How to make homemade juice with your child

Finally, after all your cut up pieces are juiced, it's time to taste your creation. Don't expose the juice to the air for long; the vitamin and mineral content stays highest when you drink it fresh. Simply add ice and pour into your favorite cup, or put some away in a closed container to drink later that day. For an EXTRA scrumptious idea (if you have the energy left) use the freshly made juice to blend into a yogurt smoothie. In that case, you can add in a banana, yogurt, and more of the berries that you love for an added punch of fiber, potassium, probiotic cultures, and protien. But the easiest thing to do is simply endulge in your one-of-a-kind, made-at-home, kid-assisted juice made with nothing but pure ingredients. Cheers to a fresh and tasty juice that will energize, invigorate, and empower your kids. Place a container beneath the spout where juice comes out to collect the juice. Now comes the the fun part. Under your very careful supervision, allow your little assistant to drop ingredients into the chute of the machine. Differnent manufacturer's models might vary on the safety of doing this. The Jack LaLanne Power Juicer has a long tube that easily keeps kids' fingers away from the blades. If the machine slows down, try using the pushing stick to move things along. If the juicer truly sounds jammed, turn it off and remove the offending chunk of produce. Children enjoy watching the "fruits" of their labor pour out the spout and into the collection container.View the list »
This part is an excellent chance for your little helper to chip in. All ingredients needed to make the batch of juice must be rinsed and put  together in a bowl for easy access. As an adult, you should do any cutting, coring, removing of seeds, stems, etc. Ask you child to carefully rinse each fruit or vegetable and add to the bowl. Make sure all larger pieces are cut into smaller bits; it's easier on the juicing machine. One hint for juicing at home: Use veggies and fruits that produce a lot of juice as your base, and then add in other favorites for flavor. Never use avocado or banana as neither will  juice, but both will jam your machine.Common suggestions for a healthy and delicious juice include the following:applesgrapespineapplessmall bits of fresh ginger for zingoranges, clementines, or tangerinesstrawberries, blueberries, raspberries (sparingly)pomagranitecarrotskalecucumber watermeloncantelope

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Drinking juice made at home using only fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices is one way of guaranteeing that you and your family get the nutrients needed to stay healthy. Sometimes children shy away from eating vegetables and can easily fall into the habit of drinking sugary beverages with little to no nutritional value. One way to get your children more excited about fruits and vegetables is to include them in the juicing process. Let the little learners help. Kids like to take on new tasks that give them a sense of “growing up.” Juicing with your older toddler or pre-school-aged child is easier than you may think.

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  • This part is an excellent chance for your little helper to chip in. All ingredients needed to make the batch of juice must be rinsed and put  together in a bowl for easy access. As an adult, you should do any cutting, coring, removing of seeds, stems, etc. Ask you child to carefully rinse each fruit or vegetable and add to the bowl. Make sure all larger pieces are cut into smaller bits; it's easier on the juicing machine. One hint for juicing at home: Use veggies and fruits that produce a lot of juice as your base, and then add in other favorites for flavor. Never use avocado or banana as neither will  juice, but both will jam your machine.Common suggestions for a healthy and delicious juice include the following:applesgrapespineapplessmall bits of fresh ginger for zingoranges, clementines, or tangerinesstrawberries, blueberries, raspberries (sparingly)pomagranitecarrotskalecucumber watermeloncantelope
  • Place a container beneath the spout where juice comes out to collect the juice. Now comes the the fun part. Under your very careful supervision, allow your little assistant to drop ingredients into the chute of the machine. Differnent manufacturer's models might vary on the safety of doing this. The Jack LaLanne Power Juicer has a long tube that easily keeps kids' fingers away from the blades. If the machine slows down, try using the pushing stick to move things along. If the juicer truly sounds jammed, turn it off and remove the offending chunk of produce. Children enjoy watching the "fruits" of their labor pour out the spout and into the collection container.
  • Finally, after all your cut up pieces are juiced, it's time to taste your creation. Don't expose the juice to the air for long; the vitamin and mineral content stays highest when you drink it fresh. Simply add ice and pour into your favorite cup, or put some away in a closed container to drink later that day. For an EXTRA scrumptious idea (if you have the energy left) use the freshly made juice to blend into a yogurt smoothie. In that case, you can add in a banana, yogurt, and more of the berries that you love for an added punch of fiber, potassium, probiotic cultures, and protien. But the easiest thing to do is simply endulge in your one-of-a-kind, made-at-home, kid-assisted juice made with nothing but pure ingredients. Cheers to a fresh and tasty juice that will energize, invigorate, and empower your kids. 
View the list
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, Southington Parenting Examiner

Katy Thibault is a stay-at-home mother and freelance writer residing in the lovely town of Southington. She is a proud mom of a baby boy and a toddler girl and a step-mother to a pretty rad teenage girl. She grew up and attended school in Bristol, then went on to earn a degree at Tunxis Community...

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