Our own recipe, although we weren’t the only ones to think this up…
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I know I’ve talked about the juicer my grandmother bought us before, and how awesome it is. I’ve also mentioned how we no longer buy juice at the store, something that we started as a cost-cutting measure and continued because it’s not really necessary. It seems the experts recommend that you eat a piece of fruit rather than drink juice if you’re looking for nutrition, and just drink water if you’re looking for hydration. So that’s what we do, but we do still enjoy homemade juice as an occasional treat (like twice per month), and this one is our favorite. If you have a juicer at home, you may never go back after juicing carrots — they’re cheap, healthy, and the perfect level of sweet. Add in a little apple and a thumb sized piece of ginger and you’ll slurp it down in 5 seconds flat.
Ingredients
- 6 medium-large carrots, washed
- 4 medium apples, washed and sliced in half
- 2 inches of fresh ginger root
jamie
i had exactly this, this morning. 🙂
i have been warning my husband (who likes to drink fruit juice) that it is going to be kind of a no go when henry gets bigger. (and wants to drink what we drink.)
kind of off topic, but you touched on it last time you mentioned liquids; nora doesn’t drink much cow’s milk, correct?
do you have any recommended reading on small children’s diet, related to this? i have never been crazy about dairy products, and have a hard time imagining serving my kid a glass of milk. (though cheese in one of my favorite foods because it is so delicious, i was vegan for a few years, and tend to be distrustful of dairy in general.)
anyways, it is just something i am thinking about ahead of time. i guess people are so crazy about giving kids whole milk cause it loads them up with good stuff easily? without it- is it just a matter of loading him up with the good stuff through grains and veggies? (maybe easier said than done with a toddler…) now i am just thinking out loud i guess. anything you would like to share is welcome!
Amber
jamieNora doesn’t drink much milk, that’s right. She flat out refused it up until her second birthday. Now, some days she drinks about a cup, other days she doesn’t drink any. I give it to her if she asks, but even if she asks she doesn’t always drink a lot, and she generally only takes it with cinnamon sprinkled on the top. She drinks more if it’s warmed with cinnamon and cardamom. I rarely offer it, usually only if she wants to nurse and I don’t want her too, but that doesn’t always work as a substitute. The thing is, breast milk is much sweeter than cow’s milk, so it’s fairly common for breastfed babies/toddlers to dislike it (as opposed to formula which tastes worse than cow’s milk, so the cow’s milk is usually an easier transition for formula fed babies).
My understanding is that they just recommend milk because it’s a convenient way of getting a lot of calories, calcium, and vitamin D. There are plenty of ways to get those things through foods and supplements (all babies, even breastfed babies should be given vitamin D supplements). Foods high in calcium, in addition to cheeses and yogurt, include white beans, tofu, leafy greens, oranges, and sweet potatoes. This article has the AAP’s official statement on calcium needs for infants and children, and the best sources for meeting those needs. I also think this review is really interesting; it looked at 58 studies regarding dairy consumption and bone health in children and adolescents, and found that “in clinical, longitudinal, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies, neither increased consumption of dairy products, specifically, nor total dietary calcium consumption has shown even a modestly consistent benefit for child or young adult bone health.” That tells me drinking milk isn’t necessary.
Johnna
Super yummy juice my boys and I LOVE— 2 bunches of kale, quarter lemon, couple bits of ginger, few carrots, 2 apples… Put them in the juicer and you are done! Soooo Delicious!
Amber
JohnnaMmmm…sounds good! I was thinking about trying beets this week, too.