Family of Four Weekly Meal Prep Plan (Lactose-Free Friendly + Kid-Approved)

If you’re a busy parent juggling work, toddlers, and a serious laundry situation, this meal plan is your new best friend. Designed for a family of four (with two little ones who don’t eat much), it includes 4 flavour-packed dinners, a bonus pizza night, lunch add-ons, back-up meals for fussy eaters, and a full shopping list to make your grocery run a breeze.

🌚 DINNER PLAN (4 Nights + Bonus Pizza Night)

🍔 Night 1 – Burger Bowls (Meat)

• Beef mince patties or rissoles

• Serve with rice or oven fries

• Salad: lettuce, cucumber, tomato, corn, avocado

• Toppings: pickles, ketchup, mayo, mustard

🐟 Night 2 – Baked Fish & Veggies (Fish)

• White fish fillets (e.g. hoki or barramundi)

• Lemon & olive oil

• Roast potato wedges or mash

• Steamed broccoli and carrots

🍝 Night 3 – Veggie Pasta Bake (Vegetarian)

• Pasta (penne or spirals)

• Zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes

• Passata + garlic + herbs

• Lactose-free cheese on top

🍱 Night 4 – Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls (Meat)

• Chicken thigh or breast

• Teriyaki sauce (or soy sauce + honey + garlic + sesame oil)

• Veg: pak choy, capsicum, carrot

• Serve with steamed rice

🍕 Bonus Pizza Night (Ham & Pineapple)

• Bakers Delight pizza bases

• Tomato paste

• Sliced ham

• Pineapple chunks

• Lactose-free cheese

🥗 LUNCH ADD-ONS

• Greek Salad: cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, cos lettuce, olive oil, lemon, oregano

• Butterflied Chicken from Aldi: serve sliced over salad or in wraps

🪿 KIDS BACK-UP DINNER

Aldi Crumbed Chicken

• Great with steamed veggies or fruit on busy nights

🥒 Zucchini Fritters (Snack or Light Lunch Idea)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 zucchinis (grated and squeezed of excess moisture)

• 1 small carrot (optional, grated)

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup plain flour or breadcrumbs

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• Salt & pepper (omit for kids if preferred)

• Optional: finely chopped spring onion or herbs, a spoon of lactose-free cheese

To Cook:

1. Mix everything in a bowl.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan.

3. Spoon in mixture, flatten slightly, and pan-fry until golden on both sides.

Serve with:

• Lactose-free yoghurt or tzatziki-style dip

• Greek salad or sliced avocado

• Veggie sticks or fruit

🛍️ WEEKLY SHOPPING LIST

🥩 Meat/Fish

• 500g beef mince or rissoles

• 500g chicken thigh or breast

• 2 butterflied seasoned chickens (lunch)

• 4 white fish fillets

• Sliced ham (pizza)

• Aldi crumbed chicken (1–2 packs for backup kids’ meals)

🌿 Veg & Fruit

• Lettuce (cos or iceberg x2)

• Cucumber (x3)

• Cherry tomatoes (x3 punnets)

• Avocado (x2)

• Corn (frozen or 2 cobs)

• Broccoli (x1)

• Carrots (x3)

• Zucchini (x2)

• Red capsicum (x1)

• Pak choy (x1 bunch or pack)

• Red onion (x1)

• Mushrooms (x1 punnet)

• Spinach (x1 bag)

• Pineapple (1 tin or fresh)

• Potatoes (1kg)

• Lemon (x2)

🍞 Pantry & Carbs

• Rice (1 pack)

• Pasta (penne or spirals, 1 pack)

• Pizza bases (Bakers Delight x2–3)

• Passata (1 jar)

• Tomato paste (1 small jar)

• Olive oil

• Soy sauce

• Honey

• Sesame oil

• Herbs/spices: oregano, garlic, salt, pepper

• Ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles

🧁 Dairy (Lactose-Free)

• Lactose-free cheese (block or shredded)

• Lactose-free yoghurt

• Lactose-free milk

• Almond milk

🪥 Optional (but great)

• Olives for Greek salad

• Lactose-free feta or vegan feta

Looking for more meal prep inspiration or easy toddler-friendly dinners? Follow along for more weekly plans, budget recipes and real-life family food ideas.