Vegetable and fruits are our true “fast foods.” Man-made fast foods should be avoided like the plague! In fact, I do not even consider them “foods.” Not only can they make you fat, but a new study links them to severe asthma, hay fever and eczema. Researchers studied more than 500,000 kids in more than 50 countries. What they found should not be surprising: kids who eat fast food three times or more per week had approximately 30 percent increased risk in the severity of asthma, hay fever and eczema. The study was published in the journal Thorax.

Instead of frequenting the drive thru window, plan ahead by packing homemade sandwiches, sliced vegetables and some fruit. Your prep. time will be less than 10 minutes, and your children will be a whole lot healthier! I send my girls to sport practice with a container of freshly cut vegetables (e.g. bell peppers, carrots, jicama, sugar snap peas, etc.) to eat on the way home. They are usually ravenous and thirsty, so the fresh vegetables hit the spot. (The best time to offer vegetables is when your children are hungry!) Remember to aim for at least five to seven servings of vegetables every day.

Until next time, make every bite count!