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This summer has been full of fun, but not without a little bit of the three R's - reading, writing and arithmetic - to keep us all sharp. Our most fun ongoing project has been learning U.S. state capitals that we've mixed into the car license plate game. I'm about to take you on a U.S. road trip meal plan and show how fun and easy back to school meal planning can be.

How to Play the License Plate State Capital Game

When you see an out of state license plate on the road, the first person to say the state capital gets a point. Each player keeps a tally of her points and gets bragging rights at the end of the journey, day or week.

List of State Capitals for all 50 States

Meal Planning Made Easy and Affordable

As a busy working mom, I have been meal planning since my kids were eating semi-solid food. And by meal planning I mean everything from creating detailed menus to grabbing a bunch of pre-made meals each week that look healthy and delicious.

I'm thrilled to have found a middle ground that makes planning well-balanced meals easy during the back to school rush with great Jimmy Dean®, Tyson®, and Hillshire Farm® products.

For all of my meal planning I aim to use a combination of semi-prepped foods with fresh produce that ensures I'm serving healthy and nutritious meals.

To balance every meal, I include at least one item, preferably two, that 'come from the earth (as in ground/dirt).'

Back to school can be a hard transition time for everyone in the family and I've found that being consistent with meals and meal time helps us get right back into the swing of school and work life.

The meal plan, meal plan printable and recipes I've shared below build on each other and only require one trip to the grocery store, in this case Walmart, where I found all of these delicious Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm® foods that my family loves. Not only do I Iove the one-stop shopping experience, but this Road Trip Meal Plan is affordable too!

I hope your family will enjoy this USA Road Trip Meal plan and the recipe ideas here. I've made a comforting Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe with sautéed greens inspired by the Southeast. Find the recipe below and bon voyage!

Back to School Meal Planning Made Easy

Monday - Midwest

My husband hails from Wisconsin and I have loved visiting over the years. The land of cheese is the perfect place to start our Back to School USA Road Trip Meal Plan.

Breakfast: Jimmy Dean® Frozen Breakfast Sandwich (biscuit with sausage and cheese are my kids' favorites!) + berries (seasonal summer produce is still on store shelves - love this!)

Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple slices, cheese slice, and small cookie

Dinner: Brats with buns and fixings (grilled onions for the grown ups and any kiddo who wants to try!), green salad with dressing

Find it!

Jimmy Dean® Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches are found in the Frozen Foods - Breakfast section at Walmart.

Tuesday - New England

I love this easy twist on a classic New England boiled dinner. I've loved visiting New England since I was a little girl and these traditional dishes feel like home.

Breakfast: Johnny cakes with syrup and fruit

Lunch: Hummus and pita, carrot sticks, small orange and a cookie

Dinner: Hillshire Farm® Honey Ham and cheese hot roll ups, roasted potatoes, carrots and cabbage

Wednesday - Southeast

Breakfast: Fruit smoothies with peanut butter and milk for protein

Lunch: Hillshire Farm® Honey Ham and cheese sandwich, celery sticks and a cookie

Dinner: Quick and easy chicken dumplings dinner using Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Frozen Diced Chicken Breast with sautéed greens

Find it!

Hillshire Farm® Honey Ham is located in the Packaged Deli section at Walmart.

Thursday - Southwest

Breakfast: Jimmy Dean® Frozen Breakfast Sandwich and fruit

Lunch: Hillshire Farm® Honey Ham roll up sandwiches, apple slices and a cookie

Dinner: Chicken fajitas using Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Frozen Diced Chicken Breast with sour cream and salsa, garnished with cilantro

Friday - Northwest

Breakfast: Fruit smoothies with peanut butter and milk for protein

Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, apple slices, cheese slice, and small cookie

Dinner: Fish tacos with cilantro crema, coleslaw, and avocado

Saturday - Back Home!

Breakfast: Pancakes with syrup and fruit

Lunch: Quesadillas with avocado and salsa

Dinner: Dinner with friends! Either out for pizza or a potluck at someone's house. For a potluck, I love to share Tyson® Any’tizers® Snacks with a yummy bbq sauce or creamy dip.

Sunday - Family Dinner Tradition

Brunch: Thin pancakes with berries and syrup and OJ

Dinner: Roast chicken dinner with coleslaw, brown beans, rolls and ice cream sundaes (natch!). On busy Sundays (most!) I grab a deli rotisserie chicken and sides that I pair with brown beans.

After School Snack Ideas

• Hummus, pita and carrots
• Tyson® Any’tizers® Snacks
• Chips and cheese nachos
• Apples and celery with peanut butter

Find it!

Tyson® Any’tizers® Snacks Popcorn Chicken are found in the Frozen Snacks section at Walmart.

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe Inspired by the Southeast USA

I make this Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe from Southern Living Magazine all the time using Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Frozen Diced Chicken Breast. I combine the ready to eat chicken with carrots, celery, a can of cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and top with ready to bake biscuits.

Find it!

Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Frozen Diced Chicken Breast is found in the Frozen Meals section at Walmart.

Back to School Meal Planning That's Easy and Affordable

I'm thankful for a meal plan that helps keep the chaos out of back to school and hope you will benefit from the ideas above and below. I've included some recipe links and my free Meal Plan Template below.

To use my Meal Plan Template, simply print, map out my recipe itinerary above, make your shopping list and head to Walmart for stress-free shopping and lots of options.

Get This Shopkick Offer

Earn up to 600 kicks when you buy three (3) participating Tyson® products.*

*Chicken nuggets, chicken strips, Any’tizers® Snacks, Grilled and Ready® items, Hillshire Farm® Lunchmeats, and Jimmy Dean® frozen breakfast items.

Meal Plan Recipes

• Johnny Cakes Recipe
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
• Fish Taco with Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe
• Smoothie Recipes for Kids

Weekly Meal Planner Template

Back to School Meal Plan Template | Free Printable