We do make your own bowls and salads a few nights. Leave off anything that doesn’t work for your family. Examples:

“cava-ish”:
grilled or baked chicken marinated in evoo, lemon, garlic,
greek seasoning - diced into pieces
orzo or rice
crumbled feta
olives
roasted veggies
hummus
cucumber/tomato salad
crumbled pita chips

“chipotle-ish”:
grilled or baked chicken rubbed with evoo and a taco seasoning blend-
diced into pieces
brown rice
black beans
salsa
corn
sour cream
guacamole
shredded cheddar cheese

“cobb-ish”:
mixed greens
halved cherry tomatoes
halved hard boiled eggs
crumbled blue cheese
diced avocado
diced cooked bacon
any other crunchy veggies around

“nicoise-ish”
mixed greens
salmon roasted in mustard and evoo, cut into large chunks
halved hard boiled eggs
blanched green beans
halved cherry tomatoes
cubed cooked potatoes
olives

We are a family of two and eat leftovers for lunch almost every day and our go-tos recently have been:

Stuffed shells (love the cookie and kate recipe)
Meatballs with a rotating cast of characters as sauces/sides (made the hello fresh firecracker meatballs tonight with ingredients we purchased ourselves, did not actually order hello fresh)
Tofu with pinch of yum peanut sauce or the sheet pan tofu/ramen recipe from NYT cooking
Costco pork medallions
NYT cooking black bean bake with tortillas or tortilla chips and whatever produce we have on hand

I also agree with the previous recommendations for Budget Bytes!

Anonymous wrote:We really liked the Marley spoon schnitzel recipes. Maybe mix up your taco night by doing fish tacos. Or do sesame noodles for your Asian night. We do a night or two of Mediterranean food like chicken shawarma or falafel or gyro meat.

What does your toddler like the most?

Rice. Eggs. French toast. PBJ. Potato in fry or hashbrown form. He does eat a lot of varied foods- even if it doesnt seem like it.

We do a lamb pita maybe Ill try some falafel/gyro versions. Fish tacos is a good idea. He wont really eat fish and weve tried but have to keep exposing.

18:02 - all of these dishes are things my kids eat. They’re pretty picky but they love arugula.

Agree with PP that Budget Bytes has been invaluable this year. The sauce on this is the sauce flavor I have been looking for. I use Cookie and Kate’s directions for crispy tofu. https://www.budgetbytes.com/peanut-tofu-noodle-bowls/

As directed, this isn’t vegetarian or vegetable heavy but I make it with double the pineapple tidbits, low sodium Spam and I used cauliflower “rice” in place of the day old rice. This was supposed to be a pantry dish, but I found that fresh garlic was way better than garlic powder. https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/04/14/spam-pineapple-fried-rice-pantry-recipe/

These sweet potato tacos were inhaled by all three of my kids and weren’t like the “dessert tacos” that I frequently feel like sweet potato tacos taste like. With enough lime juice and cilantro you wouldn’t miss the feta. https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/03/sweet-potato-tacos/

And don’t sleep on pasta salad; you can dress it up with what you like and what you know kids will eat. Just make the vinaigrette more piquant than you would for salad and cook the pasta past al dente because it firms up in the fridge.

I haven’t served this since blue cheese started giving me migraines, but this salad is delightful. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cape-cod-chopped-salad-recipe-1949107

For 2 and 3 try chicken and cashews, and meatballs.

Anonymous wrote:Instead of Chinese, try Korean or Vietnamese flavors to mix things up. We do lettuce wraps, stir fry, Instapot soups or stews.

You can also do this on taco night. Korean tacos (seared beef in a sauce of gochujang/hoisin/soy sauce/sesame oil) topped with asian slaw, pickled radishes and peanuts has become a staple in my house.

Instead of Chinese, try Korean or Vietnamese flavors to mix things up. We do lettuce wraps, stir fry, Instapot soups or stews.

I like Budget Bytes website

Black bean chili is very good
Also like any type of breakfast for dinner…seems easier than real dinner

Dal and rice, channa masala w/ naan, saag w tofu instead of paneer, veggie & tofu stirfries, bean chili, lentil soup/ stew, lentil & vegetable shepherd's pie

How about shakshouka? There's so many ways to adapt it to personal taste.

I've linked before, but I've gotten some decent recipes from this blog. My kids have liked several of them.

https://everyday-reading.com/category/main-dish/

You could also add burrito bowls to your Mexican night rotation, or taco salad.

We really liked the Marley spoon schnitzel recipes. Maybe mix up your taco night by doing fish tacos. Or do sesame noodles for your Asian night. We do a night or two of Mediterranean food like chicken shawarma or falafel or gyro meat.

What does your toddler like the most?

I see very little pasta on your list. I do pasta once or twice a week because it is fast, easy, and my kids eat the vegetables I mix in.

Also:

Sheet pan or cast iron pizza. Super easy if you buy premade dough.

Fish. Mix equal amounts of brown sugar and dijon mustard and spread on salmon or arctic char filets. 12-15 minutes on a sheetpan in the oven. Bagged salad or roasted asparagus/broccoli/brussel sprouts.

Three cup chicken stir fry. Serve with rice and steamed green beans/broccoli.

Veggie or onion frittata in a cast iron skillet. Serve with bread.

Im bored with our dinners. Maybe Im just tired of cooking and meal planning and grocery lists and 4 different grocery stores and my toddler eating very little of everything Could use some friendly inspiration and tried-and-true recipes. I normally try Marley Spoon when I am in a rut but I have to modify most of their recipes and that makes it even more expensive.

Limitations: no dairy; no non-fish seafood (shrimp, crab, mussels); no avocado. Recipes can have dairy in them as a topping (example tacos) because I can modify but cant be in the main part.

I have our weeks set up with a certain routine:
1. taco dish- tacos, quesadillas, nachos, taco soup, shredded taco chicken fajitas etc (mexican)
2. beef n broccoli or orange chicken or pineapple tofu rice (chinese)
3. burger or steaks or meatloaf or spaghetti squash casserole or pasta spaghetti (beef)
4. bbq chicken, chicken sheet pan, roast chicken (chicken)
5. pork tenderloin/lamb/salmon (random meat)
6. stew or chili or roast (use beans)
7. leftover or breakfast for dinner or takeout

I have been trying to increase our non-meat nights or at least a portion of the main not being meat heavy. Example tofu pineapple rice option or sausage-lentil stew. A lot of vegetarian dishes rely on cheese and that doesnt work for our family.