Fruit is great for kids, but as soon as they learn there are yummier things in the world (ahem, chocolate) they start turning down offers of apple slices and strawberries. Fruit juice makes a great snack and is a great way to add a little more healthy food into your child’s diet. While some kids are receptive to the idea of a glass of orange juice with their breakfast or as an after-school snack, others require a little more convincing. So, how can you get your child to drink up? Make fruit juice with your kids!
Get Your Kids Involved
Juice poured straight from a carton is just never going to seem exciting. We’ve likely all found ourselves baking cookies or cupcakes to decorate with our kids on a Sunday afternoon, but have you ever considered doing the same for juice?
While preparing juice with your kids does require some special equipment (a juicer), the process is fun, a little messy, and you can try all different concoctions you would never find in the store. Store-bought juice is often loaded with extra sugar, so it is well worth investing in a juicer and some fun decorations you can use over and over again.
Head to the Store
Take a trip to the store (or a pick-your-own if you’re going all-out!) and pick out a range of fruits to try in the juicer. Next, head to the cocktails or baking section and pick out some fun umbrellas, stirrers, and cake toppers. Often, the selection of decorations is limited, so it’s best to go online a few days before and order decorations and reusable straws. You could also buy decorative or themed cups, just ensure that whatever decorations you buy are reusable so you can use them again and again, and avoid having a negative effect on the environment.
Make the Juice!
Once you’ve got your fruit and your decorations you are ready to juice. Prepare the fruit you want to juice and add them to the juicer. You can stick with one fruit, mix different complementary fruits, or follow a recipe – there are a ton of great kid-friendly juice recipes online.
Make Juices Fun and Appetizing!
Why would you go to all the trouble of decorating cups of juice? Because it’s fun! Decorating cups of fruit juice with HOOMEE reusable straws, cocktail umbrellas, reusable ice cubes, and more is a great way to help your child feel involved (since they can’t operate the juicer alone) and give them a sense of ownership over their creations.
If you find that the juice comes out a little too thick to slide up the straw, simply add water to the recipe to thin it until it is a drinkable consistency, and if they are a stickler about bits, strain it before you pour it into your cups – it is also a great idea (if you’re willing to have the extra washing up) to blend the juice with some ice so it’s instantly chilled and ready to drink!
Most kids can’t resist their creations and will likely come back with all kinds of ideas for the next time you juice together!