Since snacks make up 42 percent of children's total daily energy intake (1), it's important for parents to make smart snack choices for their kids; but with so many options and so little time, it can be hard to know what foods to choose. In fact, nearly three-fourths of moms wish there were healthier snack options to serve their children (2).

Here are some helpful ways that kids can experience "snack satisfaction" soon after dropping their backpacks at the front door.

- Better snacks are within reach. Keep healthy drinks like bottled water, milk or orange juice on a reachable refrigerator shelf so they are the first things that kids grab.

- Back-to-school bites. Smart, convenient snacks such as Bagel Bites, mini-bagels with 100 percent real cheese and pizza toppings, are sure to please the pickiest of eaters. Even better, they are baked -- not fried -- and contain zero grams of trans fats per serving. Bagel Bites paired with either a fruit salad or cut-up veggies make a well-rounded snack that moms can feel good about serving.

- Be silly! Show kids that healthy snacks are not only good for them but fun and great tasting, too. Create a "funny-face plate" made of better-for-you snacks, using grapes for eyes, cottage cheese for hair, a carrot nose and a watermelon rind for the smile.

- Do the dip. Encourage kids to add a little more flavor to healthy snacks by dunking their fruit in yogurt, using ranch dressing for veggies or dipping pita bread in hummus.

- Make it "to go." Have fruit and veggies cut and peeled in grab-and-go baggies for kids who need to dine and dash to after-school activities.

- Snack attack. Anticipate snack-attacks by establishing routines for kids' snacks and meals. Most children are happier on a schedule and become hungry at regular times.

- ARA Content

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