafood recipe roundup here, and a salmon recipe roundup here for more inspiration.
Fish Sticks
Fish Tacos
Salmon Cakes
Fish and chips
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp Skewers
Baked Cod
Shrimp Scampi
Pizza Night
My family especially loves pizza. We are really obsessed with a sheet pan pizza, but only make it once a month or so. We switch up pizza night with naan pizzas, pepperoni rolls, calzones, even store bought frozen pizza-yup! We’ll try cauliflower crusts, tortillas pizzas, zucchini pizzas, etc.
Pepperoni Rolls
Veggie Pizza Rollups
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Thai Chicken Pizza
Calzones
Pizza Pasta
Quinoa Pizza Casserole
Pesto Pizzas
Kale Pizza
Instant Pot
Whole Chicken
BBQ Chicken Thighs
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Get 20+ Instant Pot recipes you can make in 20 minutes or less here. We also have an Instant Pot meal plan for you here.
Casseroles/Bakes
Casseroles don’t have to be full of cream of crap soups to be filling, delicious and nutritious. We do chicken pot pie in the cooler months frequently. One of these days, I may get the recipe on the blog. It’s SO good. I can email you some instructions if you’re super interested 😊 It is FULL of veggies and the kids always ask for seconds.
Lasagna
Chicken Pot Pie
Enchiladas
Breakfast for Dinner /Brinner
If you’re having a night where nothing sounds good, go for breakfast. It NEVER fails to please. Even if it’s just cereal… we all have those nights 😊
Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Pancakes
Cereal
Sandwiches
There is nothing wrong with eating a sandwich occasionally for dinner! You can get it on the table in minutes. You can go as classic as a simple peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese, or a little fancier with BLTs or egg salad. We love to meal prep chicken or egg salad in the summer months and will usually eat leftovers of that at some point during the week for dinner. It’s so nice for the days you want to spend all day outside and don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
PB & J
Chicken Salad
Egg Salad
Turkey Cheese
Ham and Cheese
Grilled Cheese
Grilled Goat Cheese & Apple
Hummus and Veggie
BLTs
Fakeout Takeout
This is definitely Jodi and Josh’s specialty. They love recreating dishes at home to save money. Some of their favorites include:
Beef and Broccoli
Pad Thai
Stir-fry
Homemade Ramen
Thai Chicken Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza
DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowls
Chick-Fil-A Chicken
Salads
While we typically stick to eating salads seasonally, sometimes you just crave a big plate of greens. Salads are so versatile, especially in late spring through early fall, when the produce is plentiful! Here are a few ideas when you’re craving some green goodness.
Greek Salad
Chicken Caesar Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Chinese Chicken Salad
Citrus Chicken Crunch Salad
BLT Salad
Cranberry Kale Salad
Cobb Salad
Fruit Poppyseed Salad
Greek Quinoa Salad
Taco Salad
Want a free copy of this dinner theme night inspiration? No problem! This link will take you straight to it.
Before You Go…
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Here are a few other posts you may like:
Healthy Meal Plans on a Budget
ACCOUNTABILITY TIP: I find when I write the menu down and hang it up for the family to see, it holds me more accountable! I use wet erase markers on metal, but the options are endless. Here’s a super cute chalkboard menu on Amazon. If you want to do your menu on a cute little letter board like the one below, here’s an adorable one! How about a magnetic menu for the fridge?
Could you do us a solid and pin this post for later… or share on your favorite social media? Thanks friends! 🙂 Tell us in the comments, do you have a favorite from these dinner theme nights?
