Juice Master Keeping It Simple: Over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies. Jason Vale
one of the main ingredients in this recipe. Spinach isn’t usually top of the list when it comes to kids’ favourite foods and if they see you putting the green stuff into this recipe you may have a fight on your hands trying to get them to drink it. This is why sometimes a little white lie can be a good thing. The juice is really green and if you tell them it’s kiwi fruit that has made it that colour and that it’s a fruit juice, your chances of getting them to drink it will improve massively. Having said that, some kids don’t mind the fact it has some spinach in (like little Molly – she even puts it in the juicer herself!), but only you know your child and if you need to tell a slight porky on this occasion, it’s not a bad thing.
1 large handful spinach ¼ medium pineapple (peeled) 1 apple 1 inch slice lemon (unwaxed if possible, if not peel it) ice
Juice everything and add ice. Remember to pack the spinach into the feeder of the chute before turning on the machine and then push it through slowly. If you have a whole fruit juicer, place the apple in first, then the spinach, then the pineapple and lemon.
Look what’s in it! Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C and E, beta-carotene, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chlorophyll, sulphur, bioflavonoids, folic acid and natural sugars.
How will it juice the little ones? Helps to maintain healthy skin, eyes and bones. This juice is good for boosting the immune system, great for cardiovascular health and the niacin (vitamin B3) is an excellent aid for brain and nerve function. Although spinach is well known for its iron content, not all is in a form easily utilized by the body; however, much more becomes available in spinach juice. And, with pineapple containing iron too, the Popeye certainly contains more than enough for your little ones’ needs. Very cleansing.
Kids’ Fruity Special
Freshly extracted orange, apple and kiwi juice, blended with banana and ice
We all know fruit is good for the kids, but very few realize just how good. You may think a carton of fruit smoothie is a healthy alternative to a refined white sugary drink, and you would be right, but few understand the power of a freshly made fruit smoothie. A smoothie that hasn’t been heat treated; a smoothie that has nothing but fresh, live ingredients. Very few have any concept of the quantity of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that nature provides in every fruit on Earth. Make a smoothie for your kids and you will not only be giving them a delicious drink, but a great deal of what they need to grow both physically and mentally.
1 juicy orange (peeled, but leave the white pith on) 1 apple (Golden Delicious or Royal Gala) ¼ banana (fairtrade if possible) 1 kiwi fruit (green or gold) ice
Juice the orange, apple and kiwi. You can juice the kiwi fruit with the skin on, but this can often be harsh on the back of the throat, so it’s your call on that one. Place the banana in the blender, along with the juice and ice. Blend until smooth.
Look what’s in it! Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E, beta-carotene, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, boron, ellagic acid, amino acids and natural sugars.
How will it juice the little ones? Kiwi fruit are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A when the body needs it. This vitamin is essential for the development and growth of cells and helps maintain healthy skin and eyes. Vitamin B1 (found in apples) assists in blood formation and the production of hydrochloric acid, which is essential for proper digestion. Fibre helps to keep kids ‘moving’ and the potassium to keep their sodium/potassium balance in order (perhaps after they have eaten too many crisps!).
Juicy tip
If you tell your kids exactly how smoothies will help them, they are much more likely to ask for them. If we are dealing with teenagers, it’s good to mention that they ‘help to keep a good healthy weight’ and are ‘great for clear skin’ – you know the things they worry about.
Kids’ Chute Juice
The idea of the book is ‘Keeping it Simple’ and a whole fruit juicer makes juicing that much easier (see The Right Juicy Kit, page 9). Kids’ Chute Juice has been designed with whole fruit juicing in mind. All of the ingredients fit into the chute, you push down and boom – juice done! If you don’t have a wide funnel juicer, you can clearly still make this juice; it just means you have to spend some extra time cutting, chopping and feeding into the chute. This gorgeous-tasting fruit smoothie packs more nutrients than you would think. Just look at what’s in it below to see the incredible quantity of vitamins and minerals your kids will get by having a small glass.
2 apples (Golden Delicious or Royal Gala) ⅓ lemon with rind on (unwaxed if possible) 1 pear (Conference are best, but use whatever you can get hold of) ice
Put one apple in the chute, followed by the lemon and pear. Sandwich with the other apple and juice. Add ice to cool.
Look what’s in it! Vitamins A, B and C, potassium, folic acid, boron, ellagic acid, carotenes, amino acids, natural sugars and anti-oxidants.
How will it juice the little ones? Pear juice is exceptionally good for protecting the colon. Given that colon cancer is now one of the biggest killers in the UK, the earlier you can get some protection into your kids the better. The mineral boron is needed in trace amounts for healthy bones and muscle growth. It is also necessary for the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Additionally, it enhances brain function as well as playing a role in how the body utilizes energy from fats and sugars. Both apples and pears contain boron.
Choctastic
It may come as a surprise that chocolate has made it into a recipe for the little ones, but the only chocolate used here is over 80 per cent cocoa. It is also organic and fairtrade (the most important aspect). The incredible amount of goodness found in the combination of fresh banana, orange, pineapple and live yogurt more than quash any negative effect the chocolate may have, and if it’s the only way the little chaps will consume fruit then it’s all for the greater good.
1 orange (peeled, but leave on the white pith) 1 inch thick slice of a medium pineapple 4 pieces organic chocolate (use fairtrade, above 80 per cent cocoa solids) ½ banana (fairtrade if possible) 3 tablespoons low-fat live yogurt ice
Juice the orange and pineapple. Grate chocolate into the blender (mind your fingers!) and add banana, yogurt, juice and ice. Blend everything until smooth – soooooooooo tasty!
Look what’s in it! Friendly bacteria, calcium, vitamins A, B6 and C, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, folic acid, phosphorus, zinc, beta-carotene, fibre, natural sugars, amino acids and anti-oxidants.
How will it juice the little ones? Live yogurt helps replenish the friendly bacteria in the gut, helping to prevent any overgrowth of yeast. Calcium helps neutralize an acidic system and is, of course, good for the bones and teeth. The juice contains nature’s natural balance of sodium and potassium, one the key factors to good health, and even the dark chocolate contains some anti-oxidants. This is an extremely balanced smoothie that tastes naughty but is still extremely good for your kids.
Reddy, Steady, Go!
Freshly extracted apple, beetroot, broccoli, celery, cucumber, pineapple and lime juice
Raw beetroot is not on top of most kids’ wish lists on the food front, but it is unbelievably good for them. Once again, this is where juicing comes into its own. When you juice raw beetroot it gives a gorgeous deep red colour and the taste is surprisingly sweet. It’s not one you would drink on its own, but mixed with a few other veg and a serving of fruit, you can fool any kid into believing