Juicing for Kids:
Yes, you can give them real, raw juice! Learn the right way to do it here…
Juicing for children is a fabulous way to ensure they get great nutrition into their young, growing bodies. Most kids love it and there are countless recipes that can be made that are so good, they won’t even know it’s good for them! And yes, it is safe for them to drink when it’s done right!
Juices are just as good for children as adults, but you give it to them in lesser quantities and a little more “prepped” before creating the juice. There are these ridiculous warnings that feeding your children fresh juices is a bad for them. This is just nonsense. When properly implemented, this will provide your kids with awesome nutrition and help their bodies to develop into lean strong adults. Don’t listen to the media hype. Don’t be afraid to give kids real, raw juice. It’s food in its pure and raw form. If there is an adverse reaction it might be because they are not use to eating such pure food.
You can begin the juice integration process after babies reach about 6 to 8 months old. But when their this young, you’ll want to integrate it in moderation. Always ask your doctor or health care professional before starting anything you are uncertain of. Here is the info:
With Babies and Young Children:
It’s a great idea with babies to dilute the juice with water with a kind of half-and-half scenario. So that means a glass of juice would be half water and half fresh raw juice. Start with no more than 5 fluid ounces per day, which is what most raw food experts recommend. Depending on the health of your child and the current diet they are on, we personally do not think giving straight juice to young children in very small doses is a bad thing whatsoever. It is much better than giving them store bought juices that are filled with total garbage like dye colorings, refined sugar, hi-fructose corn syrup and chemicals! Yikes, how is that even legal to give to children?
As Kids Grow:
When the kids get to be 2 to 4 years old, you can give them a little more juice with less water. As the parent, you can judge what mixture works best with your kids. Now, strong juices like kale, parsley, beets, and other intense foods are good for children, but in smaller doses than adults. You can even begin to add a few leaves of spinach, lettuce or broccoli stalks and hide it with apple, grapes or another sweet fruit. These mixes will be fabulous for kids and they won’t taste anything bad! You can also prepare a juice with added banana or avocado, which will be like a nice treat packed with nutrition and will also taste great. Be sure to offer kids a full variety of assorted juices, because as their taste buds are forming, they will continue to assimilate new flavors, which will help them crave good foods in adulthood.
When Kids Fall Sick:
Giving them small portions of fresh juiced apple, grapes or orange juice is great for recovering from a cold or flu. Add a little celery and even a few mint leaves for balance, replentishing essential sodiums and natural water, and a few mint leaves will help with breathing and sinus issues.
Juice Recipes Kids Really Love:
Orange, carrot and celery juiced: 1 orange, 1 celery stalk, and 1 carrot. Yield ¾ cup.
Orange, carrot, celery and a few grapes juiced: 1 orange, 1 celery stalk, and 1 carrot. Yield ¾ cup.
Pineapple, carrot juice: 2 carrots and 2 spears of pineapple. Yield 1 cup.
Fresh Orange juice: 2 medium oranges. Yield 1 cup.
Apple, carrot juice: 2 red apples and 1 carrot. Yield 1 cup.
Apple, grape juice: 2 apples and a small bunch of grapes. Yield 1 cup.
Pear juice: 2 medium pears. Yield 1 cup.
Smoothie Alert! Kids love smoothies. So if you want to create one, try a Strawberry, banana: 1/2 to 1 whole banana and approx. 4 strawberries. Yield 1 cup. You could even add a few pieces of avocado and it tastes like ice cream!
Please make sure your children are not allergic to strawberries (or any food) before serving. Be sure to get your kids allergy tested. You’ll be very glad you did.
The Teenage Transition
When children grow up to be teenagers, their bodies really begin to change! What better for kids going through adolescents to make the transition into adulthood than with real food? As they become teenagers, they are more than able to consume fruits and vegetable juices just like adults can. The good news is if they are raised on it, they will crave the good foods into their adult lives long term.
