From spring sports practice to after-school study sessions, serving up nutritious lunches and snacks is an easy start for heading down a successful path.

If the busy pace of the season has you worried about making time to prepare lunches and snacks, you’ll be relieved to know that not all “fast” food is junk food. In fact, there are many ways to prepare delicious, ready-in-minutes lunches and on-the-go snacks that the whole family will love.

When it comes to planning a quick meal, keep these simple tips from the USDA’s MyPlate initiative in mind:

• Make half of each meal fruits and veggies, and choose a rainbow of colors for a wide range of nutritional benefits.
• Bread, pasta, oatmeal and cereal are all examples of grains; make at least half of your grains whole grains for better nutrition.
• Choose lean proteins, which include meats, poultry and seafood. Eggs, beans, peas and nuts also help you add more of the benefits of proteins into your diet.
• Opt for dairy options that are made with 100 percent milk.

Help keep your kids’ big dreams on track with these smart snacking tips from Chris Mohr, Ph.D. and registered dietitian:

• Snack with quality in mind. With close to a quarter of all calories coming from snacks each day, it’s important for snacks to provide quality nutrients to act as a “bridge” between meals, giving you the energy to power through the day.
• Pair kid-friendly items from different food groups for winning flavor combinations. A medley of fresh berries along with bite-size pieces of cheese make for a naturally nutritious snack. For example, Mini Babybel cheese delivers 4-6 grams of protein plus 15 percent of your daily calcium needs.
• Eating protein frequently seems to be more important than how much you eat. That means each meal and snack should include a bit of protein to fill you up.

Column courtesy of Family Features and MiniBabybel.com.