They are like locusts -- they move in, eat everything and go, leaving behind only stems, seeds and other debris. They are teenage boys and they are home for the summer.

Feeding teens is different from feeding younger children. And feeding teen boys is different from feeding teen girls. Just ask Ann Meyers, pediatric clinical dietician with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and mother of three.

"I know from my own three children that my daughter will make very different choices than my boys," she says. Knowing and understanding what your teens want and need to eat, particularly between regular meals, will help them make healthier choices and still be happy and well-fed.

According to Ms. Meyers, a recent study on adolescents' eating behaviors showed that 88 percent of teens snack at least once a day. "We all would have guessed that but what surprised me was that one-third of their energy intake could be from this snack." While we often look at snacking as something that causes an interruption to teen's meals, according to Ms. Meyers, this statistic shows they may need snacks and that we should look at them as a good thing. "Their snacks have a big impact on their health," she says.

The key to them having healthy snacks is having healthy foods available.

Ms. Meyers says that teens need foods that appeal to their tastes and are quick and convenient. "Their choices are more basic than we may realize." It's important to allow them to choose the foods.

"Kids of all ages can go grocery shopping with you. Or at least allow them to put things on your shopping lists. But you make the rules. For example, maybe you can tell them that there is one food that they can put on the list that you can't veto. If you give them more control, that helps them start taking more control of what they eat."

If the "free" food is something like a soft drink, you can still limit the amount. "Again, it is all about offering control. If you allow them to buy Mountain Dew, tell them that when the three cans are gone, it is gone for the week," she says.

And while parents should strive for healthy foods for their teens, it is best to make the changes gradually, she says. "You shouldn't try to tackle healthy eating options all at once. Water is probably the best drink but you can have flavored waters. And you can still buy soda pop, just limit it."

My own two sons, Kenton, 16, and Cole, 13, have very different eating patterns. Kenton prefers to eat all of the time while Cole will have larger meals.

One of Cole's favorite snacks is a quick and easy bowl of cereal. "There are a lot of good cereals out there," says Ms. Meyers, "Many are now made with whole grain and are fortified with vitamins. They are a pretty good snack, especially with milk." And since many teens may shy away from milk, cereal is a good method to "get milk into their systems."

Kenton likes a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and dried fruits, plus pretzels. His brother, on the other hand, will only eat vegetables with dip.

For someone like that, Ms. Meyers suggests making popular spinach dip, even a buffalo chicken dip, or just ranch dressing. "If weight control is important, use low-fat sour cream or yogurt."

Kenton says, "I also like Chex mix -- any kind -- and puppy chow."

Lest one think I feed my children pet food, the puppy chow he refers to is made with peanut butter, chocolate chips and Chex cereals. We hike a lot; he also will mix up his own trail mix of nuts, dried fruits and chocolate -- also a good snack for at home. "I'm always hungry when we are hiking. This is easy," he says.

Since the boys are always hungry, I also like to keep fresh lunch meats and bread on hand for sandwiches.

"I also really like hummus with pita bread," Kenton says. Hummus is made with chick peas, which are high in fiber.

It's a great snack, according to Ms. Meyers. "Hummus is perfect, a healthy dip. You can use pita chips or those new, very thin pretzel chips to dip in it as well."

Parents can cut up vegetables and put them in resealable bags in the refrigerator with dips for quick snacks. Ms. Meyers also recommends caramel dip for apples. "Again, if weight is an issue, make it low fat," she says.

Ms. Meyers also recommends having easy-to-use tools and appliances for teens. "My one son wanted a quesadilla maker. I thought it was 'faddy' but he loves it and uses it all the time. My other son is 15 and wants to bulk up so he makes ice cream drinks in a machine called the Magic Bullet. It makes quick drinks but you could use a blender to make them."

Calorie intake may puzzle some parents. Ms. Meyers offers these guidelines. "If you just want a simple number it is 2,800 calories for teen boys and 2,000 calories for teen girls." However, she cautions, different teens need different calorie levels, depending on not just gender but also their activity and age. It is always best to consult with the child's pediatrician about individual needs.

Celebrity chef and cookbook author George Stella also is a big proponent of healthy choices and control for teens. He is famous for his low-carb method of cooking and he knows firsthand how important it is for teens to be involved. He, his wife, and their two teen (at the time) boys lost more than 500 pounds as a family. "It is all about choices, making the right choices," he says from his home in Kissimmee, Fla.

Like Ms. Meyers, he suggests keeping "fun" and healthy fresh foods, including fruits and vegetables, available for teens so they can grab those foods. "I also like having things in the freezer that they can pull out and pop in the microwave. I keep miniature stuffed meatloaf in the freezer, things like that."

He says his sons became more adventurous eaters when they saw him and his wife doing so.

Ms. Meyers agrees with encouraging experimentation. "Have them try foods from other cultures."

She suggests parents think of themselves as examples. "Track your own eating habits. The secret to healthy eating is having healthy family eating patterns."

PG TESTED

My 16-year-old loves granola and will eat it any time of day or night, sometimes with milk like regular cereal, sometimes dry for a snack. Keep this on hand.

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups raisins or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk in vanilla.

Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand. Spread granola in a 15-by-10-inch baking pan.

Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Transfer granola-filled pan to a rack to cool completely. Stir in raisins or cranberries. Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag. Store at room temperature for one week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Makes 7 cups.

-- cdkitchen.com

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PG TESTED

• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, sliced (any variety will work)
• Homemade or store-bought salsa (Newman's Own recommended)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stack the cheddar slices and cut them into about 24 small pieces. Arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 4 rows of 6, leaving as much space in between them as possible. (We find a silicone mat works perfectly in place of parchment paper and you can reuse it over and over.)

Bake until well-browned and crispy, about 7 to 12 minutes. Rotate the pan half way through for even cooking. If undercooked, crisps will be soggy, so don't be afraid to check them and put them back in for more time, if needed.

Cool the crisps completely before serving. As they cool, they'll crisp up even more. Store on the counter in an airtight container for a few days, if they'll last! Eat them as a snack alone, or they are great dipped in salsa.

-- "Eating Stella Style: Low Carb Recipes for Healthy Living" by George Stella (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

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• 3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• 15-ounce can fat-free refried beans with lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend
• Salsa

In large bowl, combine chicken, green onion, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin and paprika.

Lay 4 tortillas on work surface. Evenly spread beans over each. Divide chicken mixture among tortillas; top with cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat; transfer one tortilla stack to skillet with wide spatula. Cook 5 minutes per tortilla, turning once, until golden and crisp. Repeat with remaining tortilla stacks. Cut into wedges. Serve with salsa.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

-- "Food for Thought from Parents to Children" from the Wheat Foods Council (wheatfoods.org)

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PG TESTED

• 1/2 cup dry brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
• 15-ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 cup tomato salsa
• 4 9-inch whole wheat tortillas, warmed
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted, sliced
• 1 cup Mexican cheese, blend, shredded
• Additional salsa (optional)

Cook 1/2 cup dry brown rice according to package directions or in 2 1/2 cups chicken broth for about 40 minutes.

In medium saucepan or microwaveable bowl, combine beans, rice and salsa. Cook over medium heat or in microwave until hot.

Spoon bean-rice mixture down middle of tortillas. Top with avocado and cheese; roll up. Serve with additional salsa.

Serves 4, 1 tortilla per serving.

-- "Food for Thought from Parents to Children" from the Wheat Foods Council (wheatfoods.org)

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PG TESTED

• 1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips (we use milk)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 8 cups rice, wheat or corn cereal (we like rice or corn)

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate, peanut butter and butter in a bowl, about one minute. Watch carefully so the chocolate does not burn. When melted, add vanilla and pour on top of the cereal in a large bowl. Stir until cereal is covered with the mixture.

Pour the powdered sugar into a gallon-size resealable bag and then put the cereal in, seal and shake until the cereal is covered with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or in refrigerator.

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PG TESTED

• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup no-sugar-added soy milk
• 1/4 cup artificial sweetener, Splenda recommended (may use honey)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (no sugar added)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Options: Use 1 cup of strawberries and omit the other berries for a smoothie that tastes just like a strawberry milkshake. If the berries are sweet, you can omit the sugar substitute or honey.

-- "Eating Stella Style: Low Carb Recipes for Healthy Living" by George Stella (Simon & Schuster, 2006)