Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

The challenge for the week of 3-26 will be for the quickest mile on the Expresso Bike. It will work stamina and cardiovascular fitness, and also increases muscle tone in legs, thighs, hips and rear end and is great for hip and knee joint mobility. So let’s pedal, pedal, pedal!

The challenge for the week of 4-2, will be to see who can shoot the most 3 point basketball shots in 3 minutes. With this, we’ll be working on our upper body strength, burning calories, and improving hand-eye coordination and balance. No slam dunks, though!

Healthy Food Challenge

Our healthy food this time around is bean sprouts. One of my favorite snacks, bean sprouts are low in fat (.19 g), sodium (6 mg), and calories (94 total). They are rich in protein and carbohydrates, which makes them great for those who try to stay active, as they help to repair and build your muscles after a workout! Bean sprouts also have more vitamins than you can shake a stick at, with vitamins A, C, K, and B-6, not to mention folate, choline, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Plus they have plenty of minerals like potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Basically, what all that jumble of words and letters mean is that they are really great for you!

Our recipe this time is for bean sprouts with tofu puff, courtesy of RasaMalaysia.com

Ingredients:

8 oz bean sprouts
1 tablespoon oil
1-2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
6-8 small tofu squarres
1 stalk scallion (cut into 2-inch lengths)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions:
Rinse the bean sprouts under cold water, drain and set aside. Remove the roots if you desire. Heat up a wok and add cooking oil. Stir-fry the garlic until aromatic, add the tofu into the wok for a few quick stirs. Add the bean sprouts and pour in soy sauce, scallions, and do a few more quick stirs. Dish out and serve immediately.

Bean sprouts should be crunchy and just cooked when served. Overcooking will make them wilt and lose the crunchy texture.

Kids healthy food challenge for kids, Bean Sprouts!

We also have a fun craft project too! Try growing your very own mung bean sprouts. It’s a low cost, easy to do project, and it’s lots of fun to watch them grow day to day! You will need:

1 quart glass mason jar
Lid for the jar (You’ll need to drain water out of the jar through the lid without dumping the seeds or bean sprouts.)
Plastic screen, thin wire mesh screen or cheesecloth and a rubber band. You’ll be draining the water out through the lid. The cheesecloth can get messy.
Seeds and water (of course)

First, put 1/4 cup of mung bean sprouts into your jar, then fill up about half way with filtered water, and leave to soak overnight, or about 8 hours. After they have soaked, put on the lid and drain the water out. Try to shake the sprouts so they are spread evenly along the side of the jar. Then place upside down to drain the excess water. They should be angled to allow water to drip out (so put some paper towels down), and air to circulate. Again, let them sit overnight. The next morning, fill the jar up a bit to rinse them and give the sprouts the moisture they need, and then drain. This need to be done at least once a day, but if you notice they seem to be getting a little dry later on, then go ahead and rinse again. Try not to use too much water, as they might get moldy. After 2 or 3 days, you’ll have tasty sprouts that are ready to eat!

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

This week, our fitness challenge is for the best score on Dance Dance Revolution for the song Fever on basic difficulty. This week we’ll be working on aerobic conditioning, which strengthens the heart and muscles involved in breathing, improving circulation, burning calories, and increasing agility. Let’s get those feet tapping and bodies moving!

Kids Healthy Food Challenge

Our healthy food for this week is strawberries. Those little red sweeties are not only delicious by themselves or used in lots of recipes, but are great for you! For instance, a 1 cup serving of strawberries is high in fiber (2.9 grams), potassium (220 mg), and vitamin C (85mg, which is more than an orange!) all while having only 46 calories! All this helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, is a great source of antioxidant (which lowers heart disease and cancer risk).

This week eat more Strawberries!

Did you know?

• Strawberries are both delicious and beautiful because they are a member of the rose family.
• Strawberries are quick growers, as they are the first fruit to ripen in Spring.
• Only eight strawberries will give kids 140% of their recommended daily vitamin C intake.
• It’s so popular that over 53% of 7-9 year olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit.
• Strawberries are grown in every state in the United States, and every province of Canada.
• California produces the most strawberries of any state: about one billion 1,000,000,000!) pounds every year.
• If every strawberry grown in California in a year were laid berry to berry, the line would go around the world about 15 times.

Our strawberry recipe is for Green Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese. Courtesy of EatingWell.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon B grade, pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups organic baby spinach
3 cups organic lettuce (any type)
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh organic strawberries
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese

Instructions:
Whisk maple syrup, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl. Add spinach, lettuce, and strawberries; toss to coat. Top with pecans and goat cheese. Serve and enjoy!

For more strawberry fun for kids, check out the fun games at Strawberryville.

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Highest combo on Tony Hawk Pro Skater We’ll work on our core strength and balance.

Kids Healthy Food Challenge

Broccoli! Broccoli has cholesterol-lowering benefits. It also has micro-nutrients which helps your body de-tox.  Broccoli has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin K. These 2 vitamins help our bodies store vitamin D. Broccoli is also contains an anti-inflammatory chemical which helps out by minimizing allergic reactions.

Today’s recipe is courtesy of FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org

Mac & Broccoli Bake

1½ cups whole wheat corkscrew pasta, dry
3 cups broccoli, chopped
1 10.5-oz.can low-fat cream of broccoli soup, condensed
½ cup skim milk
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350oF. Cook pasta according to package directions. Place frozen broccoli in large microwave safe and oven proof dish and cook for 2 minutes on HIGH. Coarsely chop cooked broccoli. Mix soup with skim milk, and add to chopped broccoli. Add cooked pasta and mix. Top with bread crumbs and seasoning blend. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

Check out some fun fruit and veggie games at FoodChamps.org. Knuckleheads Gym Carlsbad is a fun things for kids to do in Carlsbad.

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Best Score on Sports II Rapid Returner

Healthy Food Challenge

Gluten free food!  Some people are allergic to wheat or Gluten, this is called Celiac Disease. Gluten is found in all sorts of foods, some you may not even think of like, ice cream, soy sauce, licorice, some soups, potato chips, oatmeal, chocolate and tooth paste. As you can see people with an allergy to wheat can have a hard time avoiding it. Our recipe contains no Gluten, so it’s safe for people with and without Celiac Disease.

Today’s recipe is courtesy of KidsHealth.org

This Potato Dumpling Soup recipe is gluten-free, but it makes a hearty meal for anyone!

Ingredients:

¼ cup of olive oil
2 large onions
3 stalks of celery
3 cloves garlic
4 cups of gluten-free chicken broth (available at most health food stores)
2 cups of  water
6 large potatoes, cut in ½-inch cubes
3 eggs
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. of pepper (fresh-ground pepper is preferred)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix
2 cup of milk
3 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded cheese

Soup:
Heat oil in a large soup kettle over low heat. Chop onions, garlic, and celery. (For a smooth soup, blend ingredients in a blender.) Cook chopped or mashed mixture until onions are translucent or slightly caramelized. Add the chicken broth and water. Increase the heat to medium high and bring it to a boil. Add the cubed potatoes to the boiling broth, and cook until tender (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Dumplings:
Crack eggs into a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Slowly add the flour until you have a golden yellow, sticky dough. (If the dough comes out dry, add some water until it is sticky.) Drop the dough by spoonfuls into the boiling broth, and they will expand and lighten in color. It only takes a few minutes for them to cook. After the dumplings have cooked, reduce heat to low. Add the milk. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with cheese, if desired, and serve.

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Best Score on Sports II Skiing –  We’ll work on our core strength, flexibility, lower body strength and reaction time.

Healthy Food Challenge

The challenge this week is Berries! This is a special healthy and yummy Valentine’s Day recipe.

Berries are very high in anti-oxidants, which help protect us from cancer and help us heal. They are also high in Vitamins which keep us from catching colds and flu. Plus they are beautifully delicious!

Berry French Toast Recipe (Courtsey of Snack-Girl.com)

1 egg
1/4 cup milk (almond, soy, cows, etc.)
dash of spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.
2 slices 100% Whole Grain bread
1/4 cup frozen berries
Low fat cooking spray

Beat egg, milk, and spice together. Heat griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add cooking spray and dip bread in egg mixture. Place on griddle and cook for 3 minutes on one slide. Flip and cook for one more minute until egg is cooked through. While toast is cooking, thaw berries in microwave (about 30 seconds on high). Cut center of toast with a heart cookie cutter and pour berries into the hole.

Carlsbad is full of fun things for kids to do and Knuckleheads Gym is one of them. Bring your friends and come play!

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Highest level on MoJo! This is a challenging game that works your core and upper body.

Healthy Food Challenge

This weeks kids fitness challenge food is … Zucchini!  High in fiber, eating zucchini will help you digest your food properly, maintain a healthy blood sugar level and prevent cancer. They are high in potassium and magnesium which help lower blood pressure and prevent heart attack and stroke.

For some families, Super Bowl Sunday means getting together with friends and family to watch the game and eat. Here’s a healthy alternative to french fries that everyone will love and is easy to make.

Zucchini Fries (Recipe courtesy of EatingWell.com)

Preheat your oven to 475°. Coat a baking sheet with a light spray of olive oil. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large seal-able plastic bag. Dip the zucchini in the egg white. Put coated zucchini into the bag with flour ingredients and shake the bag to coat the zucchini completely. Place flour mixture coated zucchini on baking sheet, making sure that zucchini doesn’t touch. Spray zucchini with a light coating of olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the zucchini and give it one more light olive oil spray. Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve hot.

When you visit Knuckleheads Gym make sure you try  the MoJo game. Ask Kristen or Jordan to log your best time for the kids fitness challenge. Knuckleheads Gym is a fun thing for kids to do in Carlsbad, CA.

Want to know more about our memberships? Click here.

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Longest time on Dodgeball (LightSpace)

Healthy Food Challenge

Yum… popcorn, a whole grain snack that has a satisfying crunch and is low in calories. The pre-packaged microwave popcorn is expensive, high in sodium and fat.

Popcorn gives you Vitamin A and K as well as trace amounts of thiamin, calcium, niacin, Vitamin B6 and foliate. It’s also high in fiber, which helps you feel full an keeps your digestion moving.

How can you make popcorn that’s good for you and is easy on your pocketbook?

Make over your microwave pre-packaged popcorn. All you need is popcorn, lunch bags, tape and your favorite flavoring. You can pop corn in the microwave without the expensive, processed, pre-packaged product from the grocery store.

Regular, ordinary popcorn sells for about $1 a pound and you’ll get about 8 servings per pound. As opposed to  microwave popcorn, 4 servings for $3. Not only will you save tons of money, but you won’t have to worry about the chemicals released into the popcorn when it’s cooked in the microwave.

Here’s the cooking instructions:

1/4 cup popcorn dumped in a brown paper bag. Fold over the top a few times and tape shut.
Place folded side up in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes or until the popping slows down to about 5 seconds between pops. Eat it plain or add flavors like butter, salt, Parmesan cheese or chili powder.

The kids fitness challenge is brought to you by Knuckleheads Gym, a fun thing for kids to do in Carlsbad. We’re a membership gym for kids with monthly memberships starting as low as $39 per month. Members can come into the gym 6 days a week for 3 hours at a time.

Kids Physical Fitness Challenge

Highest score on the Hula Hoop on Wii Fit

Do you know how to ‘”hoop”? This guy does! He even won his high school talent show!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUBhg4Bfg8E

Healthy Food Challenge

Did you make a new year resolution to eat more healthy food? Here are some healthy snacks to help you keep your resolution!

Cinnamon Cheezy Goodness

• 1/4 cup of low fat Cottage Cheese
• 8 Raisins
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together for a yummy and healthy after school snack.

Creamy Orange Rolls

• 1/2 whole wheat tortilla
• 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese
• 1/3 carrot, grated
• 8 raisins

Warm the tortilla, just a little bit. This will make it easier to roll. Spread on cream cheese, add grated carrots, and raisins. Roll up and eat.

Jack LaLanne’s Healthy Dessert Recipe

• 1 banana
• 10 raisins
• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• touch of honey (optional)

Mash banana and spread on plate or put in bowl. Add raisins, coconut, and honey (if desired).

The kids fitness challenge is brought to you by Knuckleheads Gym, a fun thing for kids to do in Carlsbad. We’re a membership gym for kids with monthly memberships starting as low as $39 per month. Members can some into the gym 6 days a week for 3 hours at a time.

Happy New Year! At this time of the year, adults create resolutions for the up coming year. They may want to lose weight, get organized, eat healthy foods, exercise, get a better job, pay off their debt or volunteer to help others. Why should grown-ups get all the fun of making resolutions? Kids can make New Year resolutions too!

Kids, 7 to 12 are the perfect age to start making resolutions. They’re old enough to contemplate what they want to change in their life and make a commitment to changing. At this stage, they’re beginning to be mindful and respect others. They’re working on being independent and learning. Making a resolution and sticking with it will build discipline and character.

Here are some tips for helping your child keep their New Years resolutions.

• Write your resolutions down. You may want to decorate the paper you wrote them on and frame it. Make sure they’re specific. For example, I want to eat more healthfully – by eating one vegetable at every meal, or I will help out at home by putting my bicycle away in the garage after I ride it.
• Put your resolutions in a place where you’ll see it frequently. This will remind you of your commitments. The refrigerator in the kitchen or the bathroom mirror are a couple of places where you’ll see your resolutions frequently.
• When you share your goals with others you’re more likely to achieve them. Your family can support you to remember your resolutions. So share your resolutions with your family.
• A single, new resolution each month maybe easier to keep than a couple of huge year long resolutions.

When you’ve accomplished your resolution, reward yourself by doing something that’s fun! Knuckleheads Gym is a fun thing to do in Carlsbad, CA. Work out on our exercise machines, climb the rock treadwall, dodge the lightball on Lightspace or play our giant games. You’ll have so much fun you won’t even notice that you’re exercising. Come in for an hour or two, or become a member and come in for 3 hours, 6 days a week!

Open
10am to 6pm
Jan 3rd – 6th