I'm all for encouraging children to eat a variety of foods but I don't like the idea of the dinner table becoming a battlefield.
So...I've been sneaking spinach into bolognaise and trips to the local fruit shop have been a brilliant excuse for fresh juice. But while the joy of watching him sip orange/pineapple/celery/ginger juice is wonderful, the cost is not.
My naturopath has been encouraging me to buy a juicer for about a year now. And I've been umming and ahhing about buying a juicer for around the same time. It just seemed to be another expense and it got pushed further and further down the list.
But when autumn hit and with it came sniffles and lethargy I decided to find a really good juicer. One that kept the enzymes and nutrients in the juice and created minimal waste from the produce. Hello juicepresso!
Every morning for the past three weeks we've been enjoying fresh juice and we love it. The best bit? Che has been having a daily dose of fresh kale and baby spinach in his green monster juice (I also add orange, kiwifruit and apple) and I am one happy muma.
My four year old has been refusing to eat nearly all vegetables (save carrot and avocado) after being such a wonderful eater to start with. I will be pulling out my blender to make a green smoothie (with some raw cacao to help it all go down)today after reading this. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHow brilliant! I love it! What a great idea - will definitely have to look into that juicer! xx
ReplyDeleteGood work Jodi. My almost 4yo was vegetarian up until about 2.5. He now likes tuna, chicken and rice almost exclusively. He loves loves loves bread but has a wheat intolerance so it is a battlefield at our house to get the fresh fruit and vegies into him and to take his mind off the bread. And with a 2.5 yo looking on, he sides with his brother. You have reminded me of the power of juice (both for kiddies' enjoyment and sneaky nourishment), so I will be dusting off the juicer today and will try a green monster too. Thanks Jodi!!
ReplyDeleteWe start the day in our house with a glass of water and a good splash of chlorophyll liquid added. You can buy chlorophyll at the health food store or in some health sections in supermarkets, it seems pricey but a little bit goes a long way. Great idea to call it the green monster drink :) you've inspired me to write a post about ways to entice children to eat greens and other vegetables it is the question I am asked most by mothers.
ReplyDeleteYou are the best mum ... green monster juice, how could a boy resist !!! I am so loving kale at the moment (I'm a bit addicted !!!)
ReplyDeleteI love juicing for my guy! I don't have to worry about how many veggies are being slipped to the dogs.
ReplyDeleteI bet calling it "Green monster juice" doesn't hurt either. So fun! <3
ReplyDeleteA clever happy mummy too - 'green monster juice' is a good one! I'd have Buckleys getting my children to drink it, but they are a bit older and wiser.
ReplyDeleteI put zucchini (which we grow - it's pretty much the only thing that does grow) into just about every dish I make, including cakes. Not quite a 'green vegetable', but close enough for me! Hidden vegetables are my godsend. x
Nice, I might try this for blasting the colds/stuffiness, re that message I sent you via Facebook.
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I feel healthy just reading this post. I am SO jealous of your new juicer, I've had one on my wish list for as long as I can remember. Definitely a good investment. Nothing better than fresh juice x
ReplyDeleteJuicing is GREAT for kids.. and grown ups too! I do hate cleaning the juicer bits though - but have to let it not put me off! We call ours Jungle Juice.
ReplyDeleteBeetroot goes in well too, when it's in the gardens..
I hide veges in pretty much everything. My favourite kitchen appliance is a stick whizzer thing.. I zizz up everything to make it invisible. Make soups and as long as they can't see the veges, they'll eat them all up. Another good one is adding zizzed up roast veges (beetroot, carrots, courgette etc to tomato sauce. They love it.
Happy Days!
Green things are not at the top of the list at my place either. Frozen peas (still frozen directly from the freezer) served in a tiny bowl are always accepted. Choko can be snuck into anything and has texture of pear. Love the name of your juice! melx
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! And come summer you can freeze that juice into ice blocks!
ReplyDeleteJodi we just bought a juicer last week! BEST thing ever xx
ReplyDeleteWe have just purchased a juicer too for all the same reasons. I cannot believe all the greens they will drink.
ReplyDeleteHappy juicing x
That's great. I may try that with our 7 year old that won't eat any thing resembling a vegetable. Although I don't like my chances, with anything green. Not sure I could fall him with the monster juice though :)
ReplyDeleteYummo. I agree, the cost of bought juices is ruinous. I am a fan of the freshly squeezed orange juice, with a dash of apple cider and a pinch of collodial minerals. It's addictive.
ReplyDeleteCan I please have the recipe? My 2 year old daughter will not eat vegetables at all...It's so frustrating sometimes. Mayeb putting it in a big girl cup with a crazy straw will do the trick, hope you can post the recipe!
ReplyDeleteNaomi, I just use what it's the fruit bowl/vegie drawer. For today's juice I used 2 oranges, 2 apples, 1 kiwifruit, 1 carrot, three big kale leaves and a handful of baby spinach. And 1 crazy straw ;)
DeleteSuch a great way to get little ones to eat their greens. Good on you for persevering with it!
ReplyDeleteThis is fabulous Jodi! I already do the sneaky spinach, celery, carrot in various dinner meals, but have never thought to do that with juice... and I have a juicer! Silly me. Thank you for the inspiration, I know just what to do now, as we've also been going through a bit of an anti-vegie period xo
ReplyDeleteLooks like it is unavailable in the US. Bummer, it looks awesome. You have inspired me to add a juicer to my wish list.
ReplyDeleteOh Jodi, I think I need to get one of these! thank for the recommendation! x
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