You probably already snack, but when you eat like food matters, snacks take on a different meaning, because you can eat them without guilt. This means you don’t have to worry quite so much about getting completely full at meals, as long as you remember to have snack food available.

For me, the basic snack is an apple (and what I’ve found is that whenever I do keep apples around, I actually do eat one—or more—a day), a banana, or any other piece of fruit; a handful (or more) of nuts or seeds; some trail mix—in short, something I can grab on the way out the door. Most of these recipes are just a little more formal, and most of them can serve not only as snacks but as appetizers and even first courses.

There is a wide range of food here. At the most basic, there is popcorn and homemade Pita Triangles or Tortilla Chips. Just a little more challenging are bean and vegetables purees, which have become standbys in my kitchen (those pita or tortilla chips accompany them perfectly). Pinzomonio is definitely a step up from crudités. As for handheld snacks, you’ll feel no guilt about sending kids out the door with Fruit and Cereal Bites—a kind of homemade power bar without the unnecessary ingredients (you’ll eat it, too). And no one will be able to resist the (baked) Root Vegetable Chips.