The scene is played out almost daily in American homes: kids bound through the door after school, toss their  backpacks aside, and engage in all-out wars on the munchies.

So how would you ensure your kids are snacking in healthy ways – especially if you’re still at work?

For many kids, lunch at school rolls around pretty early—sometimes 11:30 a.m. or before—and then they endure an afternoon of classes before trouping off to an after-school activity. No wonder they’re starving by the time they get home, especially if you’ve taught them to avoid vending machines like a school bully.

"Kids are going to eat snacks no matter what," says Liz Weiss, a registered dietitian, mother to 8-year-old and 11-year-old boys, and author of The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!  "In fact, a new study shows children between the ages of 6 and 13 snack on average 840 times a year, nearly two and a half snacks a day.”

Supplying needed nutrients

In fact, nutritionists like Weiss say that snacks can actually supply needed nutrients that children may miss in their meals at school, especially if they patronize unhealthy vending-machine snacks over ostensibly healthier fare in the cafeterias.

Nubella registered dietitian Theresa Stahl suggests stocking your refrigerator and cabinets with ready-to-go yogurt, cottage cheese, lean deli meats, fruit juice, milk, washed ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, animal crackers, popcorn, and cereal. Keep healthy choices handy, such as a bowl of fresh fruit, on the counter.

“Your child will appreciate the convenience of grabbing a quick healthy snack as a way to re-fuel,” she says.

Have your children eat snacks at least two hours before meals, so they will be hungry at suppertime, Stahl adds. 

What’s more, here are some snack suggestions from the American Dietetic Association, which includes professionals like Stahl, to ensure your kids get plenty of protein and carbohydrates:

• Peanut butter and sliced apples on whole-wheat bread;
 
• Oatmeal with skim milk and a tablespoon or two of peanut butter:

• One-half of whole-wheat English muffin topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and heated in the microwave.

Great variety of nutrients

And for the greatest variety of nutrients, try to incorporate whole grains, fruits, vegetables or beans into your kids’ snack-eating plan. Some ideas include a:

•  Bean burrito;

•  Cheese quesadilla with salsa and lettuce;

•  Yogurt and fruit smoothie with graham crackers;

•  Bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with sliced fruit and milk;

•  Small salad with sliced deli meat, tuna or beans;

•  Fruit, cheese and whole-grain crackers.

What's more, here are 10 super snack ideas you can try on your children.

But if you’re like Weiss, you love to fire up the imagination for creating delicious meals. Try her nifty snack makeover tips.

Check these out!

•  Nubella's 6,000-plus Recipe Database and Healthy Cooking Center—find a treasure of snack ideas.

•  Nubella's Recipe Message Board—share your secrets and get tips about creating healthy snacks for your kids.

•  Nutrition’s Role in School Success—Nubella registered dietitian Theresa Stahl in Nubella’s popular health, nutrition, fitness, and recipe e-newsletters

•  Watch the Weight of Your 'Tween' Girl

•  Good Family Nutrition: It Can Be an Uphill Battle—from Nubella's popular health, nutrition, fitness, and recipe e-newsletters.