It can be challenging to get healthy food into kids who are notoriously picky eaters. Parents who are frustrated with their children tend to juice for them as an appealing way to introduce fruits and vegetables, and so they avoid temper tantrums at the dinner table.
The best part is that you can sneak in healthy ingredients like spinach or kale, which they usually don’t notice. Here are some ideas that you can try if your kid isn’t convinced that this drink tastes good!
Kids can benefit from juice in a number of ways! They won’t eat an apple due to its tough skin. It can obviously be peeled or juiced along with a few carrots. The problem has been solved!
Do you know any children who eat celery? There are too many to count! How about adding a little apple to your celery juice too? It will be a hit with kids! Try adding spinach or kale with pineapple for an awesome combination of flavors.
Many other combinations of fruits and vegetables are available that kids will enjoy, such as oranges, blueberries, strawberries, broccoli, and carrots. The way they eat when they are transformed into delicious drinks might surprise you.
Their colors alone make them appealing. You can even freeze the juices and make healthy ice pops for hot summer days.
Prepare a juice from the food that you plan to introduce to your child
The juicer is a great tool for introducing food to children who are picky eaters. Often, it is the texture of fruits and vegetables that children dislike. So, they can experience the flavor of the food without worrying about the texture, which can trigger a gag reflex. Is it really worth eating something that makes you sick?
Since kids don’t tend to like strong flavors, try these mild juice combinations: banana and pineapple; apple and pear; watermelon and kiwi.
Don’t limit yourself. Consider juicing in unusual combinations, such as Kale Strawberry Lemonade or Beet Carrot Orange Ginger Juice. Veggies and fruit together provide more vitamins than either one alone. In addition, it gives a healthy, tasty sweetness, so kids do not have to consume that nasty refined sugar.
It is possible to introduce one vegetable at a time and gradually expand their repertoire.
Start with something simple, like a cucumber juice. Kids with sensitive digestion will love cucumbers because they are mild and calming on the stomach. Introduce carrots, apples, and oranges after that.
Don’t forget to add vegetables that they can handle. You can gradually introduce leafy greens (like spinach and kale) if your child dislikes them. Mixing up different colors of fruits and vegetables is a great way to learn what colours are produced.
The benefits of juicing for babies
A doctor or health professional should be consulted before juicing for kids under one. Once they start weaning, however, there is no reason why they cannot be introduced to yummy juices.
Fruits and vegetables high in iron and vitamin C should be juiced. For brain development in newborns, these nutrients must be available in the highest concentration. Spinach is mild in taste and full of brain-boosting iron for a baby’s palate.
Juices with too much sugar should be avoided. Fruit juices are not as healthy as vegetable juices. You can dilute sugar by mixing it with water, but it will still cause tooth decay. Providing babies and toddlers with sweet sugary drinks also gives them a taste for it, which can cause problems throughout their lives. The consumption of many vegetable juices will begin to familiarize and reward them.
Juices they enjoy already can be made healthier by adding vegetables or fruits
Carrots are naturally sweet, so most children will eat them. Continue adding other vegetables one at a time. Celery, leafy greens, beetroot, and other stronger tasting vegetables are examples. In general, but particularly for children, the worst tasting foods are the best choices.
Continue peddling fruit and vegetables since children who are fed processed carbs and sweets/candy fare much better than those that do not.
Children’s stomachs will be able to adapt to the change of fresh juice if they consume half of what an adult consumes at once or if they drink smaller amounts throughout the day.
Depending on how much is left, you can either drink it or freeze it to use as a smoothie base another day.
Meals that children prepare themselves tend to be more appealing to them. Then let them choose their own fruit and vegetables. Prepare the fruit by peeling, chopping, and preparing. During the juicer process, maybe you should just let them watch you. The hands of little ones can get shredded if we don’t take care!
Trying different juices for kids is the best way to find something that works for you and them!
