It's the middle of the afternoon and those tummy rumblings are starting. Dinner is a long way off. You have three choices. Either you can grab a quick, but fattening snack, reach for a healthy and satisfying snack, or skip between meal eating altogether. What is the best choice? Well, naturally the healthy snack. But what does that mean and how can you accomplish this? Kim Alexis makes it simple.

First, remember that snacking is actually important. Don't be fooled into thinking that snacking is wrong. It can be a great way to get the daily food pyramid requirements. What better way to get those 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, 2 to 4 servings of fruit, and 6 servings of bread and grain, says Alexis.

Second, snacking can be beneficial if the principle of substitution is followed. Instead of reaching for that donut or chips and other foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, make healthful foods easy to find and eat. Have plenty of fresh fruit and cut up vegetables in the refrigerator. Dried fruit, nuts, and low salt, low fat popcorn are all good choices.

If bread and jam is a favorite, choose only 100 percent whole grain bread and all fruit jelly that has no added sugar. Cereal can also be a great snack. Just remember to pick the whole grain, low sugar variety.

If this sounds unappetizing on a daily basis, don't get discouraged. You can indulge in a fattening snack every now and then, adds Alexis.

Third, if you have children, teach them good eating practices by modeling good snacking behaviors. Set the rules on what and when your kids eat. In this way, children will make good food choices outside the home when away at school or even later in life.

So go ahead and snack. Just remember to follow these simple rules.

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