Is Carrot Juice OK for a 14 Month Old??

As the other mothers have pointed out allergies are an issue but something to think about even more is the possible long term effects of getting her used to drinking something so sweet. Would she be drinking this from a sippy cup? If so it could cause damage to her tooth enamel and worse disrupt her willingness to drink plain water.

My daughter suffered from chronic constipation as a young toddler and the doctors told us to do anything to get her liquid intake up. The only thing that worked was mixing a bit of apple juice with water. She is now six and still does not really drink water on its own. I think it would be much better to work on getting her to eat veggies by finding dips she likes - like peanut butter on celery or hummus with carrot sticks etc. - there is usually something you can find that will work if you keep trying (boring I know) and you don't give sugary sweet stuff as an alternative.

Also I think sneaking a few veggies in other things here and there is quite all right - and this is why: If it means you stop worrying about it and can secretly smile, the change of atmosphere at mealtimes is so extraordinary that your daughter might relax enough to start trying the things you never imagined! I put pureed cauliflower in mashed potatoes (even my husband doesn't notice) and pretty much every vegetable going in Bolognese and then I serve more veggies on the side and they just have to have two bites of everything. I also so do homemade popsicle sticks that are just fruit mixtures in the blender that I often add carrots or cabbage to (it makes them smoother and they taste nothing!) I am happy because I know they are getting something and they are happy because they think it is not too much!

I wish you the best of luck!

If you gave her straight carrot juice, such as from one of those juice machines, I'm sure you'd be fine.

The danger is in the sugar content of the mixed juices. If it's mostly apple, it will be much higher in sugar than straight carrot. Compare the nutritional content of several brands -- check the grams of sugar per serving, and obviously make sure you are comparing servings of the same size.

It sure is tricky getting some of these little guys to eat their veggies. My 9-mos-old is totally uninterested. He likes bread and yogurt and that's about it!

I have not heard any general prohibitions against giving a 14-month-old carrots or carrot juice. Like any food, a small amount should be given the baby for a few consecutive days to test for allergy.

I do not try to sneak anything into my kids' food. I've heard that sneaking items into kids' food might get the kids to eat the items NOW but will get them to veer away from buying (and eating) those items, the food items they think they detest, after they reach adulthood. I've also heard that if you look as though you enjoy eating the food that they say they don't like right now, they will often try the food later and enjoy it for the rest of their lives. My kids really like vegetables. That may be due, in part, to me loving and serving vegetables at least a few times a day and treating them as dessert.

my son absolutely loves carrot juice. I started offering it to him probably around 1 yr old. He would guzzle it and then have a bright orange mustache, he was SOO cute!! i just suggest that you water it doen a little and start with small quantities. too much would make my baby spit it up a little, which never seemed to bother him really, but was a sign to me. And being mixed with AJ helps too. But i agree that it is agreat way to get those nutrients into those picky little bodies!!
Good Luck!

Hi,
Just one little word of warning: as a kid I loved carrots, not knowing I was mildly allergic to them until my folks bought a juicer -- my first glass of carrot juice sent me into a strong asthma attack. Woops! I still eat cooked carrots very happily, but can't take raw carrots more than one at a time (and of course there are *lots* of carrots in a glass of juice!).

Before you give your daughter any cups of concentrated goodness, just try a spoonful out a day ahead and watch for reactions. She'll probably be fine, but better safe than sucking on an inhaler! ;-)

If she does well and if you make your own juice, be sure to save the pulp and sneak it into her food later so she still gets the fiber. Carrot and other vege pulps go nicely in meatballs (real or vegetarian, if you make your own) etc.

Best of luck!

Hi,

Once you have determined that allergies are not the issue, and that the juice may be just another way to get vegies in the diet, you might consider a vegetable juice with more vegies in it.

Evolution (from most health food stores, including Whole Foods and the Santa Monica Coop.) makes a juice called Incredible Vegetables, which has: carrots, beets, celery, parsley, and a whole bunch of things that I can't remember. My son LOVES it! He drinks very little at a time, so a single bottle will last several days. I usually finish it off before it goes bad.

Enjoy!

Carrot or any other vegetable juices would be a great choice. You could even juice your own vegetables for maximum vitamin potential!-www.weelicious.com