7 Best Homemade Juice for Babies & Toddlers (With Recipes)

Are you keen on finding the type of juice you can offer a baby or a toddler? You’re wondering which is the best homemade juice for babies. Don’t worry. This article will help answer your question.

Juice is a liquid that comes from fruit or vegetables. There are recommended juice for babies that can aid them in getting the necessary nourishment they need for proper development.

Some of the best homemade juice for babies include carrot, orange, grape, pineapple, apple, watermelon and strawberry juice.

Introducing a healthy juice for your baby will help them get all nutrients like vitamins and minerals, essential for their proper growth and development.

Let’s head down to the best homemade juice for babies and toddlers.

Best Homemade Juice for Babies 6 Months

At six months, babies eat sparingly because their stomach is still tender and not fully developed to handle heavy food.

The little food they consume or the diet you place them on must contain the essential nutrients for their proper development.

Most times, babies need essential nutrients that their bodies can’t produce. Hence, the need to give your baby foods rich in nutrients for healthy development.

And these nutrients include folate, iron, calcium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin C from fruits blended into juice for your babies.

So at six months, it is proper that you introduce your baby to fruit juice if you want to give them juice.

There are reservations about introducing juice to babies under 12 months of age. Even the American Academy of pediatricians believes no juice till your baby gets to 12 months.

Always ensure that the juice you give your baby, mainly at this stage, is diluted so that the sugar content of the fruits does not cause tooth decay. Always use one juice in 10 parts of water.

Here is some of the best homemade juice for babies and toddlers

1. Carrot Juice

This is one fruit juice you can give to your baby from six months up, and the production or manufacture of this juice at home makes it even better, provided you maintain the proper hygiene.

How to prepare:

First, scrap the back of the carrots after washing the carrots properly, then blend well
After blending, you can filter using a sieve to clean the fluid.
Then serve immediately

You can give your little one the blended carrot liquid, and she will be forever grateful that you gave her natural fruit juice instead of artificially flavored commercial juice.

Carrot fruit is enriched with many vitamins, especially vitamin A, which is suitable for good vision development. Carrot juice will benefit your baby since it will give them lots of vitamins and nutrients.

2. Orange Juice

When we talk about juice, you can offer a baby; orange juice comes to mind because it is a rich source of vitamin C.

How to prepare:

First, wash your oranges under running water as usual.
Cut them horizontally, and squeeze each half of the orange with your hands using an orange juicer machine.
Collect the juice in a bowl, filter the juice using a strainer, and then add water in other to dilute the orange concentration to the level that can be acceptable to your baby.
Finally, mix and serve your baby.

3. Pineapple Juice

This is another juice to consider giving your baby if you want to do fruit juice for or baby. It is pretty easy to prepare.

How to prepare:

First, ensure your pineapple is washed correctly.
Then cut off the stem and base of the fruit. Cut the fruit into two halves, peel off the skin and then slice and cube it.
Blend until it is smooth, sieve, and add water to dilute the juice so that you’re little and can take it without any health issues.

4. Grape Juice

Grape juice is also an excellent choice. Since it belongs to the citrus family, it is filled with vitamin C, which benefits a baby’s proper growth and development.

How to prepare:

First, remove the stems.
Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, and mix well. Ensure you wash the grapes thoroughly. Use lemon to remove the pesticide effect on the grapes while washing.
Pour sugar or honey, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and the washed grapes into a blender.
Blend and dilute with water and then give to your baby. Try not to grind too much to avoid crushing the seeds too.

5. Apple Juice

This is another healthy and easy juice that you can offer a baby when prepared hygienically.

How to prepare:

First, wash and remove the seeds. Cut the apples into slices. You don’t need to peel the apples.
Add the apples to the pot and add enough water. Add enough water to get it diluted. This juice may come out a bit strong, but it’s much easier to dilute it with extra water than to strengthen the flavor.
Boil the apples for about 10 minutes or until the apples are soft. Place a coffee filter in a mesh strainer, and place it over a bowl. Then filter through the bottom into your bowl while the apple mush is left behind.
Repeat this process until all of your juice is in the bowl.
Taste and serve immediately.

Read: Does Apple Juice Help with Constipation (9 Healthy Benefits)

6. Orange Strawberry Juice

This is another juice you can give your baby when prepared hygienically. The juice is extracted from the oranges using the juicer, and the strawberry is blended until it is smooth.

How to prepare:

Firstly, remove the leaves from the strawberries.
Cut the oranges in half and extract them using a manual juicer. Blend the juice extracted from the oranges and the strawberry until it is smooth.
Cut the remaining oranges into slices and put them in a pitcher along with ice cubes.
Then pour the juice through a mesh strainer to remove the seed and pulp. Pour the strained juice over the orange slices and ice. Don’t forget to dilute.

7. Watermelon Juice

Watermelon is another fruit filled with lots of nutrients and is effective for detoxification. I am sure that it will do your baby lots of good.

How to prepare:

First, wash the watermelon fruits under running water thoroughly.
Remove the outer layer with a big knife and chop them into cubes.
After the chopping or cutting process, you transfer the chopped watermelon cubes to the blender. Add a little bit of salt and then a bit of lemon juice to strike a balance.
Blend it for 10 seconds so that the seeds are not blended, filter and collect the juice and then feed your baby. Remember to dilute.

Things To Keep in Mind When Serving Your Baby Juice

Wash fruits thoroughly before you blend.
Start with one fruit so your baby’s sensitive stomach can get used to it.
Use a cup and a spoon to offer juice to your baby instead of a bottle. You can start with small portions.
Watch out for any unusual reactions it might cause after drinking the juice, and stop if you notice any such allergy.
The first time you give her juice, make sure you dilute it to about 25:75, with 25 being the fruit, as this is easier on her stomach.
Ensure you boil the fruits first and avoid giving your baby raw juice as much as possible.
Begin with simple local foods such as apples, pears, and carrots.
Don’t supplement juice with either water or any solid food.
Boil the fruits and vegetables when preparing juice for a seven-month-old baby. Babies at this age need to be watched closely for reactions, so it is safe to use diluted juice. Ensure you feed your baby not more than 2 tbsp a day.
While giving your baby juice, give her solids to get the extra nutrition quickly.
If your baby is at eight months, you can offer them raw juice, but ensure it is cleaned thoroughly. Parents can try new forms of juices at this age.

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FAQs

Can I Add Fruit and Vegetable Juice to the Baby’s Diet?

You can add vegetable and fruit juice to your baby’s diet because it provides nutrition.

However, it’s important to remember that you cannot supplement solid food with juice alone since her body is growing and needs a lot of protein, fat, and calcium.

Is It Safe To Give Homemade Juice to Babies?

Experts have differing opinions. Although the American Academy of Paediatrics does not recommend homemade juice due to its lack of pasteurization, the National Guideline on Infant and Young Child Feeding (India) recommends boiled homemade food and juice. This may be due to not eating packaged foods.

Is It Ok To Use the Juice From Boiled Fruits for Fruit Purees?

You can make juice concentrates by boiling. Some nutrients can be destroyed while boiling. There’s no hard and fast rule prohibiting its use.

Conclusion

I guess you know the best homemade juice for babies and toddlers and that all your confusion has cleared up.

At six months, it is proper that you introduce your baby to fruit juice if you want to give them juice.

Although there are reservations about introducing juice to babies under 12 months, even the American Academy of pediatricians suggests no juice until your baby gets to 12 months.

Always ensure that the juice you give your baby, mainly at this stage, is diluted so that the sugar content of the fruits does not cause tooth decay. Always use one part of juice in 10 parts of water while you do this.