Summer is coming to a close. While many kids might be crying as they say goodbye to sleeping in and regular trips to the pool, parents are likely craving the school routine. With the return of a predictable schedule, this is a great time for the whole family to get back to healthy eating. Here are three tips and eight recipes to kick off a delicious and nutritious plant-based school year.

Tip 1: Get the Kids Involved

Kids are often more resistant to making healthy food choices when they feel uninvolved in the decision-making process. Like adults, kids generally don’t want to be told what to do, but they also require some guidance. Given free rein, they are likely to pile on the junk food. Find a middle ground by letting them choose between healthy options. Here are a couple ideas to help you get started:

• Breakfast Oatmeal – let kids choose the toppings for their oatmeal. Offer a variety of healthy options, like diced peaches, berries, sliced bananas, chopped dates, toasted walnuts, and chopped pecans.
• Lunch Sandwiches– kids can choose between many fillings for their sandwiches. They can even prepare certain fillings themselves! Hummus, tahini, avocado, and almond butter can all be used as spreads. Other fillings include sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, shredded carrots, leftover sautéed veggies, roasted peppers, baby spinach, grilled mushrooms, and sliced apples and pears. Different types of healthy breads and wraps offer additional variety. Try sprouted English muffins with peanut butter (or, for a nut-free option, sunflower butter) and sliced apples for an afternoon snack. Whole wheat pita pockets stuffed with hummus and fresh veggies make a tasty, satisfying lunch.

Use these recipes to get started, but feel free to experiment to create your own variations:

Banana Bread Oatmeal

This quick oatmeal combines the flavors of banana bread for a naturally-sweet start to your day.

Blueberry Overnight Oats

This easy breakfast recipe is perfect for quick mornings.

Oil-Free Hummus Spread

You can use this hummus inside a pita with any of your kid’s favorite sandwich fillings.

Banana Pinwheels

This simple kid-friendly snack is very portable.

Tip 2: Swap Junk Food for Homemade Food

Junk food can be incredibly enticing. Whether it’s in the vending machines at school, the nearby convenience store, or just the pantry at a friend’s house, the temptation to eat these foods is everywhere. Rather than trying to fight candy bars with carrot sticks, make healthier versions of their favorite treats. These recipes use whole ingredients, limiting the amount of refined sugars and oils.

Pumpkin Pecan Oat Cookies

This easy recipe avoids refined sugar or syrup with the natural sweetness of bananas.

Vegan Blueberry Loaded Muffins

These adorable muffins are so moist, soft, and stuffed full of sweet blueberries.

Tip 3: Meal Plan

When schedules get hectic, food choices often tend toward whatever is most convenient. This is why it’s so important to learn how to meal plan. It’s much quicker and easier to grab a drink pouch or a bag of chips than to make a smoothie or bake sweet potato wedges. Planning ahead with a few easy tricks can help you fight hunger emergencies:

• Double-Up Dinner Portions aka “Batch Cooking” – you can freeze extra portions for future meals or enjoy the leftovers as a quick, healthy snack the next day. I love doing this with pasta and grain salads, as they often taste even better the next day.
• Pack it Ahead – to compete with grab-and-go snack packs, prepack a few days worth of healthy snacks in single-portion containers. Something as simple as cut watermelon or walnuts with grapes is much more appealing if it’s already prepped to toss right in the lunchbox.

These healthy recipes make great leftovers:

Easy Wild Rice Pilaf

This healthy wild rice pilaf features a colorful blend of whole grain rice.

Rosemary and Garlic Baked Butternut Squash Pasta

This healthy pasta recipe can be served with raw veggies or a simple salad.