How many strings are on a ukulele? Where did Robin Hood live? What does the word “Madonna” mean in Italian?

These are just a few of the questions posed by Pop-Tarts’ new Trivial Pursuit Toaster Pastries. Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., uses break-through ink-jet technology to place characters, facts, questions and answers on its perennial favorite, the strawberry Pop-Tart. Each 12-count box features one of 200 questions and answers from the iconic Trivial Pursuit For Kids board game by Hasbro. Categories include Music, Movies & More, All About Nature, Fun & Games, Today & Tomorrow, Whatever and Yesterday. (FYI: There are four strings on a ukulele, Robin Hood lives in Sherwood Forest, and Madonna is Italian for “my lady.”)

Children and parents interested in healthy eating can turn to a kids’ version of the Food Guide Pyramid, located at www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html. There, the United States Department of Agriculture explains what children ages 6 to 11 should be eating. It also features an interactive MyPyramid Blast Off computer game and printable posters of the food pyramid for kids to follow.

The Food Guide Pyramid for Kids also can be found at www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html. This URL explains the color-coded Food Guide Pyramid — orange is grains, green is vegetables, red is fruits, yellow is fats and oils, blue is milk and dairy products, and purple is meat, beans, fish and nuts. It also provides examples of what different ages should eat to meet nutritional requirements. For example, 4- to 8-years-olds need 1     cups of veggies a day, and 9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of vegetables a day. In addition, the site offers a glossary of medical terms, games and other tips for staying healthy, “dealing with feelings” and growing up.

Kids ages 9 to 12 now can learn more than they ever wanted to know about wheat and grain-based foods from a new section of the Wheat Foods Council’s Web site, www.WheatFoods.org. There, animated characters Emily Farmer, Casey the Combine and a strand of wheat named Wally interact with computer users. The colorful site offers wheat facts (such as where the six wheat varieties originated and how flour is milled), fun recipes, games, a pop quiz and links to other sites.

“Grains are an important part of children’s diets, and their journey from the farm to the table makes for an interesting and educational story,” said Marcia Scheideman, president of the WFC, in a release. “With childhood obesity on the rise, we believe that it is important to educate kids about the foods they eat, enabling them to make healthy, informed meal and snack choices.”

Today’s “after-school snacks” go beyond mere milk and cookies. Products of all flavors, portions and nutritional profiles now compete for attention from kids, as well as their parents. In this section, we check out the latest items for young snackers, including healthful and organic offerings. With nationwide concern over childhood obesity at an all-time high, America needs to examine just what kids are, could and should be eating … before, during and after that final school bell rings.