New year, new goals, and new habits to form. Healthy eating is a classic New Year’s resolution, and for good reason — nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Still, getting the whole family on board can be a challenge, especially with little ones or picky eaters. Finding meals that are both nutritious and enjoyable for your kids and spouse is half the battle. Here’s a curated collection of family-friendly recipes for every meal, plus snacks, to help lighten the load and support your health goals.
Breakfast
Chocolate protein pancakes - Protein pancakes that you and your kids will love. You can even make a bunch to freeze for easy breakfasts when you’re in a pinch.
Eggs in purgatory - Eggs simmered in tomato sauce, an Italian classic that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve with some good crusty bread for a comforting one-pan meal that’s ready in just 10 minutes!
Blueberry banana oatmeal muffins - This muffin recipe uses wholesome ingredients to start your morning off on the right foot.
Egg bites - Warm egg bites packed with protein get a creamy addition of cottage cheese. Customize with your favorite mix-ins or make them plain or with cheese for kids.
Overnight oats - Easy, make-ahead oats. This recipe includes six variations, like apple pie, blueberry banana, and almond joy.
Breakfast burritos - Breakfast burritos are another protein-packed breakfast option that’s great for meal prep and freezing for on-the-go breakfasts that help you hit your protein goals. This recipe includes avocado, pico de gallo, and black beans, but feel free to get creative and tailor these burritos to your taste.
Ham and broccoli egg casserole - Ham, cheese, and broccoli are the featured stars in this easy egg bake. Perfect for meal prep to eat throughout the week or freeze for later. If your kids don’t like broccoli, you can always omit it or bake half with the broccoli for your non-picky eaters.
Lunch & dinner
Pesto chicken pasta - One of my family’s favorite weeknight dinners that requires only a handful of ingredients.
Nourishing chicken soup - Easy one-pot chicken soup loaded with good-for-you ingredients to heal you from the inside out. Don’t forget to serve with a squeeze of lemon and top with plenty of fresh herbs — it’s what makes this soup truly stand out. Feel free to add rice, quinoa, white beans, or pasta to the soup to make it more hearty.
Healthy hamburger helper (no pasta) - One-pot, ready in 30 minutes, this classic twist features white beans for a hearty boost of fiber instead of pasta. Of course, you can always serve this over pasta for your kiddos if they aren’t fans of beans.
Blackened broiled salmon or white fish - This is a total hack to cooking any fish filet to perfection in just 6-8 minutes.
Instant pot white chicken chili - An instant pot soup super star. Customize your chicken chili with your choice of toppings.
Blueberry bruschetta goat cheese chicken - Light, fresh, and easy. Simple grilled chicken gets an upgrade with creamy goat cheese and is topped with a blueberry bruschetta, a twist on the classic tomato bruschetta. You can swap the goat cheese for feta or mozzarella as well.
Sheet pan garlic butter shrimp - This garlic butter shrimp pairs wonderfully with pasta, rice, or some crusty sourdough bread.
Ground beef and broccoli - Easy weeknight beef and broccoli that’s perfect with a side of rice.
Mexican chicken and elote salad rice bowls - Seasoned chicken and elote-style corn salad served over cilantro lime rice.
Baked pork tenderloin - Pork tenderloin is a super tender and juicy cut of pork that doesn’t need an all-day cook. Serve alongside a veggie and mashed potatoes or cauliflower for a complete meal.
Carne asada tacos - Marinated flank steak tacos topped with cilantro, diced onions, and a squeeze of lime. A great staple taco to inspire your next taco night.
Sheet pan honey mustard chicken dinner - Roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and sweet honey mustard chicken, topped with a bright arugula, date, and goat cheese salad (optional, but highly recommended). You can omit the salad for pickier eaters.
Copy-cat Chick-fil-a grilled nuggets - Everyone loves Chick-fil-a, especially little ones. So try these healthy grilled nuggets inspired by the beloved fast-food chain.
Healthy spaghetti bolognese - Comforting and quick, this spaghetti bolognese uses high-quality store-bought tomato sauce, ground beef, and mirepoix, making it a breeze. You can even add lentils or beans to stretch the meat and add a boost of fiber.
Sides
Oven-baked sweet potato fries and 3 dipping sauces - These healthier sweet potato fries are a great addition to any protein. Choose from chipotle crema, honey mustard, or green goddess dip - you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Mediterranean bean salad - Break out the beans and toss together a hearty fiber rich bean salad with a Mediterranean dressing, fresh herbs and veggies, and finished with creamy feta cheese.
Healthier Caesar salad dressing - Greek yogurt-based dressing perfect for Caesar salads, as a dip, sandwich spread, or even a marinade.
Honey glazed carrots - Sweet, sticky, and beyond simple.
Parmesan roasted broccoli - Salty nutty parmesan and lemon zest give broccoli a new upgrade.
Garlic rosemary crispy potato stacks - Thinly sliced potatoes coated in herby garlic spices and baked til golden crispy for the perfect potato stacks to jazz up any meal.
Asian cucumber salad - Fresh and bright Asian marinated cucumbers.
Sautéed garlic green beans - Warm garlic sautéed green beans; a great side dish to add to your repertoire.
Mashed cauliflower - Mashed cauliflower is an excellent alternative to mashed potatoes, but it’s also a way to sneak some veggies in for your picky kids.
Snacks
Heathy oatmeal cookies - Gluten-free and refined sugar-free oatmeal cookies with cinnamon and raisins.
Fruit leather (fruit roll-ups) - Skip the highly processed fruit roll ups from the store and make these instead. It’s just fruit and lemon juice, that’s it. Something your kids will love and guaranteed to bring back a little snack nostalgia for you.
Hummus - Hummus is easier to make at home than you may think, and once you try it you may never go back to store-bought. Great as a dip or spread, it’s the perfect addition to any snack plate or lunch box.
Smoothie bowls - Smoothie bowls are one of my personal favorite snacks or quick meals (you can add protein powder to make them more filling). Better yet, the possibilities are endless for flavors, toppings, and mix-ins.
Apple samoa slices with date caramel - Only a few ingredients are needed to make this quick, healthy snack or sweet treat reminiscent of Samoa cookies.
Turkey roll-ups - Turkey roll-ups are one of the fastest protein snacks or lunch dishes that even adults love. Make roll-ups with your choice of cheese, or try avocado. Add different dips and spreads like hummus, pesto, or tzatziki, and you can also add cold cuts like roast beef, ham, salami, or even bacon.
Frozen chocolate-covered bananas - Banana pops coated in chocolate and topped with your choice of toppings like sprinkles, a drizzle of peanut butter, or coconut. The possibilities are endless.
Healthy marshmallows - Did you know that marshmallow root is actually a soothing medicinal root for the gut? This recipe uses honey for natural sweetness and includes the option to boost its gut-healing properties with probiotics, too.
Fruit salad - Sometimes the key to getting your family to eat fruit is to have it prepared and ready to eat. This fruit salad also features a simple lemon honey dressing to add a touch more sweetness to any array of fresh fruit.
I hope these recipes gave you some inspiration to fuel your health goals and to cook up wholesome dishes for your family.
What are some of your family’s favorite go-to healthy meals? Let us know in the comments below.
Happy and healthy new year!