So, all of this talk about what nutrients to get, how much of everything you should eat, and how to stay healthy—and you’re still not sure how to get it all done every day? Don’t stress, that’s what snacking is for. Today, snacking doesn’t have to be a bad thing. That means that the snacks you’re used to, like cookies, chips and candy, are totally out of fashion. In order to get all of the servings of fruits and veggies that the pyramid says, use snack-time to catch up. Carrot sticks, apple pieces, grapes, cherry tomatoes … the list of healthy vegetable and fruit snacks goes on and on. Remember all that business about balancing your meal times? Well, this goes for snacks, too. If you had a fairly nutrient-less lunch, use late-afternoon snacks to compensate with some nutrient-rich choices. Also, remember that teens who are growing need the extra calories, so snacking is ok. Keep snacks on hand that have complex carbohydrates like wheat crackers, graham crackers and healthier cereals. Proteins rich snacks like hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and nuts are also great alternatives. Steer clear of those sugar-laced quick snacks because they will only drain your energy and make you feel tired. The best way to determine the sugar level of snacks is to read the labels on the containers. Look for words like “all natural,” “whole,” and “pure,” and watch out for “fructose,” “sucrose,” “dextrose,” “maltose” and “cane syrup” in the ingredient lists—those are just fancy words for sugar.

If you think that healthy snacking isn’t as convenient as fast, less healthy choices, think again. The list below proves that there are convenient, easy, healthy (and delicious) snacks.

Yogurt with granola
Cottage cheese and honeydew melon
Low-fat cheese
Fruit juice ice cubes
Watermelon
Frozen grapes
Oat bran or whole wheat pretzels
Nut and dried fruit mix
Baked tortilla chips and salsa with low-fat cheese melted on top
Apple sauce cups
Air-popped pop corn
English muffin pizzas
Hummus on whole wheat pita bread
Cucumber slices
Grape tomatoes
Instant soup