Skip to main content

Adding some excitement to your glass of water


This week I have been writing about water and Henry's experience with learning how to drink from a cup. Sometimes plain water is a little too… plain. For a splash of flavor and color, you can always add a slice of lemon, lime, orange or cucumber to your water. When you’re looking for a little more excitement, here is an easy drink recipe to try with your kids.

Apfelschorle
A few summers ago I was blessed with the opportunity to study in Germany. No, I cannot speak German but I can find my way around a German menu. One of my favorite food discoveries was Apfeslchorle. This refreshing beverage is half apple juice and half soda water. It is less sugary than sparkling apple juice and a light complement to any meal.
Henry tries out a sip of Apfelschorle.
Henry was a little uncertain about his first taste of Apfelschorle. It was his first encounter with a carbonated beverage, but he came back for more.

Ingredients
1 part apple juice
1 part soda water or sparkling water*

Directions
Fill each glass halfway with soda water. Fill the remainder of each glass with apple juice.
Mix equal parts apple juice and soda water.
*Not all sparkling water is created equal. Read the label since some brands are high in sodium. Also avoid club soda since it has added salt.

How your kids can help
  • 1- or 2-year old: Watching the bubbles from the soda water fizzing in the glass.
  • 3-, 4-, or 5-year old: Pouring the juice and soda water in the glass.
  • If you have two kids, let one pour the soda water and the other can pour the juice.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...

Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example. As parents, we are the first role models for Henry. He will learn from our example, so Daddy and I need to eat our fruits and vegetables too. I am not a big fan of mango, but I let Henry watch me eat it with a smile on my face. Then he wants to try some mango too. Henry is more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when he sees Mommy and Daddy eat them too. A recent study confirmed that when parents lead by example their children have a more nutritious diet. The best way to inspire healthy eating habits is to demonstrate them first-hand to your children. Another study found that when parents ate an extra serving of fruit or vegetables each day, their child ate an additional half serving. Yes, it is important to talk with kids about food. But don’t just tell your child to eat their vegetables, let them see you eating a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. It may not always seem like it,...

Five-Spice Salmon with Zucchini Spears (Serves 2 + baby)

As I mentioned yesterday, fish can be an outstanding choice for babies. It is a very healthy option. Plus, it melts into small pieces that are easy for Henry to chew and swallow. This recipe is Henry-approved. I've heard some people are intimidated by cooking fish, but there's no reason to be anxious. Grilling fish gives it a smoky flavor. Just be sure to oil the barbecue so the fish doesn't stick to the grate. The fish is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork. This is likely to be our last grilling recipe for a while, since the weather is cooling down for autumn. Five-spice salmon and zucchini on the grill Ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1 10-ounce salmon fillet 1 medium zucchini Henry enjoying a salmon dinner. Directions Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small bowl to create the ma...