5 Quick & Easy Back-to-School Dinners Your Kids Will Actually Want to Eat

These back-to-school dinners are quick, healthy and super simple to make — the kids can even help with some of them. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite back-to-school recipes that tick all the boxes for weeknight meals kids actually love. These recipes are geared towards making those first crazy weeks back in the classroom a little bit easier and more comforting, while staying super healthy.

1. Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Chicken parm is a classic family favorite, but it’s often not a quick or easy dinner — and it’s also often fried and overloaded with cheese. Enter this faster, healthier version. Whether you bake it or pop it in the air fryer (which makes it extra crispy), this dish contains a modest ounce of cheese per serving. We’d pair this with a side of wilted baby spinach with sliced garlic.

2. Healthy Mac and Cheese

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This mac and cheese has a few good healthy swaps going for it: it’s loaded with spinach and broccoli, it’s not overwhelmed by cheese, and it calls for whole wheat pasta, but you can certainly swap for gluten-free pasta if a member of your family has a sensitivity, or chickpea pasta for some extra protein.

3. Instant Pot Minestrone

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This easy, vegetable-packed dinner is perfect for those nights when it actually starts to feel like fall. It cooks in the Instant Pot, and it’s ready in a jiffy while you make a green salad. Bonus: The recipe also contains stovetop and slow cooker adaptations.

4. Easy Vegetarian Tacos

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Everyone loves taco night. In less than 30 minutes, these tacos, which are loaded with fiber-rich black beans, Southwestern spices, and creamy avocado, will be on the table. Serve with brown rice and count day one of your easy dinners rotation a success.

5. Rainbow Pita Pizzas

Image credit: Healthy Little Foodies

Easy fun, and the kids can make their own combinations: D-I-Y pizzas from pita bread. Top them with a rainbow of vegetables for a fun and healthy presentation — or just use your favorite standbys. This one is an especially fast, easy dinner kids love.