Two Healthy Drinks Moms and Kids will Love {New Food Friday}
If kids had it their way, they'd drink sugary sodas and eat junk food all day long. But as parents, it's important to instill healthy eating habits in children from an early age to promote proper development and encourage a healthy lifestyle as children get older. Juices may seem like innocent, health-conscious drink choices for kids, but many popular juice brands are loaded with sugar and not a lot of nutrients, making them a poor choice for your child's diet. Luckily, you and the kids can make your own nutritious beverages right at home with just a few simple, natural ingredients and a little creativity.
Kiddie Cocktails
Mommy blogger extraordinaire and health food expert Catherine McCord of Weelicious introduces this healthful and delicious recipe for kids called Kiddie Cocktails. Since the recipe is so simple, you can even invite the kids to help make it with you for a fun family activity.
Ingredients:
1 small lime (or 1 tablespoon of lime juice)
2 cups cold soda water, sparkling water or seltzer water
2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
1 tray of ice cubes
Directions:
1. If using a whole lime, wrap it in a napkin and roll vigorously to make it easier to squeeze the juice out. Cut your rolled lime in half and squeeze into a pitcher.
2. Pour soda water and honey/agave nectar into the pitcher and stir together until ingredients are completely dissolved and blended thoroughly.
3. Put the preferred amount of ice cubes into glasses and pour the mixture into the glass.
4. Serve and enjoy!
Berry Pops
This tasty treat is a great choice for warmer months. However, you can simply pour the Berry Pops mixture into a pitcher instead of freezing it for a healthy drink when it's cooler out.
Ingredients:
2 cups strawberry, raspberry or cherry juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup beet juice
1 large beet, washed and cut into slices
2 tablespoons of liquid honey (optional)
1 cup fresh fruit (optional)
Directions:
Place beet slices into juicer and mix with fresh fruit. Pour beet juice, orange juice and liquid honey into a large pitcher and stir in the mixture from the juicer. Pour the final mixture into popsicle molds and place in the freezer. As an alternative to popsicle molds, you can also use small paper cups lined with wax paper. Place in freezer for one hour, or until firm enough to keep the stick securely in place. Insert wooden stick into the middle of the frozen juice and return to the freezer for an additional hour or until completely frozen.
Making nutritious beverages for kids is a fun, easy and economic alternative to purchasing sugary juices from your local grocery store. You never know what you might be buying with these manufactured beverages. However, making your own drinks allows you to control exactly what your kids are consuming, which ensures a healthier lifestyle and better nutrition. When making beverages, make sure to always use filtered or purified water to ensure your drinks are free from contaminants and as healthy as possible for your little ones.
Image courtesy of BreadnBadger
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