Immune Boosting Juices for Kids: 3 Flavors They Will Gulp Down

Cold and flu season gets crazy when you have kids. While there’s no way to escape it entirely, you can definitely give your tots an advantage with some immune boosting juices for kids.

Getting children to eat vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables isn’t always easy, but hand them a glass brimming with colorful juice and most will wonder how they got lucky enough to have such a sweet treat.

Here are three simple juice and smoothie recipes that kids will love, which also pack a powerful immune-boosting punch:

Orange Power

Just looking at the bright orange color of this tasty juice will make you feel healthier. All three of the ingredients pack a heaping amount of nutrients that help keep your kids healthy. The beta-carotene in carrots, for example, gets turned into vitamin A, which improves immune function. Oranges are obviously bursting with vitamin C, but you might be surprised to learn that mangoes also contain both vitamins A and C. Mangoes also sweeten the juice, making it more enticing for kids.

What you need:

• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 mango, peeled and pit removed

Run all the ingredients through a juicer to make an 8-ounce serving. If you don’t have a juicer, place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and strain the mixture through some cheesecloth into a glass.

Spinach Surprise

Packed with vitamins A and C, spinach is one of the best foods to possibly boost your immune system, but if you have a selective eater, getting your child to eat it can be tricky, to say the least. This spinach smoothie lets kids enjoy a chocolatey treat, so they won’t snub it for being stuffed with spinach.

Your ingredients are:

• 1 banana, cut and frozen
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup soy or almond milk

Add the milk and spinach to the blender first, and mix until smooth. Then add the banana and cocoa, and blend. (Tip: Freezing the banana ahead of time makes the smoothie cold without having to add ice.)

Tropical Berry Twist

One of my family’s favorite immune boosting juices for kids is a berry blend. My kids will always gladly gobble up strawberries and blueberries, which are full of vitamin C, so they’re happy to drink down a smoothie filled with them. I also throw in some pineapple chunks for a tropical flair that includes even more vitamin C and beta-carotene.

To begin, gather these ingredients:

• 1 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1 cup strawberries, frozen
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen
• 1 cup soy or almond milk

This one is simple: mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Taking time to make immune boosting drinks for kids isn’t always practical when you’re in a rush. To make things easier, I like to pre-chop all the ingredients, put enough for a single serving in a ziptop bag (or reusable container), and freeze. Then I can just grab it and blend for a fast breakfast or snack!

What do you put in your kid’s smoothies? What are their favorite ingredients, specifically when it comes to foods that boost immune system effectiveness (and taste great)? Let us know on Twitter!

Image source: Sher Warkentin

This article was brought to you by Tom’s of Maine. The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of Tom’s of Maine.