I am an utter failure at actually planning meals, so instead I tend to shop for tried and true staples that are easy to fix and nutritious, like chicken, fish, pasta, rice, beans, etc. Then come dinner time I can cook whatever looks good and fits the time constraints. (DH is rarely home in time to cook.)

My answer to the problem you note above of how to accommodate toddler tastebuds and parental boredom at the same time is to sometimes make a sauce for DH and me. So for instance I pan fry chicken breasts for everyone and then make a pan sauce for whoever wants it (ie the parents) to go on the side. Or two bowls of pasta, one with butter, one with sauce. I always make a salad for me but for the kids I serve plain carrots and cucumber or whatever. I figure that way the kids see what we're eating and try it if they like, but aren't tempted to abandon the meal because it has one icky element.