Sunday, September 27, 2009

Review and Giveaway: First Juice CLOSED



I've spoken ad nauseum about Nate's rather finicky nature when it comes to food. The only vegetable I can get him to eat regularly without a fight is sweet potato and the only meat he'll tolerate is in the form of a chicken nugget. He rejects just about any fruit, whether solo or mixed with oatmeal. Bananas. Apples. Peaches. Pear. They're all chucked onto the splat mat in disgust, due to their slimy, wet texture. If it's not a carb in a firm, circular shape, he's not interested.

In an effort to get him to ingest a bit of all food groups and colors of the rainbow, I have started offering apple, orange or mixed fruit juice once a day. But the sugar content in these drinks are often so high and the taste is so sweet that I have to dilute it at least 50% with water. This sacrifices quality and after an ounce or so, Nate has had enough. While I'm glad he's not becoming addicted to sugar, I really wanted to find a more surefire way to introduce fruit flavors without worrying about consequences to his teeth and body.

I first heard about First Juice when I came across it in Babies 'R Us. Nate was still being breastfed exclusively at that time so I didn't make the purchase but took note of the brand. As time went on, I began to see blog review after blog review singing its praises. So, when I contacted First Juice directly and was granted a review opportunity, I was delighted.

First Juice
, founded by a dad(!) who wanted a nutritious yet flavorful drink for his two children, is an organic fruit and vegetable juice beverage designed specifically for toddlers and their parents. First Juice is lower in sugar than traditional juice drinks and contains nothing artificial. This allows children to develop healthy eating habits right from the start.
Research shows that taste preferences developed early can last a lifetime. First Juice contains 12 grams of sugar per 8 oz serving, 50 percent less sugar than the leading 100% juice products and is fortified with key nutrients including calcium and vitamins C and D.
First Juice is available in two convenient sizes, an 8 oz. spill-proof, reusable sippy top bottle to grab and go as well as a 32 oz. screw top bottle to keep at home or use as a refill. All bottles are made of Bisphenol-A (BPA) free and phthalate-free plastic and come in four tasty flavors:
  • Apple and carrot
  • Banana and carrot
  • Peach and purple carrot
  • Blueberry and purple carrot


At first, I thought purple carrot was some bogus name just to get kids to think vegetables were cool. But I soon discovered they weren't pulling my leg - there really are purple carrots! SCOUT'S HONOR! Apparently, centuries ago, carrots used to come in a wide variety of colors. The orange color we are accustomed to is actually the result of cross-breeding a red and yellow carrot. Purple carrots are naturally-occurring and taste the same as traditional orange carrots. But not only are they a fun color, they contain the same antioxidants found in purple-red pigmented fruit such as blueberries and grapes. For more information on the history of purple carrots, click on the icon below:



First Juice has won numerous food and beverage awards, including the 2008 PTPA (Parent Tested, Parent Approved) Award. They were most recently a finalist in the 2009 World Beverage Competition. It's obvious the world is sitting up and taking notice, but would it go over as well with my uber-discriminating toddler?

First Juice kindly sent me coupons for four free bottles of either the 8 oz. or 32 oz sizes, so we could try all of the flavors. We chose one sippy-top bottle and three larger containers. We tried the sippy-top bottle first and Nate couldn't really get the hang of it. The spout was hard and shaped differently than he is used to (see picture below). He used it mainly as a teething toy, rather than sucking from it. But I like that the bottle is reusable and that it truly was leak-proof. Even after turning it upside down and shaking it violently, not one drop escaped. I also like that the valve is internal so there are no extra pieces to wash. I think Nate will catch on with a little more practice. In the meantime, he prefers silicone spouts so we just transferred the juice to another sippy.



I was so happy to see Nate drink his juice without one complaint! The first time we gave him some, he drank 6 oz. That was a record! I couldn't help but try some myself and I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't make my lips pucker like the overly sweet drinks and yet it wasn't bland. It was just very light and tasty. We have tried all four flavors and Nate's clear favorite is the Peach and Purple Carrot. His least favorite was the Banana and Carrot (which I anticipated as he is not a fan of banana in any form) but he still drank a little of it so it didn't go to waste.

Here he is with his hands-down favorite flavor



And gnawing on the sippy top



Bottom line: I can't think of one reason not to make First Juice your toddler's...well...first juice. He loves the taste and I love that it's not filled to the brim with sugar that will rot his teeth. Just organic fruits and veggies that are already diluted so I don't have to measure myself. Oh, and the BPA-free bottles and ultra-convenient, reusable sippy cup option are pretty great too. We'll definitely be making this juice a staple in our home from here on out.

BUY IT: You can purchase First Juice online or if you prefer, you can use their handy dandy store locator to find the vendor nearest you. Prices are $1.99 for the 8 oz. sippy-top bottle or $3.49 for the 32 oz. bottle.

WIN IT: One lucky reader will win four coupons for FREE First Juice (your choice of 8 oz. or 32 oz. size)!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Visit First Juice (it's an awesome website, BTW!) and tell me something you learned or what you like most about this product. It's that simple! Make sure you leave me your email address in your comment if it isn't visible on your profile or if you are not a blogger!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure to complete the above mandatory entry or your bonus entries will not count!

1.) Follow my blog or subscribe via reader or email. Comment telling me which method you chose. If you already follow or subscribe, that counts! (1 entry)

2.) Follow me and @firstjuice on Twitter and tweet about the contest. Just leave me a comment with your tweet link. (1 entry)

3.) Add my button to your site and comment with a link where I can find it. (1 entry)

4.) Enter any of my other current giveaways and leave a comment telling me which one(s) you entered. (1 entry each)

Giveaway will end on October 12, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. Open to US only. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: As I mentioned, I received four coupons for free 8 oz or 32 oz juice bottles from First Juice. I was not compensated in any other way for this post.

47 comments:

slb3334 said...

I like that it isn't full of sugar.

mommyjen99 said...

I try and feed my daughter lots of veggies and prefer that they are organic. This juice looks perfect!

mommyjen99 said...

Email subscriber

mommyjen99 said...

Follower

tatertot374 said...

I love that it is lower on sugar and it is organic
THank you!
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

tatertot374 said...

I follow
THank you!
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

mogrill said...

I like that it is low in Sugar. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net

llinda29 said...

I like that it has carrots

Unknown said...

carrots used to be purple bbut were changed to orange =)

autumn398 @yahoo.com

mscoffee77 said...

I like that it only has 12 grams of sugar!

mscoffee77(AT)juno(DOT)com

Unbama said...

In Ancient Persia, carrots were purple! Makes me feel better, because for some reason the carrots that grow in my garden come up white.

dangotmail AT yahoo DOT com
unbama.blogspot.com

Bonita12 said...

Low on sugar and flavors my son would love.

Bonita12 said...

Entered LJBW Cloth Block giveaway.

Melissa G said...

I think it's interesting that carrots used to be purple but now they are orange.

missylovsjesus at yahoo dot com

Melissa G said...

I commented on the Picnic Playground giveaway.

missylovsjesus at yahoo dot com

Melissa G said...

I subscribe in google reader

missylovsjesus at yahoo dot com

janetfaye said...

I learned offering toddlers' a less sweet-tasting juice can help steer them in the direction of developing more healthful eating habits from the beginning.

janetfaye@gmail.com

janetfaye said...

I follow your blog.

janetfaye@gmail.com

janetfaye said...

I have your button:
http://blog-giveaways.blogspot.com/

janetfaye@gmail.com

janetfaye said...

I entered Putumayo Kids CD.

janetfaye@gmail.com

Qwill said...

I learned that kids food preferences are formed by the age of 2.

Qwill said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Qwill said...

Follow and tweeted: http://twitter.com/qwills2cats/status/4775547248

arla said...

I like how it puts the brakes on sugar and sweet.
lighthousee27{at}gmail.com

arla said...

I've subscribed!

arla said...

Following you & firstjuice on twitter and I tweeted also.
http://twitter.com/litehouse27/status/4783795785

erma said...

I learned that First Juice® Brand organic fruit and vegetable juice beverage is designed specifically for young, developing taste buds, with a blend that's naturally lower in sugar.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

jacksonsmommy said...

I love that there are purple carrots in it! What child wouldn't love that!

festiveoccasions@gmail.com

susitravl said...

Low sugar content, great flavors!

susitravl said...

Follow you and First Juice on Twitter.

And I tweeted - http://twitter.com/susitravl/status/4814845087

Michele P. said...

I like the fact that it is made from organic fruits and veggies... very important nowadays since so many things have chemicals on them!

micaela6955 at msn dot com

Michele P. said...

following both on twitter and tweeted @micaela6955

http://twitter.com/micaela6955/status/4817366458

Michele P. said...

entered the Infectiguard giveaway

sunnymum said...

I really, truly appreciate that First Juice has much less sugar than other juices. The peach and purple carrot sounds like a delicious combination. Thanks for the chance to win!

sunnymum said...

Now a follower.

Eli's Lids said...

I learned about purple carrots! Very interesting... never knew. Love their site :)

sunnymum said...

I entered the YouCanMakeThis.com giveaway too.

cman said...

It's low in sugar :)

sunnymum said...

I also entered the Putumayo Kids CD giveaway.

Renee said...

I learned in Ancient Persia they grew purple, green, red, black, etc carrots!

Renee said...

Also entered the Putumayo Kids CD giveaway

Renee said...

also entered Asheba Cd giveaway

Renee said...

also entered the Infectiguard giveaway

Renee said...

also entered the YouCanMakeThis.com Halloween Bundle giveaway

lilyk said...

I like how First Juice has much less sugar than other juices.

lilyk said...

I subscribed by email.

Frugal Family Fun said...

I want to try the blueberry purple carrot juice

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