Vegetable Delight....for Kids!

I am an avid 'juicer' for my family and children. It is a daily ritual and I highly recommend it for families - especially those with fussy eaters. How else could you consume a big bowl of vegetables, herbs and fruits? In one sitting?

I have found at around the age of 2 children often start to refuse some foods and demand others. Both my son's went through a typical stage of refusal, and my one stronghold remains that these 'refused' foods are put on their plate, every night/day, relentlessly. I do not mind if these foods are refused. I never force my children to to eat them, and I do not make a fuss if they do not. I simply ask them to leave them on the plate.

At the same time my husband and I make a point of eating all of these same foods (usually of the vegetable variety) with much pleasure. Relentlessly! We make our children's 'refused' foods our greatest delight. It is catching and eventually - those vegetables are gobbled up with the same gusto. I believe that modelling our joy with eating these healthy foods is the key to our children developing a healthy relationship with them also.

The reason why I write about this is because Mr 2 year old and I am walking that exact path right now. My day is about making good, healthy and vital foods my greatest delight (luckily they are!). However, my splendid vegetable juices are being tipped out, spilt, hidden and offered to the dog; and all sorts of vegetable matter is adorning the walls and floors of our home. I was running out of ideas!

Part of my coercion is making shallow ice cubes out of the vege juice for Mr 2 to crunch and munch on - with success, but today as I made a smoothie (#see below) Mr 2 requested some "ice" to be put in his. So I can only credit him for the idea. In went a few vege juice ice cubes -  his smoothie had instantly become a true super drink.
He was truly none the wiser. In fact he loved it. And my grin was from ear to ear!
This is what good eating is all about. It is not knowing all the answers, nor giving up. It is thinking outside the box and making it work. Being clever, fearless and.......relentless!

#Vege Smoothie & Juice!

Almond Milk, Cacao & Beetroot powder,

Sprouted Brown Rice protein + Vege juice ice cubes