Jingle All The Way With 100% Juice

As we close in on the remaining few weeks of the year, time just never seems to slow down! With three kids who are busy with afterschool activities and sports, time to prepare scratch meals is often short. With time flying by, I, like many of you, have a puzzle-pieced window of time to get nutritious, plant-packed meals and snacks into the whole family. And while I’d love to say that I balance all these schedules while cooking up a storm in the kitchen, that’s not necessarily the case. When it comes to mealtime in my house, convenience and ease are key!

Since I’m always seeking quick ways to add fruits and veggies to my family’s routine, I often look to 100% juice. Juice is convenient, affordable, delicious and increases overall diet quality – it just makes sense to add it to your daily routine. A few ways my family likes to enjoy 100% juice throughout the day are:

• Alongside a balanced breakfast, serving as refreshing beverage;
• In a smoothie as we run out the door to school, work and/or practice;
• A juice box that’s easily thrown into a lunchbox or taken on-the-go;
• As a vinaigrette on top of a salad that can be part of lunch or dinner; or
• As part of an afterschool or post-practice snack – perfect for rehydrating and getting in important bioactive components, like carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols and more.

Another great perk of 100% juice is that it’s shelf stable and easily refrigerated once opened; it’s an awesome pantry staple that you can keep on hand. Plus, 100% juice, along with fresh, frozen, canned and dried varieties, is recognized as part of the fruit group because of its similar nutritional profile. This is so reassuring to me and I feel a great sense of pride knowing that, in serving 100% fruit juice to my family, I am contributing to there health and happiness.

Adding fruits and vegetables to your daily routine doesn’t have to be complex! New habits and routines work best when you stack them with an existing one. It’s as simple as adding one fruit or vegetable to a routine you already have, like adding a glass of juice while eating a meal or a snack. Every little bit helps boost that consumption throughout the day. In fact, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 100% juice is one of the primary beverages to be consumed along with water and low-fat milk. So let’s raise a glass of 100% juice and cheers to vibing with more fruits and vegetables this holiday, and every day! #haveaplant