Vegetable juices - for children

Everyone knows: vegetables are a storehouse of vitamins, microelements and everything that is most useful and necessary for growing organisms. But, unfortunately and to the concern of mothers, not every child enjoys eating carrots, bell peppers or pumpkin. Well, you shouldn’t stuff your kids with hated vegetables. Be smart and offer them vegetable juices!

A word from the pediatrician

Olesya Butuzova, Moscow

Juices contain all the vitamins and microelements and also help solve some health problems.
It is recommended to introduce the first juices into the diet of infants at the age of 7–8 months, and for artificial babies - already at six months of age. Vegetable juices should be included in the baby’s diet gradually, gradually mixing them with fruit juices. For example, add a spoonful of carrot juice to the apple juice already familiar to a child. Remember that you should always carefully observe your baby's skin and stool. The slightest rash or diarrhea is a signal to stop drinking this juice, at least for a while.

So, the time has come for juices, the choice is yours - you can buy special factory-produced drinks in the store, or you can prepare them at home.

For juice to be truly beneficial, it is important not only to choose the right product, but also to prepare it correctly!

How to cook them correctly

Rules for cooking at home.

Some housewives put vegetables trimmed from rot and spoilage into the juicer. This cannot be done. Juice for children is prepared only from the ripest and freshest vegetables and fruits.

Before preparing juice, vegetables must be thoroughly rinsed under running water, peeled and rinsed again. It is recommended to peel vegetables immediately before putting them into the juicer. Otherwise, they lose some of the vitamins and microelements.

To peel and chop vegetables and fruits, use stainless steel knives and enamel or glass utensils. Other materials may react with the juice, adversely affecting its quality.

The juice retains its value for 15 minutes after preparation. Therefore, treat your baby to it right away. There is no point in storing such juices even in the refrigerator.

A word from the gastroenterologist

Tatyana Kosheleva, Saratov

Which juice contains which mineral?

Zucchini

Zucchini is a healthy vegetable containing large amounts of potassium and iron, vitamins C and PP, as well as B vitamins. Zucchini juice has many positive effects: restorative, hematopoietic, sedative, laxative and antiallergic. If you are preparing juice for your baby from fresh, unripe zucchini, you can put it in the juicer along with the skin. It is also rich in nutrients and has many health benefits. Most often, zucchini juice is given in combination with other juices, such as carrot or apple. Children, as a rule, refuse to drink zucchini in its pure form.

PUMPKIN

The orange beauty pumpkin is a treasure trove of useful substances, containing phosphorus, copper, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium, as well as vitamins E, C, B and carotene.

Pumpkin juice has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, laxative and restorative effects. Helps relieve anxiety in restless children, and in combination with honey, it calms the nervous system and improves sleep.

CABBAGE

Cabbage comes in many varieties and types, but all of them are good for children. If we talk about juice, we still squeeze it out of white cabbage, which is rich in folic acid, vitamins B and C. It contains a lot of iodine, potassium, chlorine, zinc and iron.

Cabbage juice helps cope with constipation, normalizes sleep and relieves itching in skin diseases. Traditional healers recommend it as a medicine for respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchial asthma, as well as for anemia. Cabbage juice itself is very concentrated, so it is best to use it in combination with carrot juice in a ratio of 1:10.

CARROT

Everyone knows that carrots are a natural source of vitamin A, which strengthens vision. Carrot juice is tasty and aromatic, strengthens bones and joints, has a positive effect on the development of the nervous system, and also stimulates appetite in children who lack it, and increases the child’s defenses.

CUCUMBER

Cucumber juice is rich in minerals, so it actively strengthens the gums and teeth of babies, and also has an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect. Young cucumbers are squeezed together with the skin, and late ones only after preliminary cleaning. This juice, like cabbage juice, is good to give to children along with carrot juice in a 2:3 ratio.

What will juices help with?

1. A mixture of apple, carrot and parsley juices has a general strengthening effect. This cocktail increases the body's defenses and helps the child resist colds and other diseases.

2. To calm and strengthen the nervous system, a mix of celery, tomato and white cabbage is recommended. After this drink, babies become calmer, and their sleep and appetite noticeably improve.

3. Children suffering from anemia will benefit from a berry and vegetable mix of pumpkin, carrots and apricots, which stimulates an increase in hemoglobin levels in the blood.

4. Also, a mixture of spinach, turnip, carrot, lettuce and parsley juices is well suited to combat anemia and increase iron levels in the blood.

5. An effective remedy for constipation is a cocktail made from cabbage, pumpkin and apricot juice.

6. Apple-pumpkin juice, so common and familiar to all of us since childhood, turns out to not only improve digestion, but also strengthen the baby’s teeth and bones.

7. You can also strengthen your child’s skeletal system with a mixture of parsley juice, carrots, apples and white cabbage.

Thus, vegetable juices are not only tasty, but also a very healthy drink that directly delivers beneficial substances to the child’s body! Choose good, ripe vegetables, properly juice them and treat your kids to wonderful cocktails!