Your Ultimate Back to School Meal Plan Guide

'Tis the season for new notebooks, new knowledge, and a new "normal" schedule.

"The back-to-school season is an exciting time; however, it can also feel overwhelming and stressful," admits mom of two Mary Stewart, RD, a registered dietitian and the founder of Cultivate Nutrition in Dallas. "Typically, summer is more relaxed. School schedules require more structure. Given this adjustment, meal planning for your family is an incredible tool to prioritize."

With a 7- and 10-year-old, and many clients who are parents, too, Stewart is well-versed in the world of back-to-school meal plans-and the importance of easy weeknight meals. Because who has time to fuss over a multi-course feast or even a single labor-intensive dish like lasagna at the end of a long day at work and school, followed by practice and homework (for the kids) as well as gym time and errands (for the parents)? Plus, breakfasts and lunches still require time and effort to ensure that everyone is well-fueled before and between the school bells or work meetings.

Read on to learn more about why dietitians swear by and recommend meal planning during this transitional time in particular, then score tips about how to choose and make simple family meal ideas come to life. To set you up for success, we'll leave you with a complete 7-day back-to-school meal plan so it's easy to dive right in and ace this strategy-even if you've never meal planned before.

Benefits of Meal Planning for Families
In case you could still use some convincing that a back-to-school meal plan is a smart idea, consider these legit benefits.

It Saves Time
We've all been there: We reach the end of a long day and are standing in front of the refrigerator at 6 p.m. trying to dream up what we can pull together. After puzzling over this for 20 minutes, many folks often (understandably) open up an app and order delivery. Planning ahead allows you to know which groceries to invest in and have on hand so you're equipped to assemble and eat ASAP.

"When your time is tight, every minute counts. By not having to worry about what's for dinner, or making that last minute grocery stop, you're automatically giving yourself the gift of time," explains Elizabeth Shaw, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist, founder of Shaw Simple Swaps, and the author of the Air Fryer Cookbook for Dummies. The mom of a 3- and 6-year-old continues, "knowing ahead of time if you're having tacos or a stir-fry allows you to either prep ahead or gather the ingredients you need in advance, saving you much-needed energy as you enter that evening crunch."

According to Stewart, this not only reduces the amount of pre-meal minutes you spend pondering (and potentially shopping for more ingredients), but it also frees up your brain space to focus on other important things rather than worrying about what you're going to feed yourself or your family 3+ times per day.

You're Much More Likely to Build a Balanced Menu
"When we plan in advance, we can prioritize nutrient-dense meals cooked at home and avoid the last-minute scramble and leaning on fast food or takeout," Stewart says.

Researchersestimate that about 60 percent of the average American's diet is ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as soft drinks, packaged crackers and cookies, deli meat, chips, boxed cereal and most fast foods. These are much more tempting to grab when you don't have a meal plan and when your freezer, fridge, and pantry aren't stocked with staples like quinoa or oats, chicken or salmon, or broccoli, apples, and bananas, for instance.

"By meal planning and preparing meals from home, it's far easier to naturally reduce your exposure to UPFs and increase your intake of whole, minimally processed foods," Stewart says.

Consuming fewer UPFs has been linkedto lower risk for everything from depression to heart disease.

"Everyone in the family benefits when there are more nutrient-dense foods on the plate," adds Laura Ligos, RDN, CSSD, an Albany, New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist, two-time cookbook author, the founder of The Sassy Dietitianand Unconventional Collaborative. The mom of two, ages 3 ½ and 6 months, confirms that "When we plan ahead we can make time for foods that take a bit more prep than takeout, like protein and veggies," kids and adults alike will score the nutrition their bodies need and may start to learn to love new foods. "Exposure is key," Ligos says.

You Can Minimize Mealtime Drama
Daily life includes enough conflicts and hurdles; what's on the menu for dinner tonight or breakfast tomorrow, for instance, need not foster even more friction.

"When I meal plan and let my family know what's on the radar for the meals that week, I can often prevent the post-school meltdown when they find out it's a veggie fried rice and they want pizza," Shaw says. "By showing them ahead of time and even involving them in the process of what's on the menu, they'll remember that pizza is on the horizon, just not that particular night."

Shaw admits that "this seems to work for my crew most of the time, but it may not work for all," which is why she often relies on a "build-your-own" format when she predicts that there might be controversial elements in a meal. This allows each family member to assemble their portion from a selection of ingredients "so they feel they have somewhat of a choice in each meal," Shaw explains.

For instance, with that fried rice, Shaw will cook a large skillet of cauliflower rice, brown rice, and egg, then dice up carrots, peppers, broccoli, and green onions to offer in small bowls alongside fresh peas, peanuts, soy sauce, and sesame oil. She sets out tongs or spoons with each, and asks everyone to customize their bowl.

It Reduces Decision Fatigue
"We make so many decisions as parents, and one of the most daunting ones can be 'what's for dinner?' especially at the end of the day when we're tired," Ligos says. "By planning our meals ahead of time, we can go more on 'autopilot' and the whole family can know what to expect."

Having a game plan set at the start of the week also makes breakfast assembly a breeze and eliminates the scramble when it comes time to pack snacks and lunches.

You'll Probably Waste Less Food-And Money
The typical American household wastes about 32 percent of all foodthat enters the home. That adds up to a serious eco-impact and a lot of money going into the trash; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that a family of four tosses about $1,500 per yeardue to food waste.

When we plan our meals, not just our groceries, it's much easier to reduce food waste because we know what food we need and approximately how much, Ligos explains. This is great for the environment and for your bank account, since you'll be making the most of more of what you buy.

If you're trying to keep tabs on or reduce your grocery spending, Shaw advocates allowing sales to help steer your strategy: "For instance, when I see canned beans on sale, I'll pick up a few extra so I can easily throw together a quick bean salad for lunch or toss them into a tortilla with some veggies for a no-fuss dinner," she says.

Tips for Successful Back-to-School Meal Planning
Now that you know whyyou might want to tap into the powers of a back-to-school meal plan, let's dive into exactly how to make this a reality.

Involve the Whole Family
Before you shop for a single ingredient, it's smart to think of this like a team effort rather than a solo mission.

"When you include your family members, you start to get buy-in and your family will be more open to the foods being served when they have a part to play," Stewart says.

Every time Stweart meal plans, she asks her kids the following questions:

• What are 3 fruits you want to eat this week?
• What 2 veggies would you like to see in your lunches this week?
• Out of X, Y and Z dinners, which one would you like to enjoy this week?
• If you could have a specific dinner prepared at home this week, what would that be?

"When your kids get a say in the ingredients or recipes or the prep work that goes into meals, they are far more likely to try the food. Yes, it can take more time, but it's worth it," Ligos says.

Plan for Leftovers
Every meal doesn't have to be your favorite, something you made entirely from scratch, or a recipe you've never had before. Leftovers are a brilliant solution to help you achieve a simple family dinner.

"By cooking once and eating the same dish for multiple meals, you'll save time and get on the table. Not everyone likes leftovers, though, so you can also just have a protein prepped for the week and add sides or different toppings to help change it up," Ligos advises.

Stewart depends on the following meal prepapproaches to give her future self the gift of back-to-school meal plan components to play with later:

• Double a whole recipe and save the leftovers to enjoy for a future breakfast, lunch or dinner in the next 3 days.
• Double a component of the recipe, such as the turkey burgers for dinner (you'll see this in action below) or a pot of rice, to use later in the week or to freeze for future meal plans.
• Once the cutting board is out, wash and pre-cut your produce for the week and store them in airtight glass containers so you can add them as part of a meal or use them for snacks.

Role Model For Picky Eaters

"Trust me, even dietitians have kids who go through this too," Shaw says, laughing as she reflects on the picking eating phase her oldest has gone through.

We know it can be tempting to push picky eaters to eat so they'll get enough sustenance, but try not to force kids to eat, Ligos advises. Instead, offer some "safe foods" on the table so that they'll eat something, such as pasta or a peanut butter sandwich, and present them with foods that the family is eating with no pressure to eat them. Ligos relies on what she calls a "communal plate" where she places foods like vegetables that her son normally doesn't gravitate towards. Everyone can select from this plate, "and almost always he will try something because he sees us eating the food," she says.

Ligos goes on to share that she has had luck modeling what goes on a plate and how she eats it, and finds that "my son often wants to follow my lead. Still, this doesn't always happen, so if your kid is picky despite offering options and modeling, a registered dietitian or other specialists like a speech language pathologistor occupational therapistcan help too."

Stock a Smart Pantry
As we mentioned, not every part of every meal needs to be homemade. Consider stocking the following refrigerator and pantry staples for quick-fix breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and for dinner shortcuts:

• Nut butter
• Marinara sauce
• Salsa
• Canned tuna
• Canned beans
• Salad dressing (many kids love ranch)
• Hummus
• Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Whole grain muffin mix
• Whole grain pancake mix
• Whole grain bread
• Whole grain pasta
• Corn tortillas
• Nuts
• Oats
• Low-sugar granola

Adjust as desired to accommodate any food allergies, intolerances, or preferences.

Sample One-Week Back-to-School Meal Plan
It's time to pull it all together in a line-up you can bring to life. We asked our panel of dietitians to share the family-friendly meal and snack recipesthey trust and have good luck with in their families. This menu employs many of the concepts we mentioned above, including prepping ahead, utilizing leftovers, tapping into the powers of pantry staples, and utilizing one type of produce multiple times.

To allow for a few nights off, we tossed in some opportunities to outsource. Use this as a jumping-off point, and customize as you like to match your family's needs.

Monday

• Breakfast: Sheet pan pancakes topped with Greek yogurt and berries
• Lunch:Deli turkey and hummus wraps with spinach, a side of baby carrots with ranch, and apple slices
• Snack:Bran muffin (prep ahead on Sunday) with a banana
• Dinner:Turkey burgers with baked sweet potato fries (make a double batch for tomorrow) and a side salad with ranch dressing

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Cinnamon overnight oats (prep ahead on Sunday) with banana slices
• Lunch:Tuna salad with crackers and carrots, plus a side of strawberries
• Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with a pear
• Dinner: Turkey burger bowls (leftover from Monday) with yesterday's leftovers, warmed, sliced, and served over lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, pickles, plus a side of reheated sweet potato fries

Wednesday

• Breakfast:Veggie egg muffin cups (prep ahead on Sunday) with banana and peanut butter
• Lunch:Turkey and cheese roll-ups, cucumber slices with ranch, and orange slices
• Snack: Bran muffin (more from Sunday's meal prep) with a banana
• Dinner: Sheet pan fajitas with chicken breast, sliced peppers, and onions all tossed with taco seasoning, served with salsa and tortillas

Thursday

• Breakfast:Peanut butter overnight oats (prep the night before) and fresh blueberries
• Lunch:Turkey and cheese sandwich on 100 percent whole grain bread with carrots and cucumber dipped in hummus
• Snack: Pistachios with an apple
• Dinner: Dine out, delivery, or Blue Apron meal

Friday

• Breakfast:Scrambled eggs and toast topped with mashed or sliced avocado plus fresh strawberries
• Lunch: Deli turkey and hummus wraps with spinach (prep the night before), a side of baby carrots with ranch, and apple slices
• Snack: Cottage cheese with fresh blueberries
• Dinner:Greek-seasoned chicken breast with sliced peppers, diced tomatoes, and sliced onions (make a double batch for tomorrow) served with couscous and tzatziki sauce

Saturday

• Breakfast: Parfait with layers of Greek yogurt, sliced banana, and granola
• Lunch: Greek chicken bowls (leftover from Friday) with lettuce, diced tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce "dressing" with pita and hummus
• Snack:Fruit protein smoothie
• Dinner:Dine out, delivery, or Blue Apron meal

Sunday

• Breakfast: Veggie quiche with turkey bacon and leftover fruit from the rest of the week
• Lunch:Black bean bowl with lettuce, drained and rinsed canned black beans, bulgur, salsa, and avocado dressing plus chia tortilla chips
• Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with a pear
• Dinner:Grilled or baked chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli

Simplify Your Back-to-School Season with Blue Apron
The time transitioning from summer to fall is ideal to start forging new habits, including implementing a back-to-school meal plan. This is almost guaranteed to save you time, money, and stress, plus planning ahead will make it easier to serve and share more balanced meals.

Remember to give yourself grace as you build your own back-to-school meal plan, and as you make it part of your lifestyle. Pantry staples as well as takeout, restaurant, and Blue Apron mealscan help fill in the gaps when you're craving extra-simple family meal ideas.