When you’re at home all day, everyday, the lure of the snack cupboard is real. I’ve noticed an uptick in snacking in my own house and have heard plenty of friends say they’re snacking more, too. It’s understandable given the stress, boredom, and ready availability of food at all hours of the day. That said, too much snacking can interfere with healthy eating at meal time and add up to more calories in than out. Below are a few tips and recipes that may help you and your family snack a bit better:

Schedule snack time. Setting a specific time for snack may keep you from opening the fridge every time you walk by the kitchen. It can also be helpful for kids, who may be pestering you all day for something to eat. You can remind them, “snack time is at 10:30, so we will have something yummy then”.
Prep snacking fruits and veggies. Have a generous container of cut up crunchy vegetables or sliced fruit right at eye level in the fridge. This will help you and your kids make healthy choices.
Keep portions in check. Rather than sitting down with a whole bag of pretzels, put a portion in a bowl and stash the big bag away. You can also pre-portion things like trail mix, nuts, and crackers into small containers or wax paper bags and keep them stashed in the cupboard.
Make snacks special. If you have something to look forward to, it may help your resolve to hold off until snack time. Below are 12 snacks worth waiting for.