If you're like most people, you are extremely busy with all daily activities and life demands. Finding time to eat well becomes challenging. Between all the parties, lwork solitudes, family chores and late TV nights, the last thing you worry about is where the energy for all these activities would come from. At least not until you get hungry - then you'll gorge everything in sight. Snacks come in three forms: fat, sugar, or a combination of both; unless you plan ahead. Just keep the following energy-sustaining snacks handy to keep a constant flow of nutrients necessary for extended brain functioning.

These snacks have a good combination of nutrients, mouth-watering taste and will keep you satisfied while sustaining the needed energy level. Easy to buy, easy to use, easy to carry.

1. Yogurt

Yogurt has been a popular healthy snack for a long time. It has survived almost every imaginable color, flavor, texture, and consistency, and for a good reason. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with a smooth ice-cream-like creamy delicacy full of protein, calcium and good bacteria for digestive health, but low in calories and fat. It is also known for boosting the immune system, a much-needed addition this time of the year. Can't find a spoon? Great news here - the new packaging of yogurt-delivery system is now available. Just snip off one end of the plastic tube and squeeze out the yogurt. One tube of Yoplait Expresse strawberry has 70 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 10 percent of your daily calcium.

2. Nuts

High-energy power snacks have scared dieters away. Nuts that top that list are now gaining more respect than ever. In addition to providing some protein, nuts contain beneficial monounsaturated fats that can protect your brain, nerves, joints and heart, and may even aid dieters. One handful of nuts will curb the appetite and minimizes feelings of hunger and deprivation. Vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting phytochemicals found in nuts have been shown to help maintain normal blood pressure and shield against cancer and heart disease. A constant slow energy release from nuts will come with about 150 calories and 5 grams of protein that will last you longer than you expect.

3. Apples

Apples come in many varieties and they are one of the most popular easy-grabs for students on-the-run. Convenient and readily available, apples will give you a boosting energy of a candy bar replacing sugar and fat with heart-healthy fiber, potassium and vitamin C to keep the doctor away. Phytochemicals in apples act as antioxidants against "bad" cholesterol and may help prevent cancer. There is no better choice for a brain-food than a piece of fruit. Juicy and crunchy, medium apple contains 80 calories with 4 grams of fiber.

4. Chips

Chips have worked hard to earn their celebrity status in the fat and salt community. Now they are working even harder to be among the elite healthy foods. With all kinds of great new flavors, potato, corn and tortilla chips are getting baked. Saving you scads of fat calories, these hard-to-resist bowlfuls of chips give you a crunchy alternative to their fried parents. Delivering carbohydrates to fuel thinking activities and fiber for satiety and digestion, baked chips are a handy flavorful snack worth of about 150 calories per ounce.

And the last bit of advice - Enjoy your food! Chew slowly and savor the mouth sensations, aromas, and tastes. You'll find you're fuller and more satisfied when you take the time to enjoy your food instead of rushing through your meals. People lose track of what they're consuming when they eat too quickly. That can result in eating more than you really need.