Easy, nutritious ideas to tide kids over till dinnertime:

• Unsweetened applesauce
• Dehydrated fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, peas, corn, bananas, apples, mangoes, vegetable blends)
• Rice cakes topped with light vegetable cream cheese
• Low-fat granola with low-fat milk (see NQ Recipes, make your own)
• Toasted whole wheat pita triangles with light herbed cheese (such as The Laughing Cow)
• Cucumber boats filled with part-skim ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese
• Dried figs stuffed with light strawberry cream cheese
• Watermelon wedges dipped in low-fat vanilla yogurt
• Baked corn chips with fat-free black bean dip or warmed vegetarian refried beans
• Carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, celery sticks and zucchini sticks dipped in hummus
• Sliced apples with cubed cheddar cheese
• Cubed cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon
• Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapple, apricots, blueberries) mixed with nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts)
• Whole wheat pretzel sticks dipped in nut butter
• Graham cracker sandwiches made with hazelnut spread
• Whole grain, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk (see NQ Recipes)
• Guacamole with baked tortilla chips