When you plan to send out the best birthday invitation cards, don’t you also want to serve the best birthday party refreshments? Consider the recent chatter about “poisonous” apple juice, made from apples originating outside of the U.S. from countries where arsenic has not yet been banned. Can we brush this off as another Age of Anxiety parenting worry?
Dr. Oz, who started the recent arsenic-in-apple-juice controversy, claims scientists are finding levels of arsenic in some apple juices higher than what the FDA allows in drinking water. A follow-up Parents.com interview with another nutritionist explains the apple juice arsenic is organic, meaning it occurs naturally and is therefore less harmful than the inorganic levels regulated by the FDA. The interview goes on to say that offering juice in moderation to kids is what’s key.
Are you like me trying to figure out if your apple juice is made with apples from China? Good luck finding that on the label. And good luck trying to get the kids to go “moderate” on drinking apple juice at your next birthday party! So what to do to replace this favorite birthday party drink for kids?
It’s an opportunity, really. Reach for some closer-to-home, all natural ingredients and products. Here’s our top picks for party-worthy apple juice substitutes:
- Apple Cider. Fresh from your local farmstand, true cider is made from early harvest apples and often unpasteurized. Kids don’t always go for the cloudy color, but try heating it in mugs with a cinnamon stick for a fall fun birthday treat.
- Homemade Lemonade. As long as a cup or so of sugar doesn’t scare you, there’s nothing like a crisp, hand-squeezed pitcher of lemonade.
- V8 Splash. Jazz up this vitamin and antioxidant packed fruit-spiked vegetable juice with seltzer. This maneuver ought to get some votes from the soda-pop crowd.
- Organic Milk. Horizon Foods makes handy mini-milk cartons with straws, akin to juice boxes that are so handy to have for parties. Go for an assortment of their fun flavors, like vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.
Try any one of these beverage ideas at your next kid’s birthday party, whether or not you are boycotting apple juice. Shop for your birthday invitation cards at www.looklovesend.com and rest assured that your invites will be printed on the best quality paper stock. Join the email list to receive 20% off your first order.
