50 Healthy, EASY Weeknight Dinner Recipes for Busy Moms

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Are you looking for quick, simple, and healthy dinners? Keep reading for 50 easy meals for busy moms – perfect for hectic nights!

Desperate for a Weeknight Dinner Solution that was Easy and Healthy

Back when I was teaching, I would get these fluttery knots in my stomach on the drive home.

It wasn’t because I was close to pulling my hair out dealing with kids and cell phones.

Or the mounds of grading that was in the back seat of my car.

Or keeping up with life.

I’d get that sick feeling when I thought about making dinner that night.

During the week, usually, I was exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to do was fix dinner. 

More often than not, I wasn’t exactly the meal-planner, so dinner was usually a stressful, unhealthy disaster based on whatever I could find rummaging through the refrigerator and cabinets.

Since being home with the boys, I don’t really have an excuse not to plan or make healthy meals.

But I still get that little anxious feeling in my stomach when I think about dinner, even if I’ve done my job and actually made a meal plan.

Most of us moms are close to done by the end of the day and running low on energy. 

If you have kids in activities or who are at home all day – or just have kids, lol – dinner can be a tiresome task.

Especially if you want it to be more than fast food or something microwavable (although I’m certainly not above throwing a frozen pizza in the oven when needed!).

If you throw in the mix kids who complain or won’t eat what you’ve cooked, then it’s downright defeating.

Those weeknight meals after a long and sometimes chaotic day can be very tough on the busy – and tired – mom!

And the whole craziness of back-to-school makes dinner time feel like mayhem, right?

Easy (and Healthy and Quick) Dinner Recipes for Busy Moms are POSSIBLE

If that’s you, I totally feel your pain! There’s gotta be an easier way, right? A way to make healthy meals that are QUICK and EASY?

If you’re like me, take a look below. 

Here are 35 meals – enough for a whole month – that are healthy, quick and easy weeknight meals for the busy mom.

And they are kid-friendly dinners, so you can avoid the picky-eater-mealtime-drama!

You’ll notice that several of them are new spins on some old favorites – tacos, pizzas, casseroles.

But that’s fine. They’re familiar to the kids so you know they’ll eat them, but it’s something a little new and different, so it’s not just the same-old.

And, they are quick and healthy and easy – so, yeah, high-five, moms!

 

 

 

50 Easy Meals for Busy Moms – and Healthy, Too!

Busy Mom Dinner Ideas = Win for Everyone (Especially Busy Moms!)

I’m so looking forward to making these meals and getting back on my game with dinners this fall. 

We’ve been all over the map this summer (as far as meals go), and having an organized, easy dinner time is something I’m aching for.

These easy dinners will be game-changers for me, and I’m so excited to have meals my little guys will finally eat, too.

My Favorite Weeknight Dinner Hack in a Pinch

There have been nights that I got home late or life just didn’t go as planned.  

Instead of that normal, panick-y feeling I got when I was scrambling to come up with something to cook for dinner, my Instant Pot {and the Air Fryer lid that goes right on top of the Instant Pot!} saved the day!

Sometimes, I just didn’t have time to plan out a meal, but a quick Instant Pot meal came to the rescue.

This is my favorite list of healthy instant pot recipes for kids. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend. Even if it’s just mac-and-cheese or hot dogs in the Instant Pot. Not the healthiest, but it gets the kids fed.

I also purchased the Air Fryer lid for my Instant Pot, and I just love it.

air fryer lid for instand pot

Air fryer lid

When your kids (or you) are craving those crispy foods, you can still have them and keep it healthy. This is my favorite list of healthy air fryer meals as well as air fryer meals for kids!

To be honest, I use my Air Fryer more than my Instant Pot, but I adore them both. 

Even More Healthy Easy and Healthy Dinner Options

If you want even more options for dinner that are easy and healthy, check these out! You can plan for the year, I’m pretty sure!

Another easy option is one-pan dinners – sheet pan| one-pot | one-pan meals! So easy to put together and NO MESS! Here are 30 one-pan|pot dinners – perfect for busy moms!

And if you prefer casseroles, try 50+ Best Healthy Casserole Recipes for Easy Dinners!

(By the way, if you’re still in summer mode, this is another way to go to throw together a super-easy and healthy BBQ. It’s another great dinner option!)

If you’re looking for fast and cheap, take a look at 50 Dirt-Cheap Meal Prep Recipes (all less than $2 per serving!) from my friend at Meal Prepify!

Other Healthy Meal Options

If you’re looking for some SUPER-easy dinner options, crockpot meals are another simple option! Here are 30 healthy crockpot meals you can try, too!

Soups are also something can be thrown together quickly as well! If you’re in the mood for some healthy soups, check out these  30 healthy soup recipes.

Appetizers can make great meals in a pinch, too! Throw one or a few together and you’re good to go! Check out these 25 Healthy & Delicious Appetizers!

And if you’ve been on a sourdough kick, try these kid-friendly sourdough discard recipes, including some amazing dinner options and sides!

The crockpot dinners, soups, and appetizers are especially perfect for those on a clean, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo or Whole30 lifestyle.

If that’s how your family eats, then definitely check out my 30 Favorite Whole30 Dinners – they are all Whole30 or paleo, so they are gluten and dairy-free! This is in my Top 3 All-Time posts!

 

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment so we can chat!

If you know others who could use this, feel free to share!

30 kid friendly weeknight dinners, easy and healthy solutions for tired moms, taco casserole, homemade pizza pockets, baked raviolies, veggie salsa and guacamole

easy dinner recipes for busy moms collage

easy dinner ideas for busy moms collage pin

 

30 fast and easy weeknight dinners for maxed out moms collage with naan wraps, taco casserole, taco pizza, gluten free mac and cheese

More Back to School Help:

An Open Letter to Parents from Your Child’s Teacher

Life-Saver Back-to-School Home Organization Ideas

 

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17 Comments

  1. My two boys are all grown up now and my husband cooks these days — but how I wish I’d had this back when I was a working mommy! Everything looks mouthwatering: maybe I’ll reclaim cooking dinner, at least now and then šŸ™‚

    1. Ha ha! I’m so jealous your husband cooks, Jan! lol But I agree – don’t these look great and so easy? I am super-excited to try them! I struggle SOOOO much with dinner! I do a lot of these roundups for myself! lol Thank you so much for reading and coming by! šŸ™‚

  2. Most nights I just make it fast and easy for my kids. But, I feel so bad because they deserve a good meal with more nutrients. Your meals are still fast, but they are good for my kids. I am so glad I found your recipes.

    1. This made me so happy to read, Stacey! I have the same struggle – I’m so glad you found some recipes that will work for your family!

  3. The Southwest Burrito Bowl was an interesting take. My husband and I have definitely eaten out to much. It is getting expensive so it is nice to have meals like this that are more affordable, and fun to make together. Thnaks.

    1. Thank you so much for letting me know, Shirley! I agree! Eating out is so expensive and even groceries have gone up so much – I love that so many of these recipes are pretty simple and inexpensive ingredients! Enjoy!

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