As parents, we all know how hard it is to get kids to eat right. And it's especially difficult at back-to-school time, when car pools, day care and soccer practice leave little time for planning meals and snacks. But there is a way to wean your child off a cheese-puff-and-soda-pop diet: by serving quick, healthy dishes that are also fun to make and eat.

Marie Kots, a dietitian at Advocate's South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, says one of the easiest ways to get children to eat right is by involving them in the preparation. "Children are more likely to eat the food in front of them if they've helped it onto the plate," Kots notes.

If your children are old enough, have them help you prepare lunch or a snack. Explaining how each ingredient helps them grow also will get them excited about cleaning up their plates, says Kots. Another way is by creating fun names for nutritious dishes. With a little imagination, plain old peanut butter and raisins on celery, for example, can be transformed into "ants on a log." Challenge your children to come up with funny names for healthy foods.

If a busy schedule keeps you from cooking with your kids on a daily basis, set aside some time on less hectic days and have your kids help you with recipes that you can prepare ahead of time and serve later. For those between-meal times when you need to come up with a snack in a hurry, Kots recommends trying these:

• Jazz up yogurt by throwing in granola and raisins.
• Mix pineapple chunks and Mandarin oranges and top with a few mini-marshmallows.
• Turn a boring plate into a happy face with sliced fresh vegetables or fruit.
• Mash a banana in a bowl. Add applesauce and plain low-fat yogurt for instant banana pudding.
• Mix raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, coconut and carob chips for a high-energy snack.

If it's a quick lunch idea you need, try the recipes on this page. The "honey bunnies" can be taken along on picnics, or thrown in a backpack or lunchbox.