Summertime is the best for eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re growing a backyard garden or you shop your local farmers market, grocery, or big box store, the kitchen is bursting with color this time of year. My summer weekly meal plan uses the best of the season for breakfast, lunch, snacks and supper ideas.
This post is part of a series on seasonal meal planning. Eating seasonally doesn’t need to be complicated. When you eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, you’re getting them at their freshest… and probably their lowest price.
The recipes I’ve collected below are all pretty simple. Most can be adapted to your dietary restrictions or eating habits. One of my favorite meal planning tips is to use fresh ingredients in more than one meal during the week. This can save you time – if you have a meal prep day to chop and/or cook ahead of time. It also helps you avoid food waste. I hate tossing out squishy, week-old cucumbers that I could’ve eaten if I’d just planned ahead better!
In the summer, I hate heating up the house just to cook a meal. When possible, I like to plan recipes that don’t use the oven. I either pick quick stovetop recipes or ones that can be done on the grill outside. Our electricity plan includes free weekends, so that’s when I usually crank up the air conditioner and do any baking.
Summer weekly meal plan
breakfast
- mango protein smoothie
- scrambled eggs with onions, bell peppers, and cheese
- peach cobbler muffins
lunch
- Greek pasta salad
- tuna salad sandwiches
- chicken fajita macaroni and cheese – Cook the fajitas {below} for summer, then use the leftovers for this lunch the next day.
snacks
- easy and fabulous peach tea
- fresh slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew
supper
1. grilled tuna steaks with parmesan zucchini corn
Tuna steaks are quick to grill and need only a little salt and pepper. If you’re feeling creative, a little soy sauce is nice too. This zucchini corn recipe from Damn Delicious is seriously one of my favorites. I come up with meals to make so that I can cook this as a side dish.
2. chicken zucchini pesto tortellini
Pesto sauce is a summer staple. Although to be honest, I make it year-round. Summertime means fresh basil from my garden, but you can also make this with any green herb – or baby spinach. Recipe here.
3. summer vegetable pasta salad
I found this recipe from Amanda’s Cookin and was instantly in love with the color. There’s something about eating a rainbow that just feels amazingly healthy. Recipe here.
4. Texas summer veggie bake
This is a delicious recipe I learned from my husband’s aunt. It combines zucchini, yellow squash, and potatoes – staples in many backyard gardens. It makes a great side dish for grilled meat. The recipe here includes tips for cooking it on the grill.
5. chicken fajitas
Slice chicken, bell peppers, and onions into strips. Season the chicken with fajita seasoning; grill the chicken and vegetables until cooked through. Serve immediately in warm tortillas. Add a dollop of sour cream or guacamole if you like.
6. sweet and spicy barbecue ribs with corn on the cob
Although we often cook our ribs in the smoker, grilling is much faster. This recipe has just a few ingredients. Toss a few ears of corn on the grill for about the last 10 minutes. Warning: this is some messy finger food!
7. barbecue chicken chopped salad
Grilled chicken and corn, plus black beans and a few other veggies, make this a filling salad. The recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats and can be made with leftover chicken to save time.
If you enjoyed this summer weekly meal plan, you’ll also want to read my fall meal plan, winter meal plan, and spring meal plan.
For more seasonal meal planning help, download this seasonal produce guide to keep in your pantry of meal planning binder.
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