Forget about trying to coax your kid into eating all his veggies, and give it to him straight—in juice form, that is. The following juicing recipes for kids are big on yummy flavors and vitamins, making them the perfect easy breakfast-on-the-go or afterschool pick-me-up, especially during cold and flu season. Keep reading to discover 14 recipes below that’ll help you get your daily dose.
Carrot, Orange, Pear Juice
For this tasty combo, you can juice the carrots and pear in your regular juicer, but you’ll need a non-electric juicer for the orange unless your juicer can handle citrus. Get more recipes like this one over Inhabitots.
Ingredients
2 carrots
1 pear
1 orange
Divine Dreamsicle
This beginner juice from Reboot with Joe is perfect for kids. It looks and tastes just like a creamsicle! Yum.
Ingredients:
1 apple
1/4 pineapple
1 sweet potato
4 – 6 carrots
Yields one serving.
Melon Berry Splash Juice
Skip the sugar-laden store-bought juices in favor of a refreshing homemade mix like this one from Courtney's Sweets. You don't need a juicer for this recipe, and using a blender ensures that you're getting all the vitamins and minerals (rather than losing them in the pulp).
Ingredients:
4 cups watermelon
Juice of 1 lemon
10 frozen strawberries, partially thawed
Method:
In a blender combine the above ingredients. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Serves 3.
Berry Red Beet Juice
Skip the coffee this morning—get your energy boost from a delicious mix of beets, strawberries, and oranges that little ones will love, too. This ruby red recipe comes from Sophia at Love and Lentils.
Ingredients:
2 organic beets
8 organic strawberries
1 organic orange
Method:
1. Wash the beets, strawberries and orange.
2. Cut the greens off the strawberries, and slice the beets and orange into quarters.
3. Place all ingredients through your juicer.
4. Serve and drink right away.
Apple, Carrot, Orange & Ginger Juice
If your tots aren't yet convinced on green juice, this recipe from The Peach Kitchen is a good way to ease them into the world of veggie juices. Sweet carrots paired with yummy fruits make for a kid-approved afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients:
2 large carrots
1 orange, peeled
1 apple
a knob of ginger or turmeric
Method:
Let everything pass through your juicer and drink.
Strawberry-Apple Juice
This pretty in pink juice from FoodNetwork.com is the perfect way to wake your littles up on a weekend morning. The chia seeds help thicken the mixture and provide a boost of fiber.
Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, tops removed
1 medium Red Delicious apple, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
Method:
Juice the strawberries, then the apple, following your juicer's specific settings for each. Stir in the chia seeds if using and let soak for 5 minutes. Serve the juice immediately over ice, if desired.
Green Power Juice
Our friend Dr. Michael Murray of SPUD (they deliver fresh organic fruits and veggies directly to your doorstep) is their resident natural medicine expert and juicing fanatic. He calls this juice recipe “a great tasting green drink that most kids love.” It’s chock full of fruits to give it a sweet taste, but delivers lots of vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium and fiber.
Ingredients:
1 handful of Swiss chard, kale, spinach or a combination
1 pear
1 cup strawberries
1/2 lemon, unpeeled
1 apple, cut into chunks
Method:
Juice the greens first, followed by the pear, strawberries, lemon, and apple.
Thomas’ “I won’t eat chicken, but I’ll drink kale” Juice
This recipe comes to us from Red Tricycle’s own Director of Sales, Charina Lumley. She makes this juice on a daily basis for her son Thomas, who prefers his morning juice from his special snowman sippy cup.
Ingredients:
3 Romaine lettuce leaves
2 kale leaves
1 cup spinach
1 handful of baby carrots
1 Fuji apple (or similar sweeter variety)
1/2 Navel orange (or 1 clementine)
Method:
Wash fruits and vegetables. Juice greens followed by fruits. Immediately serve in your kiddo’s favorite sippy cup and enjoy.
Yields one 8-10oz serving
ABC Juice
This juice recipe is a classic and a definite must-have in your juicing arsenal. It only has three ingredients, and, you guessed it, each item stands for one of the first three letters of the alphabet. Make a game out this recipe by letting your kiddo switch up the ingredients to spell different words.
Ingredients:
2 apples
1 beet
2 carrots
Yields one 8-12oz serving
Autumn Sunrise Juice
Like a Tequila Sunrise minus the alcohol, this fruit/veggie concoction is a good balance between sweet and tart. Plus, adding in a few veggies gives this otherwise fruity drink an extra healthy kick.
Ingredients:
1 apple
1 orange
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 lemon
Morning Nourish Juice
This super juice is just what busy parents and their tots need to get their day started. Since pears are less allergenic than other fruits, they are great for infants and the littler set, while still delivering a healthy dose of vitamin C and fiber.
Ingredients:
1 pear
1 handful kale
1 apple
2 stalks celery
Yields one 8-12oz serving
Orange Jubilee Juice
No doubt your kid is an expert on identifying colors, so they’ll love the bright orange hue of this hearty beverage. And they’ll hardly notice the carrots through the natural sugars from the orange and apple (try Fujis or a similar sweet variety).
Ingredients:
1 orange
3 carrots
1 apple
Yields one 8-12oz serving
Shrek Juice
Speaking of colorful juices, this one reminds us of the slime they used to dump on celebrities on Nickelodeon. Tell your kiddo that it’s the same slime recipe that gave the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles their powers and he or she might be even more inclined to gulp it down.
Ingredients:
- 2 stalks celery
– 1 handful kale
– 2 apples
Yields one 8-12oz serving
Super Start Detoxing Juice
Combine this juice with a regular exercise routine, and you’ll be back to feeling fit before you know it. Think of this as your homespun version of V8 at a fraction of the cost. And when your little ones see you downing this super juice, they’ll want to try some too.
Ingredients:
1 handful kale
1 handful collard greens
2 celery stalks
1/4 cucumber
1 carrot
1 tomato
1/2 lemon
1/2 apple
1 handful blueberries
Yields one 12-16oz serving
Tips for juicing:
– Combinations of ingredients are super important, especially when maximizing the juice’s nutritional value without compromising flavor. While you may be a fan of mixing a whole mess of fruits and veggies together, your kiddos might want something a little less adventurous.
– Certain foods like ginger can overpower or mask other flavors, so use them sparingly.
– You can increase the fiber content by blending the pulp and combining it with your juice for an extra healthy boost without the “no pulp” whine.
–If you don’t have a juicer, try parboiling or partially baking root vegetables like carrots and beets to make them soft enough to whip in a blender.
Have you introduced juicing into your kid’s diet? If so, we want to know your go-to recipeS—leave a comment below!
—Scott Wardell & Susie Foresman
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