What parent hasn’t heard the words — often said multiple times in a day, in an urgent tone of voice — “I’m huunnngry … can I have a snack?” Keeping those little bellies satisfied can start to seem like a full-time job. It’s no wonder parents often resort to processed foods like energy bars, pretzels and juice boxes to tide kids over. The downside: Many of these standbys contain little more than empty calories. For some bright ideas on how to upgrade snack time, we asked top nutritionists — all moms themselves — for their favorite healthy alternatives. Happily, none of these tasty bites create a pile of dishes, and many can be whipped up by the kiddos themselves.

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