20 Meal Plan Ideas That Every Family Will Love

Why Theme Days Make Planning Easier

Be honest: how often do you stand in front of the fridge in the evening wondering 'what on earth are we cooking tonight?' That daily mental load costs time and energy — and usually ends with the same old meal or a last-minute dash to Coop or Migros.

Theme days are a brilliantly simple trick: instead of starting from scratch each day, you assign a motto to each weekday. Monday is pasta day, Wednesday is veggie day, Friday is fish or international night. You rotate recipes within each theme. The result? Automatic variety without the daily decision fatigue.

The best part: theme days adapt perfectly to your family's routine. On days when the children have sports practice, it's 'quick and easy' day. At the weekend, you cook together. Your meal plan doubles as your weekly schedule — and if you want even more structure, our guide shows you how to create a weekly meal plan step by step.

20 Meal Plan Ideas for the Whole Family

Here's the main event: 20 meal plan ideas, sorted by theme day. All dishes are family-friendly, easy to shop for in Switzerland, and most are on the table in under 45 minutes.

Monday: Pasta Day

The start of the week should be fuss-free. Pasta always works, fills everyone up, and is ready in 20–30 minutes.

1. Spaghetti Bolognese: The undisputed classic. Make double the sauce — it freezes beautifully for another week.
2. Penne all'Arrabbiata: For those who like a bit of heat. Children get the mild version without chilli flakes.
3. Lasagne: Takes a little more time but is well worth it. Prepare it on Sunday evening and just pop it in the oven on Monday.

Tuesday: Swiss Classics

Local dishes that warm the soul. Every child in Switzerland knows and loves these — and you'll find all the ingredients at any Migros or Coop.

1. Roesti with a Fried Egg: Crispy pan-fried roesti topped with a fried egg. It doesn't get simpler than this. Serve with a green salad.
2. Aelplermagronen: Potatoes, pasta, cream, and cheese with apple sauce on the side — Swiss comfort food at its finest.
3. Ghackets mit Hoernli: Minced meat with horn-shaped pasta and apple sauce. A dish that never, ever has leftovers.

Wednesday: Veggie Day

One meat-free day per week is good for the budget and for the planet. And don't worry: with these dishes, nobody will miss the meat.

1. Vegetable Curry with Rice: Seasonal veg in a mild coconut curry sauce. Children love the slightly sweet flavour.
2. Ratatouille: Colourful roasted vegetables from Provence — looks stunning and tastes fantastic with fresh bread.
3. Potato Gratin: Golden-baked potato slices with cream and cheese. Pure comfort food for chilly evenings.

Thursday: Quick & Easy

Thursday is often the day when energy runs low. These dishes are on the table in 15–25 minutes.

1. Omelettes with Fillings: Eggs, a bit of veg, and cheese — done. Let the children fill their own omelettes for extra fun.
2. Fried Rice: Leftover rice, vegetables, egg, and soy sauce. Perfect fridge-clearing meal, ready in 15 minutes.
3. Wraps: Fill tortillas with chicken, vegetables, and sauce. Everyone builds their own — ideal when tastes differ.

Friday: Fish or International

As the weekend approaches, it's time for something a bit special. Fish or a dish from another cuisine brings welcome variety to the table.

1. Fish Fingers with Mashed Potato: An unbeatable hit with children. With homemade mash and peas, it's a quick weeknight dinner.
2. Thai Curry: Mildly spiced with coconut milk, vegetables, and chicken. Those who like it hot can add chilli at the table.
3. Tacos: Mince or beans, lettuce, cheese, salsa — lay everything out and let everyone build their own. Children absolutely love it.

Saturday: Family Cooking

The weekend means time to cook together. These dishes are fun to make and perfect for getting the whole family involved.

1. Homemade Pizza: Start the dough in the morning and let everyone top their own pizza in the evening. Absolute highlight of the week for most children.
2. Burger Night: Homemade burgers with a variety of toppings. Serve with sweet potato fries from the oven.
3. Flammkuchen: Thin dough with creme fraiche, onions, and bacon — quick to make and a lovely Saturday evening snack.

Sunday: Roast Dinner or Leftovers Day

Sunday goes one of two ways: either you take your time with a proper roast, or you have a leftovers day where you use up whatever remains from the week. Both are brilliant — and both save you a trip to the shops.

Ideas for Every Season

A good weekly meal plan for your family takes the seasons into account. Cooking seasonally is not only cheaper but also more sustainable — and frankly, it tastes better. Here's some inspiration for each time of year:

Spring

Asparagus with hollandaise sauce, wild garlic risotto, fresh salads with radishes and carrots. From April onwards, Swiss asparagus appears at Migros and Coop — perfect for the meal plan.

Summer

Barbecue evenings, caprese salad with Swiss tomatoes, cold gazpacho, light pasta with courgette and basil. In summer, keep things light and fresh.

Autumn

Pumpkin soup, mushroom risotto, chestnut dishes, and raclette evenings. Autumn brings wonderful ingredients to market — ideal for warming meals.

Winter

Fondue, stews, lentil curry, gratins, and hearty soups. In winter, meals should be rich and satisfying. Perfect for theme days like Swiss Classics day.

When Nobody Wants to Eat the Same Thing

Sound familiar? One child won't touch vegetables, another wants nothing but noodles, and your partner fancies something with a bit more flavour. No need to despair — with a few strategies, you can get everyone happily sitting at the same table.

• Build-your-own principle: Dishes like wraps, tacos, or pizza where everyone chooses their own toppings solve many a mealtime conflict.
• Base dish plus extras: Cook a simple base (e.g. rice with chicken) and offer different sauces or sides.
• Let children have a say: Anyone who gets to pick one meal per week eats more willingly on the other days too.
• Introduce new things gently: Always serve new ingredients alongside something familiar. That way it doesn't become a battle.
• Don't give up: Studies show children may need to try a new food up to 15 times before they accept it.

Finding Inspiration: Cookbooks, Cookidoo & More

After a few weeks of meal planning, the question often comes up: where do I find new ideas? Here are the best sources for Swiss families:

• Cookidoo: The Thermomix recipe platform offers thousands of recipes, many of them family-friendly. You can import Cookidoo recipes directly into TellerPlan.
• Cookbooks: Swiss staples like 'Tiptopf' or Betty Bossi books are tried and tested. Pick them up second-hand at Tutti or a Brockenhaus.
• Social media: Swiss food blogs and Instagram accounts serve up a constant stream of inspiration. Photograph any recipe you like and add it to TellerPlan.
• Family and friends: Ask around for favourite recipes. Often the best dishes are the ones passed along by someone you know.
• Migros and Coop recipe pages: Both retailers offer recipe ideas on their websites, often tied to the week's special offers.

Top tip: keep all your favourite recipes in one place. There's nothing more frustrating than remembering a brilliant recipe but not being able to find it again. With TellerPlan, all your recipes are stored centrally — whether from Cookidoo, a cookbook, or a blog.

Saving and Reusing Your Meal Plan Ideas

The beauty of theme days: after a few weeks, you'll have built up a proper collection of tried-and-tested recipes. Instead of planning from scratch every week, you simply pick from your favourites and slot them into the weekdays.

In TellerPlan, this is particularly straightforward: save your favourite recipes once — via Cookidoo import or a cookbook photo — then drag and drop them into your meal plan each week. The shopping list is generated automatically, with all ingredients in German, just as you'd find them at Migros or Coop.

This way, the weekly plan takes just a few minutes. No head-scratching, no forgetting, no duplicate purchases. And the best bit: when a week has gone particularly well, you can reuse the entire plan as a template for later.