Or, purchase rotisserie chicken or chicken pieces from a chicken fast-food place, take it home and serve it with a baked potato, frozen vegetables or steamed fresh vegetables of your choice. When you won't be home for dinner, pack yogurt, whole oranges, carrot sticks or whatever your kids like and buy a fast-food sandwich. On the way to or from practice, eat the sandwich served with the foods you packed to balance out the meal.

If you are eating out more than once per week, you must make the effort to balance out your child's meal. Doing so sends a lesson to the kids: you're teaching them how to eat well in a fast-food world -- and you're reminding them every day that their food choices have an impact on their health.