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Health & Fitness

Partnering with "A Balanced Bite, Bully Buster OC provides a Bully Proof Menu : Make exercise a food group!

Good nutrition is the bedrock to being "bully proof" because healthy eating stabilizes children's energy, sharpens their minds, evens out their moods, and makes them less targets to bullies.

I believe that that good nutrition is the bedrock to being “bully proof” because healthy eating stabilizes children’s energy, sharpens their minds, evens out their moods, and makes them less targets to bullies. As such, my organization, Bully Buster OC, founded to spread solutions to Bullying issues, has partnered with a local health expert Cynthia Mckee of A Balanced Bite, to help parents learn how to help their kids become bully proof through learning healthy eating habits. Mckee comments that “Children growing up today are faced with challenges that parents may not realize and certainly may not relate to,” adding that “One way to support your child is through a consistent balanced diet.” 

According to the US Government Center for Disease and Control Prevention, most U.S. youth do not meet the recommendations for eating fruits and vegetables or whole grains, and eat more than the recommended maximum daily intake of sodium. 

I always make sure to include health awareness and nutrition into my Bully Buster Workshops, teaching parents eating tips and healthy alternatives empowering them to break unhealthy patterns.  If asked to give just one tip for parents, it is encouraging the concept of adding physical activity to their child’s daily diet, just as they would ensure to add fruit or veggies.

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The Bully Buster Menu is a way to think about making healthy choices, as opposed to a strict menu with things you can or cannot eat. It is focused on education about how to choose nutritionally dense, low calorie meals and snack ideas, giving parents easy and practical meal solutions that will help to “bully proof” their child’s diet. For example, Mckee suggests that parents should designate a time every week to prepare healthy, ready to grab snacks, showing their child the importance of eating healthy and confirming their children are worth the time it takes to do so. Here is a taste of some choices derived from the Bully Buster Menu so parents can start promoting healthier eating now:

A Bully Buster Breakfast: Top a bowl of old fashion oatmeal with a smiley face: banana slices for eyes, raisins for nose, peach or apple slice for mouth, and sprinkle of cinnamon for freckles.

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The Bully Buster Lunch: Whole grain flower tortilla, fat free refried black beans, low fat shredded cheese, lettuce, bell peppers, avocado, and salsa.

Bully Buster Dinner: Whole wheat bun, ground turkey breast (with any spices and shredded low fat cheese worked into the patty), topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, served with baked sweet potato fries.

 Snack Ideas for Kid-friendly junk food alternatives

Instead of…

Try…

  • Ice cream
  • Doughnuts
  •  
  • Soda
  •  
  • Chocolate-chip cookies
  • Potato chips
  • Low-fat frozen yogurt, sorbet, or fresh fruit smoothies
  • Whole Grain English muffin with peanut butter and 100% fruit preserves.
  • Make homemade soda with sparkling water and 100% juice
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Air Popped Popcorn with grated parmesan cheese 

Don’t get bullied by fast food: A Bully Buster fast food and restaurant nutrition guide:

It might be challenging to persuade your youngster to order a salad instead of a cheeseburger, but you can steer them towards healthier options. Mckee suggests these tips when ordering out:

  • Avoid sodas – Kids should drink water or milk instead.
  • Avoid chicken nuggets – Unhealthy imposters of real chicken.
  • Skip the fries – Ask for a fruit substitution
  • Order the kid's meal with some substitutions – Children often love the kid's meal more for the “fun box and toys” than for the food.  Most fast food places now offer healthier replacements for soda and the fries.
  • Opt for spaghetti noodles with tomato sauce in a sit-down restaurant, rather than macaroni and cheese.

The 5 Top tips to promote healthy childhood eating are:

 Get kids involved in cooking and have regular home cooked family meals.

  1. Observe healthy portion sizes, never forcing your child to eat.
  2. Avoid processed, packaged, restaurant, and fast food
  3. Make a variety of healthy snacks available.
  4. Treat Exercise as a “food group.”

To learn more about individualized help in devising a healthy meal plan for your family, or want to learn more about bringing a Bully Buster Workshop to your school, call Ryan Foland at 888-312-4954 or visit www.BullyBusterOC.com

And make sure to attend the next Bully Buster OC Workshop that is being offered FREE this Saturday April 21st at Zen Dojos Martial Arts Academy!

These are my thoughts for now,

Ryan Foland

Follow me on Twitter: @BullyBusterOC

 

 

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