What's The Healthiest Fruit Juice for Kids ?

It’s grapefruit juice.

Bugger!

Too tart for my kids.

Maybe I need to try it again… or mix it with orange juice?

 Fruit Juice Australia has created a Healthy Juice Index and is keen to get out some positive information about fruit juice.

Nutritionist and health scientist Kristen Beck says:

‘Fruit juice is a MUCH better option than so many drinks, especially the sports drinks on the market. It’s not the devil it’s sometimes made out to be nutritionally.’

‘Obviously the first drink of choice should be water, for everyone. But we’re encouraged to drink eight glasses a day and there’s nothing wrong with making one of those a glass of juice. 125ml of juice is the equivalent of 150g of fruit, it’s only lacking some of the fibre. Of course, it’s still all down to moderation.’

And I reckon, with my wiry, active children, a fruit juice is better than a biscuit or chocolate bar.

For me, the problem with fruit juice is….

That blooming Teen15 of mine just drinks it all.

If it’s in the fridge, it’s gone in about a nanosecond. Annoying!

I can only blame myself. When he was little, I had him on a zillion alternative diets, lots of mums of kids with ASD try lots of diets – please be understanding.

His huge weekly treat was to get a Nudie juice from the shops down the road. Expensive but divine. He’s still a juiceophiliac.

Now the weather is getting hotter, I will buy some juice boxes and give them to the twins as soon as I pick them up from school. They love juice and I love how it cools them down and makes them less feral on those boiling hot afternoons when they’re en route from school to the backyard pool. Do not pass go.

I also make my own whole fruit juices in the Thermomix. The texture of the juices is more foamy than squeezed juice, but I love them. My orange, carrot and ginger is great from the Thermomix. It makes terrific ice blocks too, especially with a banana and some yoghurt chucked in there.

Anyway, ’tis the season of cool fruity refreshment and I have some juicy giveaways from my friends at Nudie and at Fruit Juice Australia.

Did you know that Nudie is now selling juices that are a mixture of fruit and vegetables?

My four boisterous bairns taste tested them all. I’m afraid the beetroot, pineapple and mint didn’t go down well with any of them. I like it though, partly just the novelty value, I was tickled just at the thought of it.

Minnie the Minx loved the apple, cucumber and kiwi and they all likes the carrot, apple and orange. Mind you they all eat carrots, so it’s not a veggie I am desperate to get into them in the way I am say with broccoli.

Are your family fruit juice fans?

Grapefruit too?

Disclaimer: We were sent samples of juices to try. And try them we did. And I tried to make sure GiantTeen15 didn’t drink the lot.