I am not one to make New Year’s Resolutions. But I do think January is a great time to set goals to make realistic, positive changes toward changes you want to make in your life.

This year, I kept it simple.

So my goal for this year is to get more raw fruits and veggies into my kids over the winter months-in a way they will actually like. And I don’t mean the kind that is crushed up and put in a tablet. I mean the kind you get from the fresh produce section in the grocery store, take home and put directly into your body. I am a firm believer that fresh fruit and vegetables that are in their natural state in which Mother Nature made them, provide a wealth of vitamins and minerals and have much more to offer, than a powdered capsule or man-made tablet, no matter what the label claims.

Sounds easy…but how do we get our kids to agree?

For my family, the answer juicing. Juicing gets a whack of wholefood nutrition into kids growing bodies and there are endless combinations so it never gets boring. Nothing compares to amount of raw nutrition you get from a glass of freshly squeezed glass of juice.

Here are the main benefits of juicing for your kids:

1. Juicing can be a fun, bonding time for you and your kids. Let your kids stand on chairs and help push the veggies through the machine. When you’re done, the juice is more of an accomplishment than a drink and they will gulp in down proudly. Note: The dreaded cleanup (which actually only takes about 10min) is well worth the work for the amount of nutrition your kids will consume.

2. If your kids aren’t big veggie eaters, juicing provides a means to get those raw nutrients into them and take away your guilt if they don’t eat their beans with dinner. Raw fruit and vegetable are MUCH more nutritious than cooked ones so mama will be happy. And isn’t it true that when mama is happy, everyone is happy!

3. There are many good juicers to choose from-we happen to have a Champion, which allows us to make ice cream after dinner. We simply put frozen berries and bananas through and out comes the most delicious and natural ice cream in the world-pure raw fruit in a bowl. The kids think it’s a treat and I love being able to say (guilt free) “Who wants ICE CREAM?!” Sometimes we even add a little ‘chocolate’ sauce. (raw cacao and agave syrup) David Wolfe, who is one of the leading authorities on raw food and juicing, has a website where he recommends several different juicers.

What are your goals for keeping your family healthy this year? I recommend juicing because it’s fun, it takes away some of your guilt as a mother, and it can provide nutrition camouflaged as treats for your kids.