I find feeding my kids a healthy diet is something I constantly worry about as a parent.  It seems to be something that has got harder as my children have got older, when I was really hoping that it would be easier to get them eating their five a day and enjoying a healthy balanced diet.

My experience seems to go something like this.  When I was weaning my children, I would think everyday about offering them a variety of foods and giving them lots of fruit and vegetables to try.  Things seem to be going really well and the children like lots of different foods.  I’m confident I’m ticking that five-a-day box and maybe I can start to relax a little bit.

All that cooking, mashing and preparing that we put into the weaning stage doesn’t reflect how a family really eats and it soon starts to peter out as the three meals a day are established.  Then my children have all hit a fussy stage at some point or another.  I could muse for ages as to why this happens.  Perhaps they are exercising some control over their universe and refusing food gives them some kind of power. Maybe it’s because they aren’t experiencing the same levels of variety they enjoyed in those early weaning days.  I can’t be sure what it is, but I think it’s something lot of parents can relate to.

Life gets busy doesn’t it?  Parent’s are juggling work and a busy household whilst trying to fit healthy eating into the middle of all this.  I’m a parent who likes some easy wins in my day as life is far too short to be worrying all the time.  I love how giving my kids a drink of their favourite orange juice is helping me tick that healthy diet box with no effort at all.   The children get really excited about drinking orange juice.  They feel like they are having a treat, when actually they are getting one of their 5-a-day in their 150ml portion.

I give them a small glass of orange juice with their breakfast or lunch and it helps me feel like I’m winning the healthy eating battle.  It’s good to know they are getting 100% of their RDA of vitamin C in that one small glass.  It’s well documented how vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system but did you also know that drinking 150ml glass of orange juice with a meal can increase the absorption of iron rich foods?

Are your children getting their 5-a-day?  Could a glass of fruit juice help your kids with a healthy balanced diet?

I’m working in a paid relationship with the British Fruit Juice Association on their #FruitJuiceBoost campaign. Discover the benefits of 100% fruit juice in your children’s diet 

Previous articleReviewed! Luxury Airport Hotel Stay with Sofitel London Gatwick
Next articleMini Travel Guide For Dubrovnik, Croatia

22 COMMENTS

  1. Certainly seem to be enjoying their treat
    It’s hard when everything’s so busy but so worth the effort

  2. It’s always a challenge making sure they get the right nutrients isn’t it? I have to say a serving of orange juice a day makes it SO easy! We’re having one every morning with breakfast now. It’s nice to get one of their 5 a day in before school 🙂

  3. Life is so busy isn’t it! I love how easy it is to incorporate juice into the family’s diet, and it’s great to know my kids are getting one of their five a day.

  4. As babies & toddlers I knew that my kids were getting their 5 a day easily. Now I have 2 teenagers I think I’m lucky if they have 1 some days. They definitely get fussier as they get older!

  5. We are usually good with getting our 5 a-day intake. I think a lot of people are put off with drinking too much fruit juice due to the sugar but everything in moderation. We’ll certaininly be having more fruit juice in the future x

  6. I love a glass of orange juice in the morning. I think it is a struggle for me to eat 5 portions a day let alone kiddies!

  7. I used to make all the kids baby food with fresh fruit and veggies and they wolfed it down. fast forward to primary age and they are stubborn monkey’s and avoid veggies at all costs. The fruit juice boost idea is a great one

  8. I always had a glass of fruit juice to start the day when I was a child and I’ll definitely be doing the same with Pickle when he’s old enough. He’s only just started three meals a day and I agree that it’s so difficult to offer a variety of foods! I always resort to the same things. Poor boy!

  9. A small glass is a really good way of getting one of your five a day (or 10 as they now say). X

  10. It’s funny how mine have all gone in and out of fussy stages, in fact the teen is now the worst but I’m sure she’ll come through it again. Juice though has always been one easy way to get that Vitamin C into them.

  11. My children don’t get their five a day, my 12 year old son will eat an apple or banana but won’t eat vegetables, my four year old daughter loves strawberries grapes blueberries apples bananas and will eat more healthy than my son, the baby has only just started on solids and loves cauliflower and broccoli cheese dinner, but when my older two were younger they would eat veg, they do like orange juice so we try to get them to drink a glass a day and brush their teeth afterwards due to the acidity xxx

Comments are closed.