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Home » Collections » Quick & Easy Family Dinners

Quick & Easy Family Dinners

Published: Jul 29, 2021 by Dora · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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For most of our readers, dinners are the main daily meal when the family comes together and enjoys some together time. It's a time of the day when we get to chat about how our day went, laugh at jokes and spend some quality time together while enjoying a delicious meal.

featured image
Jump to:
  • The Perfect Family Dinner
  • How To Combine Dinner Foods
  • What About Fruit And Veggies?
  • Don't Spend Ages Making Dinner
  • Quick & Easy Family Dinners
  • Vegetarian Family Dinners
  • Final Note
  • More Like This

The Perfect Family Dinner

For most of the moms and dads out there, you want the meal to be nutritious as well as tasty with preferably as little preparation and clean up time as possible. We've got it!

And since it's the main meal of the day for most families, it should also ideally cover all the macro and micronutrients. Simple, right? Well it should be, but sometimes it's easier said than done. But if you follow our recommendations below you'll be a family dinner expert in no time.

How To Combine Dinner Foods

You'd want your dinner to contain all 3 macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein and fats. Let's see how.

Carbohydrates

  • Calorie-dense carbohydrates like wholegrains
    • Whole grain pasta or rice
    • Couscous, quinoa, bulgur, spelt, barley etc
    • Wholegrain bread or crackers

Protein

  • High quality protein food
    • Poultry, lean red meat
    • Fish
    • Tofu
    • Beans or legumes
    • Eggs

Fats

  • High quality "good" fats
    • Nuts and seeds (including nut and seed butters)
    • Vegetable oils like olive oil, sesame seed oil or linseed oil
    • "Oily" fish like salmon

What About Fruit And Veggies?

Yes, fruit and veggies are a big part of your and your child's diet. Although they are 2 different food groups we can group them together when talking about daily meals into one group called "produce".

In order to ensure that your daily produce requirements are fulfilled, my recommendation is to include veggies in main meals such as lunch and dinner and fruit in breakfast and snacks. You can of course choose to include them in any meals you like per your preference. I've just find this combination to be the easiest.

Don't Spend Ages Making Dinner

Even though it might seem that you'll need ages to make a nutritious family dinner, it really doesn't have to be so.

Take this for example: put some salmon with broccoli and olive oil into the oven and while it's baking cook some quinoa in some stock. There you have it. Protein and fats from the salmon, fats from olive oil, carbohydrates from the quinoa and some broccoli to fulfill the veggie requirements. Easy, right?

And salmon and broccoli are very easy to for baby-led weaning also.

And with just a little practice it can and will become that simple to you too. But just to get you started we've compiled a list of quick and easy family dinners that you can turn back to and use anytime you need.

Most of our Family Recipes take 10-15 min to prep and you just pop them in the oven and take them out 30 min later (and in one or two roasting tins so minimal washing up).

And they can all be easily adapted for any member of the family – from weaning baby to adult.

Quick & Easy Family Dinners

Meat and Fish Family Dinners

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
10 mins to prep, just 1 dish to clean, these oven-baked chicken fajitas are a delicious healthy dinner that can be easily made for babies, toddlers and adults at the same time.
Check out this recipe
easy oven baked chicken fajitas
"Sweetgreen Fish Taco" Bowl for the Whole Family
This "Sweetgreen fish taco" bowl is the perfect way to satisfy those Sweetgreen cravings at home. Full family meal in a single roasting tin.
Check out this recipe
Sweetgreen fish taco adaptation with salmon and bulgur
Easy Salmon Leek Quiche
Easy Salmon Leek Quiche with a simple homemade crust that will make you feel like a pro. Suitable for baby-led weaning and toddlers.
Check out this recipe
Salmon Leek Quiche Featured image

Vegetarian Family Dinners

Vegetarian Crispy Roasted Chickpea Gyros
10 min prep, 30 min in the oven, easy delicious vegetarian recipe that you can deconstruct for baby, toddler and serve to parents for lunch or dinner.
Check out this recipe
Vegetarian Crispy Roasted Chickpea Gyros with toddler plate
Mediterranean Sweet Potato Salad with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette
Super easy, 10 min prep, 20 min in the oven, this Mediterranean sweet potato salad is a vegetarian dream with flavorful crispy roasted chickpeas, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and dressed in a refreshing lemon mint vinaigrette.
Check out this recipe
Mediterranean Sweet Potato Salad with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette
Vegetable Frittata
A quick and easy vegetable frittata that you can make with your kids for a super healthy and balanced meal all in one.
Check out this recipe
Vegetable Frittata
Mediterranean Summer Salad with Eggplant
10 min to prepare, 30 min in the oven for an easy, refreshing Meditteranean summer salad with roasted eggplant, zucchini, olives and grain. Perfect for a crowd, for parents, toddlers, adaptable for picky eaters and baby-led weaning for lunch or dinner.
Check out this recipe
Mediterranean summer salad with eggplant
Oven-baked Spanish Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)
A healthy and filling meal you can prepare in no time to feed the whole family. A twist on the classic Spanish tortilla that takes 10 min of prep and 45 min in the oven. Easy, delicious oven-baked Spanish tortilla.
Check out this recipe
Oven Baked Spanish Tortilla in glass dish

Baby and Toddler Dinners

Turkey Eggplant
Quick prep, one dish, in the oven and there you have a healthy balanced meal for your baby that can be prepared in no time.
Check out this recipe
Turkey Eggplant
Lamb and Cucumber Salad
Another one of our staples - 10 minute prep time, full of nutrients and a perfect recipe to start introducing salads to your baby.
Check out this recipe
Lamb Cucumber Salad
Roast Turkey, Sweet Potato and Oven Cooked Peas
If you've never made oven cooked peas, then now is the time. Combined with turkey and sweet potato they make a super easy balanced meal.
Check out this recipe
Chicken Broccoli Millet
Chicken Broccoli Millet – a healthy recipe for an 8-month-old, loaded with protein, anti-inflammatory nutrients and healthy carbohydrates to keep your baby full.
Check out this recipe
8 month old recipe Chicken Broccoli Millet
Baked Beef
Baked Beef is an easy recipe that includes 5 delicious and nutritious ingredients that will make your baby happy and healthy.
Check out this recipe
11 month old recipe - Baked Beef
Lamb Carrot Potato
An easy-to-prepare, 1-dish meal that you'll want to make more of so you can eat it too.
Check out this recipe
1 year old recipe Potato Carrot Lamb
Salmon Spinach Pasta
Salmon spinach pasta is a super easy-to-prep healthy meal that you can whip up in no time and have a balanced meal ready for the whole family.
Check out this recipe
Salmon Spinach Pasta 1
Salmon Asparagus Pasta
Salmon Asparagus Pasta is a healthy baby recipe loaded with antioxidants, omega-3 and protein to help the growth and development of your baby.
Check out this recipe
9 month old recipe salmon asparagus pasta
Potato Leek Cod
Potato Leek Cod is a great finger food recipe for a 10 month old. Super quick, easy and nutritionally balanced.
Check out this recipe
10 month old recipe potato leek cod
Salmon Beans Pasta
Salmon Beans Pasta is a perfectly balanced meal for your baby's growth and development - omega 3s, carbs, fiber, iron and protein.
Check out this recipe
1 year old recipe Salmon beans pasta
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
A nutrient-dense twist on a classic dish that we've always loved.
Check out this recipe
cauliflower mac and cheese
Quinoa Tomato Risotto
A simple, colorful, and healthy meal that gives your baby the perfect opportunity to practice those fork and spoon skills!
Check out this recipe
Quinoa Tomato Risotto
Broccoli Pea Gnocchi
1 pot, 12 minutes of cooking, loads of nutrients to keep baby healthy and growing, this Broccoli Pea Gnocchi is great recipe.
Check out this recipe
11 month old recipe broccoli pea gnocchi

Final Note

Family dinners don't need to be complicated or require hours and hours spent in the kitchen to offer your family a perfect meal. All of your family dinner choices are suitable for the whole family – adults, kids, toddlers and babies. It's just a matter of how you serve each food. And the best part is – most of them can be stored for later so simply make a bigger batch and serve the next day also so you don't have to cook every single day.

More Like This

  • 9 Easy Delicious Vegetable Lunches
  • 15 Healthy Toddler Snacks To Take On The Go
  • 6 Healthy Dessert Recipes For Babies And Toddlers
  • 5 Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas
  • 9 Nutrient Dense Baby And Toddler Breakfasts
  • 19 Healthy Rice Bowl Recipes
« Easy Salmon Leek Quiche
Easy Homemade Wholewheat Pizza »

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