Here's a pop quiz: What kinds of food can kids with cystic
fibrosis (say: sis-tik fy-bro-sus) eat? mac 'n cheese all of the
above If you picked #5, you're right! Kids with cystic fibrosis
(CF) can eat all of these foods — and they usually need to eat
more of them than most kids do. We'll explain why in a minute,
but first let's look at what CF is. CF is a disease that affects
epithelial (say: eh-puh-thee-lee-ul) cells, which are found in
lots of places in the body, like the lungs and the digestive
system. Problems in these cells can upset the balance of salt
and water in the body. This causes the body to make abnormally
thick mucus (like the kind in your nose when you have a really
bad cold), which can clog up the lungs and make if hard for kids
with CF to breathe. This problem can also affect the digestive
system and block the body from getting the good stuff from food
it needs, like fats and vitamins. This means kids with CF may be
short for their age and not weigh enough. Kids with CF may get
sick a lot mo