The Best Healthy Family Summer Meal Ideas | THM

Make dinner time easy for your Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle with this round up of 13 healthy family summer meal ideas.

Raise your hand if you love meals you can get on the table quickly.

Now, raise your other hand if you want those meals to be healthy.

And raise your other hand, okay, foot, if you also want those meals to be family-friendly!

Oh good!

Me too!

I’ve got thirteen easy meals that are perfect for spring and summer, and they’re all family-approved by my crew.

Back in May of 2016 I started following a way of eating called Trim Healthy Mama (THM).

It was a little confusing at first.

If you’re new to THM, I shared my tips to help you get started over here.

One thing I knew from the beginning, this lifestyle was never gonna work if I had to cook different things for me and my family.

So I found ways to make the foods my family already ate work for THM.

These healthy family summer meal ideas are a sample of how I made this plan work for me, and for my family.

The plates I’m sharing in the pictures are mine, and I’ll share the easy ways I made these meals work for my three teens and husband.

This post contains some affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Simple Healthy Summer Meal Ideas for Your Family

Once it starts getting warm, I tend to do most of my cooking on the grill.

Not only does it keep my kitchen cool, it also makes for faster clean up afterwards!

In fact, I often grill the meat and the veggies.

Grilling veggies is so easy with these grill mats!

Virtually nothing sticks to them, and the best part? Nothing falls through the holes like with grill baskets.

And when I’m not grilling the veggies, I’m serving them up raw.

In fact, here’s a mom hack for ya!

Cut up a bunch of raw veggies as the first part of getting dinner ready.

Then put that plate on your counter while you do everything else you need to do to prepare the meal.

Sit out a container of ranch dip if your family prefers dip.

I don’t say a word.

But the kids and the hubs always walk through the kitchen a time or two while I’m making dinner, and they always grab some raw veggies to eat if they’re sitting out!

I usually include some carrots and raw broccoli too.

Sometimes I get lucky and one of them will sit down at the island and chat with me while they munch on the veggies.

Sneaky, right?!

But let’s get back to those healthy family meal ideas.

Be prepared for a lot of grilled stuff coming your way…

Chili Dogs, Coleslaw, and Salad | THM – S

My family loves chili dogs.

I make up a big batch of hot dog chili a few times a year and freeze it in 1-cup portions.

It’s so easy to pull out and thaw on the counter or in the microwave!

I make a vinaigrette-based coleslaw that takes less than 5 minutes when you use a bag of chopped cabbage.

My family eats their chili dogs on buns, with coleslaw and green salad on the side.

I mix mine all together to make a Chili Slaw Dog Salad: no dressing required.

Grilled Adobo Chicken, Raw Veggies, Asparagus Salad | THM – S

Have you ever tried marinating your chicken in adobo seasoning?

For each pound of chicken use 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1 Tbsp Adobo seasoning.

I prefer to marinate overnight.

In fact, during grilling season, I put any meat that’s gonna get grilled in a marinade as soon as I get home from the grocery store.

So some meats soak in their marinade for a few days.

But that makes meal prep that much easier, and I don’t have to remember to whip up a new marinade every day or two.

This Asparagus and Tomato Salad recipe is really good with fresh green beans or broccoli if your family doesn’t like asparagus.

Pulled Pork, Broccoli Slaw, and Raw Veggies | THM – S

Our local Lowe’s Foods grocery store sells amazing smoked pulled pork by the pound.

I set out buns for the family with a variety of barbecue sauces, including my Sweet and Smoky Sugar-Free version.

Broccoli slaw is mixed up using the dressing from this recipe.

And my trusty plate of raw veggies rounds out the meal.

Grilled Taco Chicken Salads | THM – S

Have you ever tried using taco seasoning as a dry rub?

If not, you’re in for a treat!

Just rub your chicken (or steak, or pork, or shrimp) with taco seasoning, and throw it on the grill.

It’s so good!

Make a taco bar with all your family’s favorite toppings and favorite type of tortillas.

To work with Trim Healthy Mama, you can use low carb tortillas, or throw your toppings on top of a bed of lettuce.

So easy!

Grilled Asian Chicken, Grilled Squash Medley, Grilled Mushrooms, Cukes & Maters, Garlic Biscuits | THM – S

I know.

I know!

There’s a lot of veggies on this plate.

Not everyone in my family likes all the veggies I make.

Except for me and my hubby.

So I make lots of different veggies and let the teens choose the ones they like.

It just means more leftover veggies for me to have for lunch or breakfast.

I marinated the chicken in the marinade from this recipe.

The squash medley is seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

The mushrooms have the same seasoning, but I grilled them separately so they didn’t “contaminate” the squash.

Cukes and Maters get mixed with sugar-free Italian dressing.

And those low carb garlic biscuits are from this tasty recipe.

Barbecue Burgers and Coleslaw | THM – S

Any time I make burgers, I put out all the usual toppings for the family: sliced cheese, sliced tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and pickles, plus some buns.

But just like I enjoy getting creative with making up salads, I also like mixing it up with my burger toppings!

If you live in the south, then you already know about pimento cheese.

If you’ve never tried pimento cheese before, or live in some God-forsaken place that doesn’t sell Palmetto cheese, bless your heart, you can whip up my recipe for Southwest Pimento Cheese.

Next time you make burgers, slather yours with pimento cheese, and if you’re feeling really adventurous, add some Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce on top.

My Low Carb Coleslaw is a staple on our table during the summer.

And I love pickled okra even more than I love pickles!

A friend convinced me to try it one day and I’ve never looked back.

I promise they taste just like dill pickles, and they’re not even remotely slimy.

Turkey Cheeseburgers with Raw Veggies | THM – S

Okay. I know I just shared a burger idea with you.

But these are turkey burgers seasoned with Italian dressing mix.

Topped with sliced provolone cheese.

And a mustard smiley face.

So it’s totally different.

Of course, the family put their burgers together the usual way.

And clearly I didn’t really feel like cooking because all I served alongside the burgers was a bunch of raw veggies.

The family got some deli-made potato salad.

Some days it just goes like that.

But overall, it’s still a pretty healthy meal, and my plate is 100% “on plan” for Trim Healthy Mama.

Grilled Bacon-wrapped Chicken Tenders, Grilled Summer Squash | THM – S

This is so easy, but it almost looks kinda fancy!

I use the seasoning from this recipe, but reduce the cayenne pepper to a 1/4 tsp.

Then, cook them on the grill!

Cook them for the same amount of time you typically grill chicken tenders (on my grill at medium heat, it’s about 6 minutes per side).

The squash is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Just cook it on a grill mat at the same time as the chicken.

My family is way more likely to eat veggies when they’ve been grilled and get a little crispy around the edges!

Pork Chop, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Onions & Mushrooms | THM – S

I love marinating pork chops in Italian dressing!

I use this simple, sugar-free recipe.

The veggies are all grilled using my “go to” blend of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

If you want to make up a shaker of my seasoning, I use this ratio: 4 parts salt, 2 parts ground black pepper, 2 parts onion powder, 1 part garlic powder.

Cheeseburgers, Green Fries, Raw Veggies, Cucumber Salad, and Deviled Eggs | THM – S

Yup.

Another burger night!

But it’s summer time, so we have burgers on the regular.

I just change up what we eat alongside them.

You can go wrong with deviled eggs, and my recipe is a tasty change from traditional versions!

I whip up cucumber salad almost as often as I make coleslaw.

I use this salad dressing recipe, but with only 1 tsp of sweetener, plus salt and pepper to taste.

We all love Green Fries with burgers!

They’re great cooked on the grill and are even faster that way.

Be sure to use a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and nutritional yeast when you make them.

I know nutritional yeast sounds kinda gross, but I promise you it’s delicious!

Jamaican Jerk Grilled Chicken, Grilled Cauliflower, Grilled Squash Medley | THM – S

My family loves Jamaican Jerk seasoned chicken!

This recipe is delicious!

I grilled cauliflower to go alongside, and we all love our cauliflower on the well done side.

Just toss it with EVOO, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

I tried something different with the squash: removing the seeds from the yellow squash.

It really helped make the medley less soggy!

I used Jamaican Jerk seasoning on the squash medley too and it was so good.

Marinated Flank Steak, Grilled Green Beans, Grilled Brussel Sprouts | THM – S

Alright.

Before I go any further, no, my kids did not eat the brussel sprouts.

They only ate the green beans.

But my husband and I love them so I make them for us.

The family also got some nice crusty garlic bread.

The steak is marinated in the marinade from this recipe.

The veggies are all seasoned with EVOO, soy sauce, garlic, salt, ginger, pepper, and a little bit of sesame oil.

I don’t have exact measurements and it turns out a little different every time.

I’ll do better and write down my amounts so I can share them with you!

Caribbean Chicken Bowls with Cilantro Lime Quinoa | THM – E

One of my family’s favorite meals are these delicious chicken quinoa bowls.

Any time I serve a meal “bar style,” it’s always a hit.

It lets everyone choose the toppings they like best, and skip the ones they don’t enjoy.

This is the only meal in this whole roundup that wasn’t cooked on the grill!

I love making a large batch of this recipe and eating the toppings cold over a bed of lettuce the next day or two.

It’s a perfect summer lunch.

And there you have it!

Thirteen easy, healthy summer meals your family will love.

I told you at the beginning that I’m all about keeping my meals simple!

There are certain things that I do over and over, like that tray of raw veggies.

Or grilled marinaded meat.

And grilled veggies seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

This year I’ve started eating a little differently thanks to menopause, so stay tuned for another roundup of meal ideas with a higher concentration of THM – E meals!

Do you have a favorite healthy summer meal?

Will you tell me about it in the comment section at the end of this post?

If you have any questions or suggestions, always feel free to contact me or leave a comment. I love hearing from you!

Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Pin it to Remember it: