Are you snacking right—or are your snacks doing you wrong when it comes to good nutrition?

A smart snack is nutrient-rich, portion-controlled and built right into your eating plan—not an extra, unplanned treat.

With a little know-how, it's a snap to smarten up your snacking routine. Try these snack-right strategies:

Maximize snack nutrition. Build a nutritious snack from one or more MyPyramid food groups with selections like these:

• Grains: High-fiber cereal, cereal bars, breads, muffins and crackers.
• Fruits: Fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits; 100% fruit juice.
• Vegetables: Fresh, frozen, canned and dried vegetables; 100% vegetable juice.
• Dairy: Low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Meat & Beans: Lean meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Study the serving size. Check the Nutrition Facts panel on food and beverage packages for the serving size and number of calories per serving in favorite snacks. A serving might be smaller than you think—an especially important fact for snacking on occasional treats such as chips or candy.

• Nutritious pick tip: While you're at it, check the Nutrition Facts panel for snacks that are good (10%-19% DV) or excellent (20% DV or more) sources of nutrients like fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium or iron.

Plan portions. Put your serving on a plate instead of eating out of the package. Buy single-serve snack packs or package your own single-size servings into small re-sealable bags.

Prepare to snack! Stash nutritious shelf-stable snacks in your car or bag, or at your desk so they're ready and waiting when a snack attack strikes.

Showcase smart snacks. Put options like fat-free yogurt and cut-up fruits and veggies front-and-center in the fridge. Keep high-fiber crackers and cereals in plain view in the kitchen cupboard.

And now, a batch of great snack ideas

The easy and nutritious snacks below range from about 100 to 200 calories each. The suggested amounts are good for many adults. Very active people may need bigger servings and little kids may need smaller ones.

• 1 Kellogg's® Nutri-Grain® cereal bar
• 1 medium apple and 1 low-fat cheese stick
• 1 serving of Kellogg's® Special K® cereal with ½-cup of fat-free milk
• 1 cup of chunky vegetable soup
• 1 cup of baby carrots and pepper strips with ¼-cup of hummus
• 10 Kellogg's® All-Bran® crackers with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• ¼-cup mixed walnuts and raisins
• 1 large banana
• 1 pouch of Sunshine® 100 Calorie Right Bites™ Cheez-It® crackers
• ½-cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt mixed with ½-cup of blueberries and 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 toasted small whole-wheat bagel half spread with ¼-cup low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 pouch of Keebler® 100 Calorie Right Bites™ Chips Deluxe® Chocolate Chip cookies with 1 cup of fat-free milk