Recently the nice people at POM Wonderful sent me a case of pomegranate juice. They had seen our “how to open a pomegranate” video, liked it and got in touch with me — not realizing what a big fan I already was of their product.

If you read weelicious enough, though, you’ll know that I’m not a big advocate of juice for kids. Most juices sold in supermarkets are generally full of sugary calories and fill kids up when they should be eating and getting the benefits from the actual fruits themselves. Even for adults, I always suggest diluting juices with a little sparkling or flat water so they don’t pile on unwanted calories.

I love POM for several reasons, though. One: it’s delicious and it contains 100% pomegranate juice with no added sugars. Two: ounce for ounce it contains more antioxidant properties than most other juices and beverages. Three: it makes an awesome jello flavor because of it’s intense natural flavor.

Kenya had never even seen jello before I came up with this recipe. For a 2 1/2 year old, food that jiggles is better then a toy. He had so much fun slurping it, pulling it, throwing it (boy, that was fun to watch) and finally, eating it. It’s a healthy dessert that is big on entertainment. Or, instead of giving your kids juice, try putting POM in a recipe like this one a make it a real treat!

Pomegranate Strawberry Jello (Makes 4-6 Servings)

2 Cups (16 Oz) Pomegranate Juice
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
2 Envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
1/2 Cup Strawberries, chopped

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups of pomegranate juice and agave just to a boil.
2. In a separate bowl place the remaining 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice. Sprinkle with the gelatin and let it stand for 1 minute.
3. Add the hot pomegranate liquid to the cool pomegranate juice and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
4. Pour into molds or an 8×8 pyrex dish and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to cool. (Keep an eye on the jello. You don’t want it to firm up or the strawberry pieces won’t sink into the jello).
5. Place pieces of strawberries in the molds and continue to refrigerate another 20-30 minutes or until set.
6. If using a mold, dip the bottom of the pan in hot water making sure not to submerge it and shake it to release on to a plate. If you made them in individual cups, eat straight out with a spoon.
6. Serve.

Juicing is one of those activities for kids that’s just plain old fun. There’s nothing better then going to the farmer’s market, buying tons of organic carrots, beets, oranges and so on, and then going home with your little one(s) and coming up with all kinds of unique juice creations. Sometimes I’m a little perplexed by Kenya’s choice of ingredients when he points to the ones he wants in his, but he always seems to love the end product. It only goes to prove my theory that when kids are involved in making what they eat and drink, they have pride of ownership and are more likely to try new things. Kenya enjoys the juices so much that he tends to sucks them down faster than we can make them.

I’m not opposed to canned and bottled juices, but most of the ones you’ll find in the supermarket are packed with unnecessary sugars and preservatives that your kids don’t need. There are so many other choices like herbal teas, blender smoothies and of course these juice recipes. They’re actually not even recipes. It’s really up to you and your kids what vitamin rich, nutritious creations you want to drink.

Juicing

We love to make the 3 listed below, but you can be the chef and pick any fruits or veggies you crave.

Carrot, Beet and Ginger
Apple, Celery, Kale and Beet Greens
Beets, Blood Orange and Ginger

*You do need a juice machine for this recipe

1. Turn juicer on.
2. Place a mix of fruits and vegetables in juicer shoot creating the desired amount of juice you want.

*Make sure to wash the produce well. If using carrots make sure to peel them to remove bitter flavor. Remove the outer peel from oranges and grapefruits, but retain the white pith. With most other fruits and vegetables you can leave the skins on and just put them through the juicer.
3. Once all the juice is in the container, stir to combine.
4. Drink and enjoy.