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First Juice: An Honest Review of Healthy, Organic Juice for Kids and GIVEAWAY!
I can still remember peering over the kitchen countertop of my youth watching my mom get out our tan plastic pitcher, the inside stained a dull red, as she prepared to mix up one of my favorite childhood beverages….Kool-Aid. I had an important role in the process. I was often the one lucky enough to get to pour in a brimming cup of glistening sparkly white sugar. If I got to scoop it myself, believe you me, that puppy was overflowing.
I would mix that cup of kid crack with that suspicious cranberry red powdery substance and a quart of tap water in our well-used pitcher with a wooden spoon and…Voila! I can still remember the sting on my teeth as the sugar would coat my mouth. If you look closely enough, you still might be able to see a faint red Kool-Aid mustache curving up from the corners of my mouth.
Well, now that I’m a mama of three little ones, the thought of getting them jacked up on Kool-Aid the old-fashioned way doesn’t sound like such a good idea. I’m usually looking for ways to calm them down as opposed to amping them up. So I have yet to mix up a pitcher of Kool-Aid in my home, but if you open the fridge, you will most always find an assortment of juice.
Now, my husband doesn’t really see Kool-Aid and juice as two entirely different things. They’re both loaded with sugar he reminds me and he is a firm believer in giving the kids water to drink as opposed to juice. But since I’m the one who is usually grocery shopping and filling their sippy cups, I often surrender to their cry for juice. I mean it sounds healthy enough – apple juice? What’s wrong with a little apple juice? Although I do try my best to water it down. Half apple juice, half water. Oh, you know the drill.
So when I was given the opportunity to check out a product called First Juice, an organic fruit and vegetable juice beverage, I thought “Oh yeah!” Perhaps once and for all we could all feel at peace about letting the kids have juice. And who knows? Maybe my marriage would be better because of First Juice as well.
THE PRODUCT
Doesn’t that picture just make you feel all happy inside? Okay then. Here’s the deal. First Juice is an organic fruit and vegetable juice beverage that comes in four flavors: Apple + Carrot, Banana + Carrot, Blueberry + Purple Carrot and Peach + Purple Carrot. I know, you’re all like “Purple Carrot? Whaaaa?”
Sure, I was too. But First Juice has taught me a lot about the purple carrot. It’s history, its perks, its relation to the orange carrot, and although the look of the purple carrot may confuse you, I’m here to tell you, it’s all good. Although I’m a big fan of orange carrots, I can honestly say I think I’m a little more in love with the purple carrot now. Just as tasty, way more original and provides your little ones with a much needed antioxidant, the same type found in blueberries and red grapes.
First Juice reminded me that different colored veggies are important to the healthy growth of our children and that I need to stop relying on just corn and a few raw orange carrots going into my kids’ bellies. My kids need a more well-rounded veggie diet and First Juice can sneak that in without them barely knowing.
And the sugar facts on this product? First Juice contains 12 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving which is 50 percent less than the leading 100% apple juice. It’s also USDA Certified Organic and kosher and has no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup.
How does that sound?
WHAT THE COMPANY SAYS
First Juice is the nation’s first organic, low sugar, fruit and vegetable juice for infants and toddlers. First Juice encourages healthy eating habits from the start. Research shows that starting children out on food and beverages that are nutritious will develop healthy eating habits for life.
First Juice, Inc. is a socially responsible business who believe that delivering great products for parents and their children is good business. The mission of the company is to make products that can help parents positively influence children’s taste-preference development.
WHAT THE KIDS SAY
My kids are pretty smart. They usually know when I’m trying to pull a fast one over on them. So when First Juice arrived for our taste testing, I wasn’t sure exactly how to present it without them getting suspicious. So I gave it to them straight – “I’ve got some healthy juice for you to try. It’s gonna make you strong and healthy and will probably make you run real fast.”
If you’re not already using it, that running line is a good one for lots of things. It has stopped working when I try to get them to eat peas and green beans but they were willing to go with it again for the sake of the “healthy juice.”
So after the taste-testing was done, let me give it to you straight – they loved it.
No problem with the less sugary taste, no problem with the purple carrot, no problem with the veggie component, and not only no problem, now they will actually ask for the “healthy juice.”
And yes, it does for sure make them run faster. That’s a fact.
WHAT THE MOM SAYS
I love First Juice for many reasons. First it was started by a dad who was tired of giving his kids the sugary juices that I was giving my kids. What’s with dads and sugary juices? They’re way ahead of us on this one.
Second, the juice tastes good. It really does. It doesn’t have that sugary sting of Kool-Aid and a lot of other juices out there and it doesn’t have that annoying juice aftertaste.
Third, it provides 60% of the Daily Value (DV) of Vitamin C, 35% DV of Vitamin A and 10% DV for Calcium and Vitamin D in an 8 oz. serving.
Fourth, it’s healthy and organic. What mom is not behind that concept? Please.
Fifth, not only does the juice come in a 32-oz pour bottle that is BPA and phthalate-free and recyclable but it also comes in an 8 oz. bottle with a spill-proof sippy top for grab and go convenience. And it’s dishwasher safe so you can use the little bottles again and again.
Doesn’t this all sound so smart? It sure does to me. So First Juice is gonna become the regular juice drink around our home and I’m happy to know my kids won’t have to live with a faint Kool-Aid mustache for the rest of their lives like I have had to.
Oh yes, and my husband is really happy. He even offered to give me a foot massage the other night – for no reason. I think it was because of First Juice. Really.
DO YOU WANNA TRY FIRST JUICE?
If you have kids, you should want to try this juice. The younger the better but even my 4 and 6 year old girls liked this juice. I just wish it were around when they were young. My lil’ dude will benefit greatly from drinking First Juice for sure.
First Juice is sold nationwide at Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Target, Toys R Us and Babies R Us and retails between $3.49 and $4.49 per 32 oz. bottle. The 8 oz. sippy cup bottles cost between $1.99 – $2.49.
One other way to check out this juice? A GIVEAWAY! Head on over to Moms Without Blogs for your chance to win!
Lee @ Moms Without Blogs
