Hi! All the responses are amazing and great ideas!
Figuring out easy, affordable meals the whole family can enjoy is a struggle for most. A couple of tips I give to every family:
Automatize: 2 options, make the same meal every Monday, or every other Monday, then do the same method for every or her night. Build in easier meals for harder/crazier nights! Or choose a protein for each night and then Base the meal off that. This allows you to mix it up more but still takes a lot of the mental labor out of it!
Frozen food is your friend! Frozen food, especially fruits and veggies are such a great option bc they are frozen at their peak nutritionally. Frozen allows you to use just the amount you need, no waste, no spoiling! It also means you can use a larger variety of fruits and veggies which is awesome and makes sure everyone is happy!
I highly recommend crockpot, air fryers, slow cookers, sheet pan meals! Anything that makes life easier and means you are having a home cooked meal over fast food, is a win!!
Batch cooking is a great way to make life easier. This has already been mentioned but cooking a lot of protein at one time and then using it in several meals through out the week will help tremendously. If you think of your fridge like a mini chipolte, subway, or CAVA, where everyone in the family can choose their toppings for whatever meal you decide that night, everyone will be happy! Think about making rice bowls, pasta bowls, personalized pizzas, tacos, quesadillas, or salads. Everything that goes in or on this types of meals can be prepped and stored and then use later, it's just about adding the right spices or sauce for that meal!
Hope this helps. It will feel like a lot to think about at first but once you get your weekly grocery figured out, you will save time and money!