Five tips to make snack time easier for moms and kids

What's the first thing kids are looking for when they get home from school? More times than not, it's a snack - and a recent survey shows that moms are more than happy to oblige their children; 90 percent of them think it's important to give their kids a snack between lunch and dinner. However, finding something that is easy to make and can be eaten on the go is also important. Here are a few tips for moms trying to find the perfect snack for the occasion:

* Simplicity is super. More than 60 percent of moms from a survey conducted on behalf of Totino's Pizza Stuffers say they are too busy either preparing dinner or finishing work to give their kids an after-school snack. Pick something that's easy to make, or that your kids can make themselves. Totino's Pizza Stuffers, for example, are easy to cook and ready in about a minute. Ease of making the snack rated as the most important quality to those surveyed. Check out www.Totinos.com for more information.

* Small but satisfying portions. The tricky part of the after-school snack, as all parents know, is making sure kids don't fill up too much so they still have room for dinner. Pick a snack that will give them energy for the afternoon - whether it's for doing homework, competing in sports or participating in after school activities - but not too filling that they won't want dinner later.

* Portability is key. With almost 80 percent of middle or high school students taking part in after-school activities, according to a PublicAgenda.org survey, oftentimes snacks are eaten on the run. Preparing a portable snack for those on-the-go moments can keep your kids nourished and keep you out of the drive-thru.

* Avoid another mess. You probably clean up so much at your house that a major cleaning after a small snack is something you want to avoid; 75 percent of moms surveyed would agree with you. In fact, one in five moms surveyed say they don't serve their kids their favorite snacks because they are too messy. Pick something that's not too messy, because you'd rather have fun - or do almost anything else - than be stuck cleaning up.

* Pick your battles. With all the other times you and your kids will butt heads - over what clothes they can wear, how much they can use the phone or making sure they get their homework done - snacking is one area you can give a little. Finding a snack that combines all of the above criteria, and one kids like to eat, is a win-win for everyone.