Four Fruit Juices For Kids

Fruits will contribute to children’s development in a significant way and will help them to strengthen their immune system.

Fruits provide essential nutrients for health and development. In the case of children, it is necessary to take into account the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) for exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age. Once this phase is over, the baby can start drinking the first fruit juices.

However, the baby’s body is not prepared to properly digest all foods. In view of this, it is necessary to introduce new foods gradually so that the little one can get used to them.

In this way, the baby will not only be able to expand his diet, but will also enjoy the nutritional benefits of the new way of feeding, little by little.

The assimilation process

Fruits provide your baby with vitamins. At the same time, they also provide minerals, amino acids, fiber, good quality calories and carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose and fructose. As they also contain a large percentage of water, fruits contribute to hydration.

It is noteworthy that some mild adverse reactions may occur in the process of adapting to new foods.

These are usually transient allergies that you don’t have to worry too much about. However, if there is any reaction, it is recommended to consult the specialist to ensure that it is normal.

Advice for giving fruit juices to infants

The habit of giving children fruit in the form of shakes and juices will help to adapt their taste buds to the new flavors and textures of food.

Here are some tips that you should consider before you start offering juices:

About choosing fruit

• Make the juice one fruit at a time and leave a break of at least a few days before offering the child a different fruit.
• In the beginning, you can offer apple, pear, orange, tangerine, plum or grape juice. The consumption of red and tropical fruits should be postponed a little, as they have a very strong flavor for the baby.
• Choose ripe seasonal fruits, as they are easier for the baby to digest .

about the preparation

• Juices must be natural. You must avoid commercial presentations that contain preservatives and other chemicals. Although they provide comfort for parents, they are not very beneficial for children.
• Do not sweeten. Thus, the baby is allowed to know the original flavor of the fruit.
• Prepare the juice preferably without or with little water to make the most of all the fruit’s properties.

• Maintain good hygiene in order to avoid contaminating the fruit juice with germs or possible allergenic substances. Naturally, the accessories used in the preparation must be very clean.

about administration

• Administer the juice with a spoon, as the bottle tends to clog.
• Carefully observe the baby’s reactions to the possibility of intolerance, allergies, diarrhea, etc.
• Once the juice is ready, it is recommended to consume it as soon as possible to avoid the oxidation effect.
• You should start with small amounts of fruit and then gradually increase until the child becomes familiar with the flavor of the fruit that we want him to assimilate.

Four fruit juices for kids

1. For infants

Ingredients

• 1 serving of apple, pear, plum, grape, peach, orange or tangerine.

Preparation

• Peel and wash the chosen fruit. Then remove the seeds.
• Beat the fruit in a blender (avoid using water as much as possible). Citrus fruits simply must be squeezed manually or with the help of a juicer.
• Strain to remove possible seed remnants. Do not remove all the pulp, as it is important that the baby learn to consume it too.

2. For children aged 12 months or older

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water.
• ½ small ripe papaya.
• 1 dash of vanilla essence.

 Preparation

1. Peel and wash the papaya.
2. Remove the seeds.
3. Beat in a blender.
4. Add the vanilla.
5. Mix it up.

3. For children over 3 years old

Ingredients

• 4 ice cubes.
• 1 large ripe mango.
• 1 Greek yogurt, unsweetened.
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom.

 Preparation

1. Peel, wash and remove the seed from the mango.
2. Cut the fruit into pieces and blend in a blender along with the yogurt, cardamom and ice.
3. It’s ready to serve.

4. For children aged 24 months or older

Ingredients

• ½ ripe papaya.
• 1 ripe banana.
• 4 ice cubes.
• ½ ripe pineapple.

Preparation

1. Peel, wash and remove seeds from all fruits. Then cut them into pieces.
2. Beat in a blender. 
3. Add ice.

Some considerations

The body needs nutrients in proportionate amounts, according to size and age, in order to develop properly and stay healthy.

So if we regularly incorporate these fruit juices into your baby’s diet, we’ll satisfy a good portion of your baby’s nutritional needs.

In addition, in the future the child will become an adult who will know how to taste the fruits and, consequently, will tend to include them in their diet, which is an excellent life habit.