I’m pretty sure that most parents struggle to get enough vegetables and healthy foods into their kids’ diet. There are many resources for being sneaky with getting veggies hidden into foods out there! In fact, one of our favorite “sneaky” muffins is a sweet potato muffin. Honestly, both of my kids are great vegetable eaters. Josh usually finishes his broccoli before anything else on his plate! I made sure to introduce as much as I could with fresh produce when they were first starting solids as babies, instead of store bought purees. I think it helped then to learn to appreciate the taste of fresh produce without the additives. When my daughter was told she had a low iron count at her 2 year check up, and to eat more leafy greens, we decided to amp it up even more by making more green juice for kids.
In my pre-kid life, I was a juicing fanatic. My juicer had a daily workout, and I made sure I was always drinking some type of concoction every day. If you haven’t yet seen the documentary Sick, Fat & Nearly Dead, you need to. In fact, I should watch it again. It completely changed my view on food as medicine. Now I needed to find the time to juice for the kids (maybe for myself too). In reality, its not the juicing part that takes long, but the clean up. My amazing Breville juicer is one of my favorite appliances, but its not an easy “toss in the dishwasher” type of gadget like a blender. Totally worth it though.
Making Green Juice For Kids
Making Green Juice For KidsI decided to get my kids involved in the juicing process to save me time, help them learn about fruits & vegetables and healthy eating, and get them excited about drinking it. We started at the grocery store, We would pick out the produce we needed and talk about what it was, the colors, and what we would use it for. I had them help with washing them in the sink at home, and then came the juicing!
We use our amazing learning tower (told you it was a must have item for baking and more!), and pull it right up to the counter where the juicer stands. Getting ready to make “special juice” is an exciting event for them! Honestly, I’ve found that calling almost anything special makes them excited to try it. Just like special candy (vitamins), and special tent (crib canopy). After helping me wash all the produce, Josh likes to help feed it into the juicer and push the plunger down to feed it through, followed excited squeals while they dance around waiting for me to get it ready for them.
Green Juice for Kids: Favorite Recipes
Make Your Own
Really you can make your green juice with anything that fits your nutritional needs or taste buds! Typically, I use it as an opportunity to use up the produce in my fridge or whatever looks good in the moment. A good rule of thumb is starting with a cucumber or celery base (or another high water content veggie), adding leafy greens, citrus, and any extras. Check out this free printable I made to help you create your own perfect concoction!
Top it off
After running all of our goodness through the juicer, I use 4 small mason jars to split the juice into & top off with filtered water. I pour one into a cup over ice for me, and split another between the kids. I found some awesome cups on amazon that I love for smoothies and juice with lids and straws that are easy to clean & tough for the kids to dismantle. The other 2 go into the fridge so we have juice ready to go for tomorrow!
Now, let’s be honest… Do I juice as often as I would like to? Absolutely not. There are just other things that tend to get my attention, and my good intentions and produce end up in the garbage. I’m really working on getting it into our regular routine to make it more of a priority. Making green juice for myself really helps me to have more energy, get the nutrients my body needs and stay focused with my health goals. I can only imagine the good effects green juice for kids has on their little growing bodies, developing brains, and emerging taste buds!
Do you juice with your kids? What’s your favorite recipe?
This refreshing smoothie is the perfect summer hydration for hot days. Loaded with electrolytes, magnesium, potassium, and a bit of calcium and protein, it doesn’t get any healthier or tastier! This recipe makes the perfect alternative to my green go-go juice in the mornings or that much-needed m pick-me-up for the kids. Try freezing it into popsicle moulds for the kids for an added element of fun!