It’s that time of year again: back to school time. As a parent, you’re going to be just as busy as your kids. Between shuttling them to after-school activities and helping with homework, it’s hard to find the time to prepare a healthy school lunch too. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with enough back-to-school lunch ideas for an entire week.

Here are 5 healthy, back-to-school lunch ideas:

1. Sandwich bento box

Your kids are probably just as sick of eating bagged lunches as you are of making them. To help you both freshen up your lunch menu for the school year ahead, try this new take on the brown-bagged lunch: the sandwich bento box.

First, start by organizing your kids’ lunch in a divided tupperware instead of a bunch of different Ziploc bags. The little compartments are a great way to keep track of portion sizes, and the tupperware can be washed and re-used to cut back on waste.

To build a mock “bento box,” fill up the tupperware with a sandwich, cheese and crackers, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

2. Pasta and salad

For kids who aren’t into sandwiches, try something a little less traditional, like pasta and a bit of salad. Salad may not be every child’s favorite, but, if you can get them to eat it, it’s a great way to give them their daily dose of greens.

When you pack up your child’s lunchbox, keep the salad dressing in a separate container so that they can pour it on during lunchtime to prevent soggy salad. For a side snack, add a cup of fruit (like watermelon cubes or a clementine) and something with a little crunch, like Goldfish or chips.

3. Breakfast for lunch

If your son or daughter’s favorite meal of the day is breakfast, then why not give it to them two times a day? For a breakfast-themed school lunch, pack a sliced, hard-boiled egg with a side of mini waffles. (Include messy syrup at your own discretion!) Then, to add a bit of color and some healthy flavor, finish the meal with a side of fresh fruit and vegetables. For breakfast-inspired choice, a handful of blueberries is a staple, and a cup of sliced, raw, sweet bell peppers makes a great match for the hard-boiled egg.

4. Chips and salsa

If your child is more of an adventurous eater, try packing a school lunch with a little fiesta flair.

Instead of a sandwich, pack a tupperware with bean chili salsa and a side of chips. Kids will find this more fun to eat than a basic sandwich, and they won’t even notice that that bean chili they’re enjoying is full of a rainbow of vegetables. To complement the chili, include a cup of fresh melon cubes (their sweetness goes great with the spicy) and a stick of cheddar cheese.

5. Pizza Fridays

At the end of a busy week, the last thing you want to do is make yet another school lunch. Plus, after a week of sandwiches and salads, the well of healthy lunch ideas may be running dry. Fortunately, there’s an easy answer: leftover pizza.

If you treat yourself to a pizza the night before (bonus: no cooking Thursday night), then you’ll have the makings for a perfect lunch come Friday.

Not convinced that pizza can be a healthy lunch for your child to take to school? It is when you get it from Providence Coal-Fired Pizza. Try one of our specialty pizzas and you’ll combine fresh flavors with good-for-you vegetables, like roasted peppers, spinach, onions, or mushrooms.

Planning back-to-school lunch is not the most fun way to spend your last few days of summer. But, with these healthy, back-to-school lunch ideas, you don’t have to!

To send your child off to school with a lunch that’s both delicious and healthy, include a vegetable specialty pizza from PCFP.

Browse the full menu here, then call and order for a pick-up or delivery. Visit PCFP to see more.