A Back to School Meal Plan to Save You Time and Money!
Preview: This back-to-school meal plan will help you get those first few weeks of school off to a great start. The plan includes 2 weeks (Monday – Friday) of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to ease the transition into a new school year.
Do you struggle with meal planning when life gets busy? I know I do! And for many of us, the start of a new school year means we are that much busier.
There won’t be any more leisurely suppers on the back deck.
No playing outside ’til dark chasing fireflies.
Soon, supper will be a speedy affair before we rush off to the next ball practice or music lesson.
And there will also be breakfasts to make and lunches to pack. I get stressed just thinking about it.
So I need a plan? Do you?
If so, I’ve got a two-week (weekdays only) back-to-school meal plan where you prep for an hour or so on Sunday, then spend just a few minutes cooking each night. Many nights you will cook extra so that you have a head start on the next night’s meal.
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Making This Back-to-School Meal Plan Work For You
This meal plan is designed to be mostly made from scratch since that’s how I try to cook. However, not everyone can do that. You do what works for your family.
I have given suggestions below on how to sub out convenience foods to make this meal plan even easier. Below are some more tips to help you make the most of this back-to-school meal plan.
Use Convenience Food
While I have provided a muffin recipe, if you don’t have time to make the muffins on Sunday night, then by all means, buy muffins at the store. Cook your own rice or use the pre-cooked kind.
I think I have even seen pre-cooked pasta at the store that you can purchase for the pasta salad lunches. You can purchase the rice crispy treats and the brownies or even skip them altogether.
Let your time, budget, and tolerance for processed foods dictate how much you make from scratch versus how much you buy already prepared.
I have linked to recipes for most of the meal ideas. Some recipes are mine, others are from trusted sources around the web. Feel free to substitute any dish with your family’s favorite recipe.
Cook the Amount Your Family Will Eat
Some of the recipes I have provided don’t have ingredient amounts. This is because the actual quantity is up to you.
I have big eaters, you may not. So cook just as much as your family will eat (unless the recipe says to cook extra for the next day). Every recipe here can either be packed for lunches the next day or frozen for later.
Put Away Extras so You’ll Have it for the Next Meal
To make this meal plan work, you do have to cook extra of several items. If you are worried your family will devour it all, put some away as soon as it is finished cooking. (I have 3 boys. I hide food. All. The. Time!)
You will also need to prepare a few things the night before, but that is included in each day’s prep notes.
I did not provide a grocery list this time. Since I know many of you will opt for some convenience food, (and there’s nothing wrong with that) I have no way of knowing whether you will need flour for the muffins or not.
The simplest solution is to decide what you are making from scratch and read through the recipes to see what you need to purchase and then add it to your shopping list along with the store-bought items you are purchasing. Make it work for you and your family.
Desserts?
The two desserts (one each week) are included in the prep on Sunday. You get to choose when you want to serve dessert.
You can have them on Sunday night as a family treat or serve them with supper during the week. They were also designed to be easily packable so you can include them in the school lunches if you so choose.
Two Week Back to School Meal Plan
Would you like a printable copy of the plan plus all the recipes? Sign up to get access to my Resource Library where you will find it under the Meal Planning section.
Week 1
Monday
- B – Chocolate Chip Muffins, hard-boiled eggs
- L – Homemade Lunchable – Deli meat, cheese, crackers, pickles, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, raisins, and fruit cups are just a few ideas to get you started.
- D – Carnitas, seasoned black beans – This recipe uses the crockpot so start it before you leave in the morning. Serve with tortillas, salsa, avocado, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc. Save half of the meat for Tuesday’s dinner.
Tuesday
- B – Chocolate Chip Muffins, hard-boiled eggs
- L – French Bread Pizzas – Slice a loaf of French bread in half. Top with pizza or marinara sauce, cheese, and any other pizza toppings you like.
- D – Burrito Bowls – Use the leftover carnitas from Monday to make burrito bowls. Cook rice and top with meat and other toppings from Monday.
Wednesday
- B – Oatmeal Breakfast Bars – These freeze great so make extra to stash in the freezer.
- L – Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- D – Chicken Fried Rice
Thursday
- B – Oven Pancakes, Bacon, and Pancake Syrup – This post explains how to make pancakes happen on a busy morning using a sheet pan. If you don’t want to make the pancakes from scratch, substitute your favorite mix.
- L – Honey Mustard Turkey & Cheese Tortilla Rollups – Drizzle honey mustard on a tortilla. Add turkey, cheese, and lettuce and roll up. Serve with chips and a pickle.
- D – Tortellini Caesar Salad
Friday
- B – Oven Pancakes, Bacon, and Pancake Syrup
- L – Deli Meat Salad & Crackers – Cut up turkey, roast beef, ham, or chicken, and use it top a bed of lettuce. Add your favorite veggies. Pack the salad dressing on the side. Serve with crackers.
- D – Sausage Sheet Pan Supper
Week 2
Monday
- B – Blueberry Muffins, hard-boiled eggs
- L – Homemade Lunchable – Deli meat, cheese, crackers, pickles, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, raisins, and fruit cups are just a few ideas to get you started.
- D – Pesto Chicken & Roasted Veggies – Make extra of everything. You may need to use 2 sheet pans. Save 1/3 of the chicken and veggies for tomorrow’s pasta dish.
Tuesday
- B – Blueberry Muffins, hard-boiled eggs
- L – English Muffin Pizzas – Top English muffins with pizza or marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your kid’s favorite pizza toppings.
- D – Pesto Pasta with Chicken – Cook enough pasta for your family. Warm leftover veggies and chicken from Monday. Toss with pasta, adding additional pesto and parmesan cheese as needed.
Wednesday
- B – Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- L – Pesto Pasta Salad – Serve any remaining pasta from last night cold as a pasta salad. If you need to stretch it, serve it on a bed of lettuce and add some crackers on the side.
- D – Carnitas salad, garlic bread
Thursday
- B – Smoothies – Throw a banana and any other fruit you have in a blender. Add some yogurt, milk, or orange juice and protein powder if desired. Blend.
- L – PB&J Rollups – Spread a tortilla with peanut butter and jelly. Roll up. You can slice it into 1-inch pieces if desired. Serve with veggies, fruit, and/or chips.
- D – Tacos – Double the meat so you will have enough for tomorrow night’s nachos.
Friday
- B- Smoothies – Throw a banana and any other fruit you have in a blender. Add some yogurt, milk, or orange juice and protein powder if desired. Blend.
- L – Deli Meat Salad & Crackers – Cut up turkey, roast beef, ham, or chicken, and use it top a bed of lettuce. Add your favorite veggies. Pack the salad dressing on the side. Serve with crackers.
- D – Sheet Pan Nachos – Spread tortilla chips on a sheet pan. Top with leftover taco meat, beans, and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and everything is hot.
Do You Need More Meal Plan Ideas?
Follow me on Pinterest where I have several boards dedicated to helping you find meal plan and meal prep ideas as well as lunches to pack for the kiddos (and yourself).
Do you meal plan during the school year or do you just wing it? I would love to know!
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