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I’m a Mom of 2, and This Is My 2-Week Quarantine Meal Plan

With store runs reduced to a minimum and random grocery staples out of stock (sour cream, really?), meal planning is looking pretty different for a lot of people these days. We talked to one mom of two about how she’s been strategizing two weeks’ worth of meals during quarantine. As told to Katherine Gillen.

“Since the virus hit, my family of four has drastically changed the way we shop and cook. Once upon a time, we would go to the store every few days. Now, we shop for 14 days at a time—mapping out every dinner and relying on pantry staples and leftovers for breakfast and lunch. Here’s our two-week dinner-plan, plus notes on what our 3- and 5-year-olds did and didn’t eat.”

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Week One

Sunday: Turkey Burgers With Potatoes And Green Beans

“We baked the potatoes in the oven for a healthier fry option, but we also love doing them in foil packets on the grill, once the weather gets warmer.”

Monday: Big Salad With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Chickpeas And Avocado

“We hold off on dressing until after we've served the kids and let them pick out the parts they like (mostly the chickpeas and the croutons). Full disclosure: One child required chicken nuggets on the side.”

Tuesday: Barbecue Chicken With Rice Pilaf And Glazed Brussels Sprouts

“We served the barbecue sauce on the side. The pilaf came from a box. :)”

Wednesday: Pita Pizzas And Salad

“This one is always a hit. We let the kids make their own pepperoni pizzas. The grownups add toppings like pesto and roasted red peppers.”

Thursday: Breaded Chicken With Potatoes And Asparagus

“It's basically a repeat of what we ate on Sunday, just with a different meat and veggie.”

Friday: Sesame Noodles With Carrot, Cabbage And Peppers

“The kids loved this one! We used linguine noodles and sprinkled peanuts on top. I suspect any veggies would work, but we used what we had in the fridge.”

Saturday: Ribs With Cabbage Slaw And Potato Chips

“We were happy to have another use for that cabbage, and happy to have a side that came out of a bag. Oh, and ribs. Happy to eat ribs.”

Week Two

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas With Salad And Rice

“We successfully sold these to the kids as a fancy version of their beloved quesadillas. Hot sauce was served on the side for the adults, of course.”

Monday: Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut And Turmeric (aka The Stew)

“This was our first time making this trendy recipe! My husband and I loved it, but the kids were not fans. Enter pizza bagels.”

Tuesday: Tortellini Bolognese With ‘greens And Beans’

“The greens and beans were an ode to my husband's Syracuse roots. We used the leftover kale from Monday and some canned cannellini beans. The kids liked the tortellini and beans but picked around the ‘green stuff.’”

Wednesday: Chicken Broccoli Casserole

“All the ingredients were sourced from the freezer. We’ve entered the ‘church basement’ portion of the meal plan...and we’re not mad about it.”

Thursday: Garlic Butter Noodles With Asparagus And Broccoli

“I’ve been blanching and freezing veggies the day we go grocery shopping, and they always come in handy at the end of the two-week period.”

takeout pizza
Lisa Romerein/Getty Images

Friday: Takeout Pizza

“We’ve earned it, baby!”

Saturday: Breakfast For Dinner With Fruit On The Side

“End-of-week brinner involved using any ingredients we still had on-hand.”



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Katherine Gillen

Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...
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