Which freshly squeezed juice is good for kids? Drinking juices correctly

Today, juices from berries, fruits and vegetables are not in short supply - they can be purchased in almost every store, but many parents prefer to use freshly squeezed natural juices prepared at home instead of ready-made store-bought products. And it’s quite difficult to object to them.

Firstly: the amount of vitamins in juice prepared at home is much greater in comparison with a store-bought product, because freshly squeezed juice does not need to wait on the store shelf for three months before it is bought - you give the prepared juice to the baby immediately.

Secondly: you can be completely confident in the quality of the juice that you prepared yourself. It is completely free of any preservatives (additives to extend shelf life), flavor enhancers (enhance the taste of the juice) and dyes (give the juice a natural color).

The benefits of freshly squeezed juices for children

The benefit of freshly squeezed natural juices is that they contain simply a huge amount of substances that are beneficial to a growing child’s body. These are organic acids, sugar of plant origin, mineral micro- and macroelements, vitamins, essential oils.

Fruit, vegetable and berry juices from fresh produce are the main supplier of plant sugars for the body: fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, maltose, galactose, celobiose.

The largest amount of fructose and glucose is found in berry juices made from seedless fruits, such as strawberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, black and red currants. Juices from berries with pits (cherries, cherries, apricots, peach, plums) contain a lot of sucrose and glucose, and apple, pear and quince juice (pome-shaped berry fruits) (apples, quince, pears) contain a high fructose content.

Juices are an important supplier of minerals, which are present in juices in the form of various salt compounds and due to this are easily absorbed even by a child’s body. Berries, fruits and vegetables contain macroelements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorus, silicon, chlorine. Juices are no less rich in microelements: manganese, iron, zinc, copper, zinc, iodine, barium, molybdenum, cobalt. The presence of these compounds in the diet determines the water-salt metabolism in the body, the acid-base balance of the blood, and the ability of the child’s body to resist diseases (immunity).

Freshly squeezed juices also contain a significant amount of pectins, which play an important role in ensuring the vital functions of the human body - they improve the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and also remove toxins from the body.

A significant amount of pectin is contained in juices with pulp: apricot (0.5-1.2% by weight), apple (0.6-1.5%), plum (0.8-1.6%), blackcurrant (0 .9-2.2%).

Well, and of course, freshly squeezed juices are simply a storehouse of all kinds of vitamins. Vitamins contained in juices play an important role in the physiology of a child’s nutrition and for the normal functioning of the body. These are provitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamins C (ascorbic acid) and PP (nicotinic acid), B vitamins (B1-B12).

Thus, freshly prepared juices can be considered excellent products, which are not only useful, but also necessary for a growing child’s body. Please note that we are talking about freshly prepared, and not store-bought juices for children!

Can natural juice be harmful to a child?

From all of the above, you may get the impression that the juice does not pose any danger to the child’s body, but this is not the case. In some cases, drinking juice may be undesirable, or even harmful.

Let's look at how and when juice can be harmful to a child.

Juice, and especially new juice in the diet, can cause allergies. It is better to start giving your child freshly squeezed juice in a diluted form (dilute in a 50/50 ratio with boiled drinking water) and in small portions.
Some juices have a significant content of acids (for example, apple, orange) or sugar (apricot, peach, strawberry) and their use undiluted can cause intestinal upset or provoke dysbiosis. Dilute such juices with water, limit the amount and consume them after meals.
Freshly squeezed juice is prepared at home, so there is always a risk of catching it if you ignore sanitary norms and rules or are careless in the process of washing the fruits from which the juice will be prepared.

Basic rules for preparing juice at home and using it to feed a child

And finally, here are some tips on how to properly prepare juice for a child at home and store it correctly.

If possible, use fruits, vegetables and berries from homemade breasts - only in this case you will be completely confident in the quality of the product. If you buy fruits in a store, give preference to those berries and fruits that are bearing fruit at the moment (you should not buy strawberries and cherries in March, their season is in June);
The most ordinary juicer will significantly speed up the process of making juice and make it more convenient;
You should not squeeze out a large amount of juice (its shelf life is limited), it is better to make enough of it so that it is enough for one time, and if necessary, repeat the procedure;
before preparing juice, you must thoroughly wash your hands, juicer, dishes and related items (gauze, strainer, etc.);
berries, fruits and vegetables must be cleared of stalks, cuttings, leaves, seeds and dead parts, washed and doused with boiling water;
after squeezing, the juice should be filtered using gauze folded in several layers (if the juice is without pulp) or a strainer (for juice with pulp);
It is better to consume juice and give it to a child immediately after preparation;
The juice should be stored in small glass containers with a lid in the refrigerator. The shelf life of freshly squeezed juice is no more than 4 hours in summer and 6 hours in winter.

Natural fruit and vegetable juices are a storehouse of natural vitamins. They should definitely be on a small child's menu. When introducing these products into your diet, you should definitely consult your pediatrician. The doctor observing your baby will tell you when it is best to give juice, what drink to choose, and will familiarize you with the dosage. Consultants of the online store “Daughters and Sons” will offer products presented in our catalog.

How to introduce juices into your child's diet

Kids love rich fruit drinks. They are a source of vitamins and minerals; drinking them almost never causes protest in babies. Drinks with pulp contain pectin, which improves digestion. If the baby does not want to try vegetables, it is very convenient to introduce him first to pumpkin or carrot juice.

Features of introducing vitamin drinks into the little gourmet menu:

children aged 1 to 2 years are given from 50 to 100 ml of juice per day; it is not recommended to exceed this norm;
natural juice must be diluted with water, this is mandatory for a very young child; a concentrated drink can irritate the stomach and disrupt digestion;
Pediatricians recommend introducing combined drinks from two or more fruits and vegetables into the diet of children after 2 years;
Observe whether the new drink has caused an allergy and how the baby’s condition changes during the day.

Important!

The most vitamins are found in drinks that have just come out of the juicer. If you want the juice to be beneficial, give your children fresh juice.

Table 1. Beneficial properties of fruit and vegetable juices

Juice type	Properties
Carrot, tomato, pomegranate, cherry	Enriched with vitamin C, increases hemoglobin.
Peach, plum, pumpkin	Reduces hyperactivity, calms down during severe agitation.
Orange, grapefruit, vegetable	Helps with colds and improves immunity.
Apple, pear, grape, tomato	Supports heart function.
Pomegranate, pumpkin pear, cherry peach	Improves digestion and helps normalize stool.
Apple, carrot, lingonberry, grape	They increase appetite and have a positive effect on the nervous system.
Apricot, blueberry, carrot.	Used to improve visual acuity.

conclusions

When buying ready-made juice in a store, pay attention to its composition: the presence of sugar, citric acid and other harmful additives will do more harm to your child than good. Vitamins are best preserved in freshly squeezed juices. If you make drinks yourself or buy them in specialized stores, then you can be sure of their high quality.

Which juices are safe and healthy for children?

Juices, especially concentrated ones, should always be diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. Of course, it is best to make the juice yourself. You need to be careful when preparing freshly squeezed juices, as such juices are a favorable environment for the development of bacteria. Make sure that fruits and utensils are clean when preparing fresh juice, as this juice does not undergo antimicrobial treatment. The disadvantage of preparing such juice is that the baby must drink it immediately; after a couple of hours the juice will lose its beneficial properties. Since children are often capricious and do not want to drink juice right now, it is advisable to stock up on directly pressed juices. Their price is higher compared to regular juices, but the benefits are much greater. These juices are made from fresh or freshly frozen fruits, berries and vegetables, and then they are pasteurized. Such juices are bottled in glass bottles and stored for no more than three months. It is advisable to buy baby juices at a pharmacy or baby food department. We often have to buy packaged juices if we haven’t had time to stock up for the winter. Pay attention to the sales deadlines and the date of production of the juice. Do not buy nectars, they contain a lot of dyes and preservatives. If you decide to make juices yourself, you can preserve their beneficial properties for a long time by using canned juices. Sugar is usually not added to homemade juices, but these drinks can be stored for a whole year.

Healthy juices

It is very important to know which juices are safe and healthy for children because by giving certain drinks you can solve your baby’s health problems. For example, you can increase hemoglobin using pomegranate, carrot and tomato juices. If your child cannot calm down and fall asleep for a long time, then give him some peach and plum juice before bed. Pear and pomegranate juices will help with loose stools. It is advisable to give carrot and pumpkin juices periodically to improve the general condition of the body, good digestion and strengthen the nervous system. Grape juice, as well as beet and pear juice, can improve heart function. You should be careful with citrus juices, especially if your baby has allergies. Despite the benefits of orange juice, it should be introduced into a child’s diet no earlier than 3 years. One of the healthiest juices is apple juice. Moreover, in our area apples are always available. Don't forget to dilute it before giving it to your baby. Vegetable juices are especially useful in childhood. Carrot juice increases appetite, so it is suitable for babies whose appetite is weak. By the way, carrot juice can be diluted with apple juice to improve its taste. For constipation, plum juice will help, and raspberry and blackberry juices will increase the child’s immunity. You can get the maximum benefit from any fruit and vegetable. The main thing is to listen to what the child wants, because each child has his own individual taste.

What sweets can you give your child?

Children love sweets very much, and sometimes their love for products with sugar does not stop in adulthood. Sweets are not recommended for very young children, but starting from the age of two, you can give your child healthy sweets so that his taste is formed correctly. You can start introducing dried fruits into your baby's diet. They have a positive effect on digestion and satisfy hunger. Dried fruits are good because you can stock up on them for future use or take them with you on a walk - they do not spoil and you can treat your child to something sweet at any time. You can make meringue cake at home. It contains sugar and proteins, so this dessert can be called harmless. Simply beat the egg-sugar mixture using a blender or mixer until thick foam and spoon it in parts onto a greased baking sheet. After baking in the oven, the meringue will rise and taste no worse than store-bought. Marshmallow, which children love so much, is also not a harmful sweet. On the contrary, pectin and agar, which are part of marshmallows, are rich in calcium and iodine, and also contain a small amount of iron. A very tasty dessert is jelly, but for a child you need to prepare it yourself. Just add a little gelatin to the fruit compote and pour into molds. In two hours the jelly will be ready. Finally, marmalade is very popular among children. It contains syrups or fruit juices with sugar. The consistency of marmalade is elastic due to gelatin, which is a product of animal origin. Kids happily consume multi-colored marmalade, pleasing both with its appearance and taste.

So, we found out which juices are safe and healthy for children, and which sweets are the least harmful. Give your child only healthy foods and try to make them tasty!

Everyone knows that you need to give juice to your child. But what kind of juice? How to give? From what age? in what quantity? Read the answers to all questions below.

How much juice can a child have?

Most mothers know that a child under 1 year old can have 60-100 ml of juice. How much juice can a child over one year old have? The bigger, the better! Or not?

It turns out - no. Juices, especially freshly squeezed ones, increase the acidity of gastric juice. Irritate the gastric mucosa. If consumed in excess, they can cause digestive disorders and allergic reactions in children.

Recommended daily intake of juices for children of different ages

The quantity has been decided.

At what age can a child be given different juices?

We won’t dwell on juices that are suitable for children under 1 year of age; we’ve already covered them.

Tomato

Tomatoes appear in ready-made baby food from about 8-9 months as part of vegetable and meat-vegetable purees and soups to improve the taste of dishes. That is, they are there in minimal quantities and are subjected to heat treatment.

There are no ready-made tomato juices for children under 1 year old and even under 3 years old. For children over 3 years old, tomato juice is very useful.

Advantages

It contains lycopene. Which is a powerful antioxidant. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Prevents cancer. Lycopene is not destroyed by heating and boiling.
Tomato juice contains a lot of fiber. Helps with constipation and to reduce excess body weight.

Flaws

It is recommended to give tomato juice to children from 3 years of age. Because it often causes allergies, irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa, and is consumed with salt. Tomato juice belongs to the group of foods high in histamine. And it can cause a pseudo-allergic reaction.

Children over 3 years old can drink ready-made industrially produced tomato juice or homemade juice.

Tomato juice recipe

Wash selected ripe tomatoes well and remove the stems. Cut, add a small amount of water, bring to a boil. Press through a sieve until the seeds and skins remain in the sieve. Add a teaspoon of salt to 1 liter of juice and bring it to a boil. Cool. The juice is ready. You can drink it.

For long-term storage, hot juice is poured into pre-sterilized jars. Cover with sterile lids. And sterilize liter jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Orange juice for baby

Orange juice is one of the most popular and easy to obtain juices.

Advantages

Orange juice is freshly squeezed and contains large quantities of vitamins C, folic acid, and potassium.
Strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
Helps lower blood pressure.
Increases appetite, enhances the secretion of the stomach and pancreas, stimulates intestinal motility.

Flaws

Highly allergenic.
Sour. May irritate the delicate mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract in children. And cause digestive disorders.
Destroys tooth enamel.

Therefore, it is allowed for children after 1 year. And with a tendency to allergies from 3 years old.

For a child, getting freshly squeezed orange juice is very simple. Squeeze the juice from the orange. And strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth.

During the industrial production of juices, natural vitamins are partially destroyed. But juices are additionally enriched with them.

Pomegranate juice for a child

It is considered by many to be the first remedy for anemia. And they try to start giving it to a child with anemia as early as possible. In fact, pomegranate juice, like other fruit juices, only promotes the body's absorption of iron from meat or liver.

Pomegranate juice has a strengthening effect. Therefore, it is not recommended for children prone to constipation.

It is also a highly allergenic product. Therefore, children over 1 year old are allowed. Read more about this juice.

Grape juice for baby

Advantages

Sweet. Children really like it.
It is easy to obtain at home using a juicer.
Grape juice contains many sugars: glucose and fructose. This is the most high-calorie juice.
It satisfies hunger easily and quickly.
It contains many vitamins and microelements. Improves liver function. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Activates metabolism.

Flaws

But it contains a lot of simple sugars. Which cause processes of rotting and fermentation in the intestines. Especially in children whose diet is dominated by dairy foods. It is not recommended to combine grape juice with dairy products, even for adults. Simple sugars serve as a breeding ground for harmful microflora in the child’s intestines.
They destroy tooth enamel.
Therefore, grape juice is recommended for children from 2 years old.

Peach and apricot juice for children

They do not exist without pulp, and their taste and nutritional properties are lost.

Advantages

Contain beta-carotene (provitamin A) and a lot of potassium.
Contains a lot of delicate fiber. Due to which intestinal motility is normalized.
They have a pleasant taste.
Not very sour. Less irritating to the gastrointestinal mucosa than previous juices.

Pumpkin

Contains a lot of carotene (provitamin A). It is not recommended for daily use due to the possibility of carotene jaundice.

Pumpkin juice contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. Due to this, it has a calming effect on the child’s nervous system. After heat treatment, pumpkin is well digestible. Therefore, it is allowed for children in the form of vegetable puree or ready-made juice 2-3 times a week from 6 months of age.

Ready-made pumpkin juices are not available in pure form. Due to the low moisture content in the pumpkin. There are mixed juices. For example, apple-pumpkin. Or nectars, which contain pumpkin puree, water and sugar.

Homemade raw pumpkin juice is only available to children after 1 year of age.

Beetroot juice for baby

The main property of beet juice, which is used in children, is a laxative. It is preferable and safer to give your child boiled beets or beet broth.

In baby food, beet juice is used as a “medicine”. As a laxative for children suffering from constipation.

There are no ready-made beet juices produced. And raw beet juice can be given to children of the first year of life very carefully. From 9-10 months. Starting with drops and increasing to 2-5 teaspoons daily until regular bowel movements are achieved. Children 1-3 years old can be given up to 50 ml of raw beet juice. Children over 3 years old 70-80 ml. Beet juice for children is always half diluted with water. And it should always be given after meals.

Pineapple

Exotic, sour, low-calorie and highly allergenic. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age. Therefore, there is no pure pineapple juice for baby food. Pineapple juice is included in multifruit juices for baby food recommended from 1 year. Pineapple juices for children over 3 years of age and adults are produced by many manufacturers.

Wild berry juice

Wild berries include blueberries, lingonberries, blackberries, chokeberries, and strawberries.

Wild berry juice is distinguished by the fact that it is very sour and highly allergenic. Therefore, it is not recommended for children under 1 year of age.

As for the vitamin composition, the natural vitamins of wild berries are contained only in freshly squeezed juice. And in the restored one, at best, there is only an artificially added mixture of vitamins.

Banana juice for baby

Bananas have a very low water content. Therefore, there are no banana juices. There are only banana nectars. Containing banana puree, water and sugar. Or mixed juices. Most often apple and banana. Banana juice (nectar) can be given to a child starting from 6 months, after the baby has already tried and got used to apple juice.

Cherry juice for baby

Very sour. Therefore, there is no ready-made pure cherry juice. Either mixed apple-cherry juice or cherry nectar. Allowed for children from 8-9 months.

I hope you successfully introduce juice into your child’s diet. Stay healthy!

The recommendations of nutritionists are simple and concise: to be healthy, you need Eat a handful of vegetables and fruits 5 times a day, and better than fresh, and not boiled, stewed, fried... However, hand on heart, let’s admit to ourselves: which of the children (even if they have small hands) is ready to crunch vegetables all day? Most children limit themselves to an apple or a carrot (and even then, often depending on the mood). However, this is not enough.

The problem can be solved by inviting the child to try a glass of freshly squeezed juice. Of course, this does not in any way exclude the presence of vegetables and fruits in the children's menu, because these products contain not only vegetables, but also minerals and ballast substances. But do not forget about common sense and a sense of proportion. A glass of orange juice for an afternoon snack will improve your baby's mood, but a liter of the same juice, due to the high content of fruit sugars and acids, will cause stomach problems in the child and. The fact is that most fruits are very sweet and contain up to 10% fruit sugar. So pure juices are not very suitable for quenching thirst. It is better to dilute them with mineral water: say, for 1 part of apple juice add 2 to 4 parts of mineral water. This drink is called “shorle” and is very popular in Europe in the summer.

Vegetable mix

Take:

carrot
cucumber (or small young zucchini)
red bell pepper
salt to taste

Preparation: Mix 40 ml of this juice with 80 ml of tomato juice. Add salt, it turns out very tasty.

Multifruit

Take:

half an apple
half a pear
half an orange
3 tangerines

Preparation: This amount of fruit is enough for about a glass of juice. Drink immediately so that the vitamins are not destroyed.

Tomato juice

Take:

tomatoes
1 tsp. spoon of cream

Preparation: Juice prepared at home differs from store-bought juice in appearance. Its color is not at all as rich, rather pinkish.

Apple-carrot juice with celery

Take:

apples and carrots (in equal quantities)
1 stalk of celery

Preparation: Pure celery juice is very spicy and concentrated, so it is better to combine it with apple and carrot juice. Celery is rich in vitamins B6 and E, and other plant nutrients.

Banana-orange mix

Take:

banana
orange juice to taste

Preparation: Puree the banana in a blender and add orange juice. The cocktail contains vitamin C and folic acid.

Sea buckthorn juice

Take:

sea buckthorn berries
a little pear or apple juice
sugar to taste
whipped cream for decoration

Preparation: Sea buckthorn contains more vitamin C than citrus fruits, which is why pure juice is so sour. Usually a fair amount of sugar is added to it. In order not to burden your baby's pancreas, mix a little sea buckthorn juice with sweet juices - apple or pear, and garnish with whipped cream. The taste of the drink will become more delicate.

What is written on the package

When buying ready-made juice packs in the store, carefully read the information on the packaging: what does it contain?

∗ The juice content in an industrially produced drink called “Juice” must be at least 85%. In a juice drink, the proportion of juice is 10% for fruits and up to 40% for vegetables.

∗ Nectar must contain at least 25–50% juice (depending on the raw materials from which it is made). No preservatives are added.

∗ It is allowed to add dyes, flavors, and preservatives to the drink. Obviously there is not much benefit from it.