This week’s weekly meal plan recommendations are here, and we’ve found some easy meals to get you through the rest of the week all using June’s best, freshest produce like watermelon, zucchini, swiss chard, avocados and peas. Yay for summer!
So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up on ingredients before the weekend’s over to make your weeknights that much easier.
And if it’s even easier for you to do all that planning from your inbox, be sure to sign up for our weekly meal plan emails. You’ll love them, promise.
At top: pasta with peas and bacon at Salted Mint; watermelon popsicles at Love Food Nourish
Related: 8 family-friendly zucchini recipes with major kid appeal
I’m always happy to find delicious no-cook recipes during the hot summer months, and with zucchini in season right now this Zucchini Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce at From My Bowl is a top contender. Caitlin says the hardest part of this whole recipe is just chopping the veggies; it’s that easy. And while she serves it entirely plant-based, you could easily add some rotisserie chicken to it too. The best part: it keeps for up to 5 days, so this can make lunch or a side for another meal later in the week.
I’m a big fan of light dinners in the summer, and these Watermelon Farro Bowls at Cait’s Plate look like perfection. To me, they’re hearty enough to be my entire dinner — especially since I’ll probably have 2 (erm, 3) servings. But it would also make a great side dish if you’re grilling out, too.
Swiss chard is perfection right now, and my kids always love breakfast for dinner…so, this Swiss Chard and Parmesan Frittata at Foraged Dish looks like a winner for dinner. (Ha!) Serve it with some of your leftover watermelon or some in-season cantaloupe or strawberries on the side for a quick and easy comfort meal. And any leftovers can be used for breakfast the next morning!
Related: How to cut an avocado safely. Because enough with avocado hand, please.
Avocados from Mexico are always in season, but now the harvests from California are in season too. And this delicious Turkey Burger with Avocado Slices at Linger a Little look like a great excuse to eat more of our favorite fruit (fun fact: avocado is actually considered a berry!). This is one of those great recipes that you can make work for anyone in the family with just minor tweaks, like serving the avocado on the side, skipping the cheese, or using a vegan burger instead of turkey. Easy!
This gorgeous pasta with peas and bacon at Salted Mint is a yummy way to enjoy fresh peas right now (although the recipe also allows for frozen, if that’s more convenient). It’s a 30-minute, one-pot recipe, which makes it so easy for busy parents. Plus, it’s basically just noodles and bacon, so how can your kids complain, right? I’d make double and save it for lunch or an easy dinner to take to the pool or park over the weekend.
My kids can’t get enough watermelon when it’s really fresh, and since we’ll probably have some leftover from the watermelon salad earlier this week I’m thinking they’d love helping me make these watermelon popsicles at Love Food Nourish as our afternoon “craft” one day. Of course, you could decorate them with anything from chocolate chips to sprinkles if you don’t happen to have pomegranate seeds on hand. I’d say, let your kids decide!
