Juicing for Toddlers: Why & How
Now that P is a year old, we are transitioning her off her bottle and onto solid foods and liquids in her sippy cup. In doing so, one of the things we learned right away was that our little peanut LOVES juice. However, I really wanted to avoid store bought juice packed full of sugar and processed junk, so instead, I decided to try juicing for her at home. So I pulled our juicer (affiliate link) down from the pantry and began experimenting with a few recipes of my own. I had no idea if she’d like the juices I made from scratch, but I was hopeful and figured it was worth a shot.
Also, before I share the recipes, I did want to note that I don’t use juicing as a replacement for fresh fruit and veggies for P, but it is a nice way to get some extra nutrients into her system. And in my opinion, it’s the perfect way to please a juice-loving kiddo and still avoid the fructose-concentrated prepackaged options from the store. Doing your own juicing does take extra effort, but I know it’s far healthier for my kiddo, so it’s worth a little extra prep a few days a week. Also, I only using organic fruits and veggies for my recipes to ensure I avoid any bad toxins or chemicals!
Another thing I wanted to mention is that I don’t give P juice ALL the time because I do want her to learn to like the whole food version of fruits and veggies. But the juice is definitely a nice option to take on the go or for busy mornings when I don’t have time to put her in a bib, in her high chair, and allow her to become a sticky mess.
Lastly, a couple tips I’ve learned with P… 1) serve the juice fresh and cold. I try not to give her any juice that is over 24 hours old (it happens sometimes, but fresh food breaks down quickly and begin to lose many of their nutrients and vitamins; so serving it sooner than later helps your kiddo get as many of the nutrients as possible). 2) allow your kiddo to watch you make the juice. I don’t want P to only like greens because she has no idea she’s drinking them. I want her to know her juice has spinach in it, and as a result, be more open to eating the whole food version. 3) I try to give P water to rinse or brush her teeth after she’s had juice (especially with citrus) as I’ve read that it can erode tooth enamel. I’m not an expert on this and could be wrong… but I figured a little brush or rinse doesn’t hurt either way.
Alright, without further adieu, here are the recipes I’ve tried thus far that P has liked!:
Spinach Apple Juice- makes 16-20 ounces of juice (this is P’s fav!)
1 bag of spinach (juice this first)
3-4 medium size apples
Mango Pineapple Kale- makes 16-20 ounces of juice
3-4 cups loosely packed chopped kale, ribs removed (about 6-8 leaves)
2 mangos
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
Mango Pear- makes 16-20 ounces of juice
2 mangos
2 pears
I only use this one as a treat for P since it’s only fruit and has a lot of natural sugars!
Tomato Carrot Spinach Apple- makes 16-20 ounces of juice
2 cups spinach
3-4 carrots
1-2 tomatoes
2 apples
Occasionally, when I don’t have time for juice and know P is going to be with a sitter and will want to have some juice with her, I do head over to Trader Joes and get one of their Cold Pressed Juices. They are blends of fruits and veggies with nothing else added… which means they have a short shelf life and are a bit more expensive than juicing on your own, but again, for me, the little extra cost is way better than pumping P full of fruit flavored sugar water (which is basically what all store bought kid’s juice is)!
Alright, that’s all for now! But before I sign off, I did want to mention that all of the information shared above reflect my opinions after researching on my own, but I am not a nutritionist or an expert and would encourage you to consult your pediatrician before making any changes to your kiddo’s diet!
Abby Fereday is a mom blogger who shares about motherhood and natural health and living. Her blog is a great spot to find parenting hacks, natural home products, and healthy meal plans for the whole fam!
