Navigating the ins and outs of healthy eating with kids is tricky.  It’s hard to explain to a 7 year old exactly why some of the foodstuff she loves are totally ok: apples, grapes, tomatoes, salad, lentils etc. but others, like Coke, are total shit.  “But Moooooooom, it tastes SO good, and I feel FINE after I drink it.  Really, I don’t think it’s so bad for me, I don’t even feel sick!” 

To try and clarify which things are which,  we use two categories for things we like: “tastes good /good for you” and “tastes good /not so good for you”.  The latter category is reserved for treats and exceptions and the former is mostly open bar (sadly, the real bar beverages fall into the tastes good/not so good for you category, so no open bar at the real bar. Grrrrrrrrr.)

So.  Fruit juice.  An alternative to soda, more fun than water… many people categorize this as a tastes good/good for you option.  This would be seem to be a logical conclusion because it’s derived from fruit, a real, whole food.  I’m not convinced; here’s the low down.

Lots of fruit juice is loaded with extra sugar, and other additives to preserve its shelf life at the grocery store.  Often the extra sugar is added in the form of high fructose corn syrup.  And just to no that.  But even if it’s not the really evil kind of added sugar, any kind of refined sugar isn’t a good idea.

Suppose you buy 100% organic juice: totally safe, yes?  Hmmmmm, not so sure.  The 100% organic stuff is definitely better than the mega processed aforementioned kind, but it’s still processed.  While there are still some of the vitamins in the juice of the fruit, many of the other important nutrients found in the whole fruit are eliminated; fiber, for example.  And even if the sugar is naturally occurring so not technically a processed food, you can certainly drink lots more “sugar” in the juice shortcut than if you have to eat 10 oranges to get the equivalent quantity.

I don’t mean to say that juice is BAD.  But it’s not a replacement or an equivalent for whole fruits that have a natural nutrient/vitamin balance.  I don’t offer it to the kids on a regular basis. I guess I would put it in the good/not so good for you category.  That same category where I put my wine.  As much as I would like to, I can’t credibly convince myself that I’m drinking it for the grapes.

Wait, whaaaa?!  No more juice?  Little Jimmie loves juice!  He’s going to flip a lid if I cut back. 

I hear ‘ya.  Here’s a good alternative for a fruity beverage treat, because seriously, who doesn’t like a smoothie.  (Use the 2 banana version in the beginning, the extra sweetness is appreciated by the young-inz.)  And the added veggies are a bonus!  The whole Fam gets on board for this one.

Going Down Smoothie

4 cups raw spinach leaves

1 cup other greens (I used kale)

Cold water (as needed)

1 apple washed and chopped into large chunks

1 pear washed and chopped into large chunks

I banana, peeled

Small bunch of cilantro

Juice from one lemon

Start by making the green base: put the spinach, kale and water in the blender.  If you have a serious blender like a Vitamix, I’m totally jealous and you should invite me over to use it.  Just kidding.  Serious blender owners won’t need much water.  The rest of us have to add water and push the greens down until the mixture “takes”.  This will vary.

After you’re set on the green base, put the blender on high, and add the fruit so it mixes in with your base.  If you want to up the sweetness factor, add another banana.

Last step: the herbs (cilantro in my case) and the lemon juice are added last.

Serve cold.  Preferably in fancy glasses.  All things taste better in fancy glasses.

You Can’t Stick a Fourchette in This One (obviously!), but You’re Done!