What to eat this May
Celebrate the flavors of May with fresh, seasonal meal ideas perfect for spring. Discover fun food holidays, kid-friendly recipes, and simple ways to add variety and joy to your family’s meals this month.
May is the perfect time to take your meals outside and bring a sense of celebration and sunshine to your family’s table. With warmer weather, blooming gardens, and a calendar full of fun—from Cinco de Mayo to Mother’s Day to Memorial Day—there are endless opportunities to make food feel joyful, fresh, and full of connection.
I know how hard it can be to keep mealtimes exciting, especially with busy schedules, picky eaters, and all the end-of-school-year chaos. It’s easy to fall back on the same dinners every week. That’s why I’m here—to help you add variety, seasonal flavor, and a sense of play to your meal planning without extra stress.
This month, let’s focus on meals that celebrate being together—whether it’s backyard BBQs, colorful salads, strawberry-filled treats, or simple dishes that are perfect for picnics. These ideas are easy enough for a busy weeknight, festive enough for a special occasion, and flexible enough to make everyone at the table happy.
Use the ideas below to add a spark of creativity to your meal plan—and create moments that feel like a warm breeze, a fresh bite, and a big reason to smile.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
This is a great opportunity to celebrate and explore the rich culinary traditions of AAPI communities. Add recipes inspired by these vibrant cultures to your meal plan this month as a delicious way to spark curiosity and honor diverse food stories.
- Huli Huli Chicken – A Hawaiian-inspired grilled chicken dish with a sweet and savory marinade that’s perfect for your next backyard BBQ.
- Thai Chicken Satay Skewers – Juicy, flavorful skewers served with a creamy peanut sauce—fun for dipping and full of bold flavor.
- Korean Vegetable Pancakes (Pajeon) – Crispy, savory pancakes packed with colorful veggies—an easy and tasty way to introduce new flavors to your family.
Check out more kid friendly Asian recipes and kid friendly Pacific Islander recipes in my recipe archives.
National Strawberry Month
- This fresh strawberry cake is so simple but such a winner. Eat it all summer long!
- Strawberry pancakes are an excellent use of fresh picked strawberries!
- Strawberry limeade is a drink you won’t believe how easy it is to make at home, but you will want to enjoy a class of this on the deck all summer.
National Barbecue Month
It’s time to fire up the grill! Try these easy but delicious grilling recipes from around the world.
- Chicken sosaties are a delicious way to grill chicken from South Africa!
- Grilled za’atar beef kabobs are tender, flavorful, and full of middle eastern flavors.
- Want something with an Asian flair? Try these honey ginger shrimp skewers!
Fun food related days in May
There are always a ton of food holidays each month, but I have hand picked just a few for you to enjoy this month:
- May 5th – Cinco de Mayo – If you need help picking something beyond your regular tacos, visit my Latin American recipe section!
- May 9 – National Foodie Day – This might be my new favorite holiday! What will you eat? How can you even pick?!
- May 11th – National “Eat What You Want” Day – I mean, if you didn’t get to eat what you wanted on National Foodie Day, this is the same holiday but take 2. Best. Week. Ever.
- May 24 – National Asparagus Day – If you haven’t yet tried my magic asparagus recipe, you gotta give it a try! Its simple and delicious!
- May 26 – National Blueberry Cheesecake Day – but upgrade it into blueberry lavender cheesecake bars. Your foodie heart will thank you.
Seasonal favorite recipes for May
Here are some more ideas of seasonal recipes to this add to your meal plan this month.
- With all the picnics, bbq’s and graduation parties this month, you definitely need to add Hawaiian macaroni salad to the menu! Its so good, so simple, and is good for days!
- If you need a fancy (but also easy) dessert to make this month, this ruffled milk pie is where its at.
Seasonal foodie activities
- May is a fantastic time to start planting your family’s garden! If you need some pointers on how to do that, read my guide on gardening with kids!
- Learning about food sustainability and how to reduce waste in your kitchen is also impactful this time of year.
Want to make adding variety into your meals this month easy and fun? Try my Foodie Bingo Sheet!
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Download the bingo sheet to make adding variety into your meal plans easy and fun!
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