This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Juicy Juice.
All righty, people of the interweb: I have a parenting confession.
Ready?
Here we go.
My child doesn’t really like fruit.
I mean, he tolerates it. He’ll eat bananas or strawberries or pineapple. He enjoys the occasional mango or peach. But he’s not so big on grapes. Or blueberries. Or cantaloupe. Thank goodness that he usually has a great attitude about trying fruit, but as a general rule it’s just not his favorite food group. He’ll eat vegetables all the live-long day, and I always say that he’s never met a bean or pea that he didn’t like.
But the fruit? Not his favorite.
So, as a mama who wants him to be strong and healthy and whathaveyou, the burden falls on me to make sure that he’s getting all the vitamins and nutrients that he needs. I want him to learn how to make good food choices, to look at option A, option B and option C and be able to determine which option is healthiest.
And in cases where he’s not completely carried away with what’s available – like if he were to, say, find himself in the midst of an endless array of fruit platters – well, I want him to know how to make good substitutions. And I want him to understand that fruit-flavored candy is not in fact the same thing as actual fruit.
It’s good to have some nutrition goals, don’t you think?
We’ve always liked Juicy Juice in our house because it’s 100% juice – no added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup – and now that the little guy is seven and has some definite food preferences (including the fact that all fruits are not his friend), it’s nice to know that I can give him a small glass of Juicy Juice and it counts as a serving of fruit. He loves almost every flavor we’ve ever tried. And when BlogHer contacted me about sending me some samples of Juicy Juice punch and sparkling apple juice, I was totally on board.
We actually had ourselves a little taste test when the big box of Juicy Juice 100% (punch) and Sparkling Juicy Juice (apple) arrived at our house. Since Alex’s 3 1/2 year-old cousin was spending a few days at our house at the time, he decided that he wanted to join the fun, too.
The verdict?
Alex, who’s 7, still loves Juicy Juice 100% punch best of all. It’s what he’s used to. But the sparkling apple juice intrigues him. It comes in a really cool can, and I have to say that it is TASTY. There’s a fizz like you’re drinking a lemon-lime soda, but the taste is definitely apple juice (it’s 70% real juice, 30% water).
When J sampled the punch, he immediately said, “TASTES GOOD!” Alex tried the sparkling apple juice and said, “It’s good – but it’s just a little bit sour” (it’s much more of a green apple flavor than a red apple flavor). Then he took back-to-back sips of the sparkling apple and the punch and said, “If I could drink something with these two flavors together, I would call it ‘PARTY!'”
So I think we’ll be trying the sparkling berry very soon.
If you’d like to win a $100 Visa gift card plus a Juicy Juice prize pack, leave a comment that answers this question: What’s your very best tip for raising healthy eaters?
Mine? Make kids try everything on their plates. We have a rule in our house that you have to at least try every single food, and if you don’t like it, fine. But if you do? All the better.
Be sure to check out the BlogHer.com Juicy Juice 2010 Round-up page for more chances to win. And no giveaway post would be complete if I didn’t direct you to the BlogHer.com Juicy Juice 2010 official rules.
Happy Juicy Juice-ing, y’all!
This giveaway is now closed.
Let them use all kinds of dip for veggies and fruit!
Eating well yourself leads by example. It’s hard to teach children to eat “good for you” foods when Mom and Dad are eating junk food.
THEY EAT WHAT MOM AND DAD EAT AND MOM AND DAD TRY TO EAT HEALTHY FOODS
Hide the good healthy stuff in dishes that you make like zucchini in tomato sauce and cauliflower in mashed potatoes. and then good luck!
Introduce healthy foods as soon as they are able to eat and you’ll be far less likely to have picky eaters.
start them on the good stuff young so they will develop a tast for it and do not let them have junk food to compare it to until they have decided they like their vegetables and fruit.
I try to get them to eat healthy, take vitamins, get plenty of rest, and keep active.
lazybones344 at gmail dot com
I just said practically the same thing on the last blog. I believe in making my kids try everything at least once. If they don’t like it then I don’t make them eat it after that~! gmissycat@yahoo.com
sign me up
I try to get my son to try one new thing weekly. He’s recently discovered he loves carrots and I couldn’t be happier!
I think the key to raising healthy eaters is to lead by example. If you only stock and cook or prepare healthy foods, they get used to it. Some foods they will not like but there are endless alternatives. I read somewhere that taste buds actually do change every few years.
I let my kids help in the kitchen. Preparing the food gives them the power to make better choices.
make your home a no junk food home
Lead by example :)
kerin0874 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Eat healthy yourself.
Offer ways to make the veggie go down easier. Maybe it’s some cheese sauce, or ranch dressing for dunking. Or maybe it’s roasting the veggie. Try and try again until you find the right thing that will get it down.
Start early and often talking about what food does to keep you healthy, and what unhealthy food does if you eat too much of it.
We have apples and carrots sticks
for snacks. We do not buy junk food.
They like watermelon and fresh berries in
the summer time for evening snacks.
We always have some kind of fresh fruit
and veggies in the house.
My tip would be to start VERY early with variety. As soon as regular food starts being offered, always mix it up and never force them to finish anything. This will make trying new things more normal than not and the lack of pressure makes it more likely that they’ll give things a fair chance. That, combined with the modeling of healthy eating choices more often than not should generate a healthy eater.
I make sure to offer foods my toddler didn’t like over and over again because it takes a gazillion times of trying things before kids will like them sometimes. I can’t remember the actual number of times, but it’s a lot.
frankandkatie at gmail dot com
i am 1 of those lucky moms whose kids love vegetables
Don’t start them on a path of junk food, stock healthy foods and they’ll love healthy foods.
The kids must try it at least once…if they dont like it maybe try it again in a few weeks…taste buds change :)
start early with healthy foods and lots of variety and balance
I just try to keep lots of fruit and veggies around. I try to not even buy the junk food like chips and cookies, because I love that stuff and I would eat it all if it was around!
Always have fresh fruit available.
My tip is to only have healthy food in the house. Sure, they’ll get junk at their friends’ houses, but for the most part they will get the best nutrition.
Leading by example and showing them how great fruits & veggies are. If mom & dad are eating fruits over chips then the kids should follow suite!
Kids are more likely to eat healthy if you do too.
Offer them a good variety and don’t sweat the small stuff. I was a ridiculously picky eater as a kid and turned into a normal, productive and healthy adult! :)
Well, since I don’t have children, I’m really not “raising” any healthy eaters. But my mom was a genius at chopping and pureeing so finely that I never saw the veggies she snuck into my food :)
Eating proteins first is what we do at our house … and fruit counts as dessert.
I only offer my son healthy foods. He doesn’t have to eat everything, but he has to at least try.
Minimize the amount of unhealthy food in the house. If you don’t have it on hand, they can’t eat it.
Start from day 1 with your kids eating and trying new foods. I have done this with them and have found a few things I’d have never tried it without them. I let them pick out the vegs and fruits in the store. They usually pick one of everything.
My son doesn’t care much for sweets, but loves fruit and veggies, so I don’t have to do anything to get him to eat healthy foods.
My tip would be to make your own lifestyle healthy as well. I know i grew up eating junk, and its not easy to change once your used to that your whole life!
jenn14_85 at yahoo dot com
One dessert a day is our general rule. And more fruit and veggies than the other stuff.
I let my son make a lot of food choices from within healthy food limits, with strictly limited junk allowances (that I never referred to as treats). Being given the choices made him buy into them.
I take my girls to the farmer’s market every week and have them choose their own fruits and veggies and then they come help and help prepare them! They love it and they get very excited about healthy eating!
My mom gave us carrots in our lunch. Every. Single. Day.
I get veggies into everything I can…shredded Carrots into meatloaf. Green peppers into scrambled eggs. Etc.. .also we go for a walk together as a family after dinner.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
I somehow (by accident) have convinced my kids that fruit is dessert and they almost beg for it after dinner every night.
My two little ones are required to at least try what is put before them and I try to have healthy snacks available for them.
We keeps lots of fruit in the house. The kids will actually eat the fruit as a snack before they go for any junk food. They are allowed 1 junk food item per day. Lots of times they don’t even eat the one because they love fruit!
I try not to make eating good stuff a chore. I don’t force the issue. Instead, we try to keep it fun with variety.
We make them eat some of everything and I cook what I like and not necessarily what they like. (although I take it into account) And they’re pretty good eaters.
Serve a different fruit and vegetable for every meal. Variety is the spice of life!
I make sure they have some kind of oatmeal every day such as granola bars or Cheerios.
Ranch dip covers a multitude of vitamins.
We eat healthy foods, and really watch our sugar intake. My kids are great at looking at labels and picking foods with less sugar.
My best tip: don’t let the kids get away with just eating no veggies – you can let them choose which veggies to have, but if you spoil them, they’ll never learn that they have to eat healthy.
Teach them early on to pack well balanced lunches
My family tried to get enough fiber b/c colon cancer runs in the family, so we eat whole grains and eat fiber bars like fiberone
Never eat white bread, it’s a waste of calories. Instead we eat whole grain breads and buns
We LOVE salads. We make them fun by adding sliced egg, bacon, cucumbers, cheese, raisens and more. It’s like a MYO salad bar at our house
Force your kids to try atleast 1 bite of everything, or they will never know if they like veggies. Re-do this every few months, to see if their tastes have changed
right now i am at the stage where i can hide it. using veg in juice and whole grain flour in baking, not sure what will happen when he’s older
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
The best advice I can think of would be the same that works for me… don’t keep junk food in the house.
– limiting candy consumption and not having soda in the home
– eating square meals everyday that include fruits or veggies
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
The best way to get the kids to eat better is to let them help in preparation. My daughter would eat peas if she got to pour them in the dish or pan, and stir (if microwaving). My son got an A+ in middle school home ec – partly because he could cut up most any fruit. they are both great healthy eaters – who enjoy their sweets once in a while, but I say of our friends, we have great, non-picky eaters!
Set the example: be a healthy eater yourself!
Oh, got to have those fruits and vegetables every day!
My tip is to set a good example by enjoying a wide variety of fruits and veggies.
smchester at gmail dot com
I’ve always thought the best part of a veggie tray was the dip that goes with it! So, the fact that our 2 boys will routinely eat their broccoli before their entree is…well…remarkable. We made sure they received lots of fruits and veggies as early as babyfood. Now it’s second nature. Yeah!
I try to limit the amount of “junk” food that I purchase and make them aware or make sure that they know when they eat a “treat” it is exactly that a “treat” and not something they do on a daily basis, but I also make sure they eat a lot of fruits (such as diff variety of apples) and bananas and incorporate the bananas into smoothies
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
We throw different vegetables in a blender, like zuchhini and mix it with pasta sauce, get some veggies in that way
Grow your own! Kids who experience gardening their own food, even you only have room for a few radishes and strawberries, are more enthusiastic about eating fresh fruits and vegetables than kids who think food comes from the store and that’s that.
Start with variety EARLY — man, I was so much better at this when my daughter was eating baby food. I made all my own baby food, steamed up organic veggies and pureed them, baked apples in the oven, etc. I’m not nearly as good now — she’s definitely had some French fries in her day, and they might be her favorite “vegetable.” But she had so many unusual things as a baby — things I’d never even made for myself (i.e. eggplant, turnips). That early variety was key, I think.
And she still really likes a huge variety of things — she’s 2, and I know a lot of kids enter a picky phase about now, and so far we’ve avoided it. She’ll try anything, and she’s still a HUGE fan of broccoli and peas.
Just the other day, my husband was working late, so as a treat I ordered a pizza for my daughter and I to share. As we finished up eating, she yelled “Eat a dinner!” as though pizza just wasn’t good enough. I said “Do you want some peas?” “Uh-huh!” and she sat there and polished off a huge plate of peas.
Thank goodness she’s somehow managed to be healthier than my husband and I are:)
Set a good example. Your kids will learn and follow. Thanks! thebubbledies(at)gmail(dot)com
Don’t completely ban the less healthful foods–you are likely to make them more attractive–the ides of ‘forbidden fruit’.
I make my kids try something new when it is served, even if they have tried it before and not liked it. Tastes can change often in kids.
The best way to raise healthy eaters is to teach them to cook and to grow food. They’ll be much more likely to eat a healthy food that they’ve cooked or grown themselves.
My best tip is to expose them to different kinds of healthy foods. You never know if you like it if you don’t try it!
My very best tip for making a healthy eater is to lead by example and have healthy foods and snacks in the house that are easy to grab so that unhealthy snack look less appealing.
Don’t keep junk food in the house. I keep alot of fresh cut veggies in the house for snacks.
Setting a good example. If they see that you eat good, it makes it a lot easier!
Leave the candy and high sugar for grandpa. If the candy isn’t in the house then she’s not tempted to eat it.
Set yourself as an example and teach kids to appreciate fresh produce.
Giving them several options rather than insisting they have only what you want them to have. By giving them several healthy choices to choose from they decide what they want and will be less like to rebel and only want the ‘bad’ stuff they get occasionally.
I just make sure that we all eat healthy, set the example, and let them know the occasional treat is okay too. And lots of running around and playing!
Always offering fruits, vegetables, whole grains and really limiting the amount of sweets/sugars in their diet.
leoandchelle at yahoo dot com
My best tip is to try to encourage kids to like raw foods! I feel its the most nutritious and the easiest to make, no cooking required. Eating raw fruits, veggies and nuts is the best way to start out eating raw!
I offer good foods and we talk about how they make you grow! My daughters know a ‘good’ for you food from a ‘treat’ food.
start serving a variety of foods at a young age.. don’t let them think they can just eat mac and cheese and chicken nuggets
Don’t have sugar in the house–it’s not good for you either!
Teach them to eat well balanced meals, and to stay active.
sweokgrl@gmail.com
Make sure they drink plenty of water…and eat fruits/veggies..Usually you have to make new foods fun for them to try it! Sneak veggies/fruits into recipes lol
Thanks for the chance to win!
ajoebloe(at)gmail(dot)com
keep delish cut up fruit and veggies in the house Have the kids make quacamole, fruit salad and hummous WITH you! They love to taste what they make!
As parents, I believe we should practice what we preach! :)
keep a good supply of fresh and dried fruit on hand
My son loves loves juicy juice he once drank a 48oz can in one day he is 4. He had autism so he had some issues with food but he loves his juicy juice! The only juice he will drink but will drink any flavor there is our fav is punch and tangerine :)my 13 yo, along with my husband and myself LOVE IT TOO!
I son’t believe in the no sugar rule. If you keep it from a child when they are old enough to shop for there own food they are going to go crazy. I believe in moderation for ll of us… who doesn’t love a sweet now and then??
Believe it or not, my 2 boys were raised on Juicy Juice boxes. I did not want them to get into the “soda habit”. It helped! They both prefer juice and water to carbonated drinks. They both also love fruit as a snack. I think that helping a child develop a love for fruits and veges instead of sugared snacks is very important.
Start your day with a good breakfast
make sure they try everything
The thing to do is set a good example. Children will mimic what parents do. So, if you have a healthy lifestyle your children will, likely, emulate you.
My best tip would be…don’t tell them their eating healthy. For example, if I’m cooking meatloaf I’ll be sure to throw a cup or two of shredded carrots in the mixture. It’s amazing what they’ll eat.
Start off early by feeding them healthy from the beginning.
My very best tip is not to demand that they eat everything. They need to at least try it, but if they don’t like it, that’s ok! :)
THANKS!