As many a parent will attest, child-rearing often comes down to choosing your battles. That certainly holds true in the kitchen. So, while you wouldn't dream of banning frozen treats, you feel justified putting the kibosh on the ones containing red No. 3 and other wacky ingredients. One way to minimize the food dyes and unpronounceables is to remake your kids' favorite snacks from scratch.

"A lot of processed, pre-made products are loaded with unnecessary stuff and super-high in sodium," says Cricket Azima, founder of the Creative Kitchen, a company aimed at promoting culinary skills among children.

Looking to sneak a little disodium inosinate into your kids' diets? Neither are we. Which is why we love Azima's snack mix recipe, in place of Chex Mix, which contains the aforementioned additive, among several others.

MUNCHIE MIX

1 cup dried apples

1 cup dried bananas

1 cup dried strawberries

1 cup minipretzels

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup cereal (Cheerios work well)

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.

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