It’s never too late to get your kids started drinking juices and smoothies, so don’t worry if you have teenagers today and you’ve never juiced or made smoothies before. Start today!
For teenagers, protein and energy are essential, but everything from vitamins A and C for skin and calcium and phosphorous for bone growth is important to maintaining an equilibrium as hormones and outside stresses take their toll.
With junk food and soft drinks so much a part of teens’ life, they don’t always care that pizza and soda don’t make for a balanced diet. And yet, it’s at this stage in their lives that teens can benefit most from establishing lasting healthy food habits that include juices and smoothies. Pure vegetable juice is perhaps the single most important food that teens can have that will ensure that they get the nutrients they need for development. Low-fat dairy smoothies slide into the number two slot in terms of delivering protein and calcium.
When menstruation starts for females, they need more iron. In teen males, vitamins C, K, and some of the B vitamins, along with choline, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and manganese, become important. Short of taking supplements, vegetable and fruit smoothies and juices are the perfect foods for keeping teenagers healthy inside and out.
In terms of daily requirements, one or two pure vegetable or fruit juices and at least one smoothie that includes a protein and a calcium source are essential for teens.