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.