4 Nutritious Fruit Juices For Children

The World Health Organization recommends that you only breastfeed until the baby is 6 months old. Once this period of time has passed, children can start drinking their first fruit juices, which provide them with important nutrients for their health and development. Below are some tips and recipes for fruit juices for children.

A baby’s body is not prepared to be able to digest all types of food. Therefore, you need to introduce new types of food gradually, so that they have time to get used to them. In this way, your baby will be able to expand his diet and take advantage of the nutritional benefits of different types of food, a little at a time.

The adaptation process

Fruits provide your baby with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, healthy calories and carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose and fructose. Because they contain a high proportion of water, they also help the baby to absorb fluids.

It should be noted that there may be some mild side effects in the process as the child gets used to new types of food. Usually, these are allergies that you do not have to worry about, as they go away. However, you should consult your pediatrician to make sure it is normal.

Tips regarding fruit juices for children

Giving fruit to children in the form of smoothies or juices helps them get used to the new flavors and textures. Here are some tips to keep in mind regarding fruit juices for kids:

• Use one fruit at a time for the juice, and wait a few days before introducing a new fruit.
• Start making juices on fruits such as apple, pear, orange, mandarin, plum or grapefruit. Wait a bit with berries and tropical fruits, as these have some strong flavors for babies.

• Use ripe and fresh fruits, which are in season. These are easier for the baby to digest.

To prepare the fruit

• The juices must be natural. Avoid processed juices that contain preservatives and other additives. They may be comfortable for the parents, but are not very beneficial for young children.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners. Then the child gets the chance to enjoy the fruit’s own taste.
• It is best to prepare the juice without adding water, or with just a little water, in order to best benefit from the properties of the fruit.
• Maintain good hygiene to avoid contaminating the fruit juice with bacteria or potential allergens. The tools used must of course be clean.

To give the juice to the child

• Give the juice to the baby with a spoon.
• Carefully observe the child’s reaction, given the risk of intolerance, allergies, diarrhea, etc.

• Once you have made the juice, it should be consumed as soon as possible, to avoid oxidation.
• Start with smaller amounts of fruit and then increase the amount gradually, until the child gets used to the taste.

4 fruit juices for children

1. For infants

Ingredients

A fruit, it can be apple, pear, plum, grapefruit, peach, orange or mandarin.

Preparation

Peel and rinse the fruit. Remove the seeds.

2. Mix the fruit in a blender (avoid using water as much as possible). Citrus fruits can simply be squeezed by hand or with the help of a juicer.

Strain the juice to remove any remaining seeds.

4. Do not remove all the pulp, as it is important for the baby to learn to eat this as well.

2. For children from 12 months and up

Ingredients

• just over 2 dl of water
• 1/2 small ripe papaya
• 1 drop vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Peel and rinse the papaya
2. Remove the seeds
3. Mix in a blender
4. Add the vanilla
5. Mix

3. For children over 3 years

Ingredients

• 4 ice cubes
• 1 large ripe mango
• 1 sugar-free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preparation

1. Peel and rinse the mango and remove the core.
2. Chop the fruit and run it in a blender with the yoghurt, cardamom and ice cream.
3. Serve.

4. For children from 24 months and up

Ingredients

• 1/2 mogen papaya
• 1 ripe banana
• 4 ice cubes
• 1/2 ripe pineapple

Preparation

1. Chop all the fruit after first peeling, rinsing and removing the seeds.
2. Mix in a blender.
3. Add ice.

More benefits of fruit juices for children

To develop well and stay healthy, the body needs nutrients in the right proportions, given the size and age of children. If we give children these fruit juices regularly, we will meet a large part of their nutritional needs.

Children will also learn to like the taste of fruits and include them in their own diet throughout life.