I do not usually make New Years resolutions, but this year I decided to set some goals to boost my family's health. It is a good time to make a new start but you can do it any time of year, just by setting a date and deciding to make a change on that date.

This year, my main focus was to increase my kids' consumption of fruit and vegetables. No easy task, but an important one, especially over winter. The nutritional boost can help protect against colds and other viruses. I wanted them to eat more fresh, preferably organic, produce from the grocery store. In their fresh form, fruit and vegetables contain a huge amount of vitamins and minerals.

If you you knew my kids, whom I am sure are like many, this was not going to be easy. I did however find a solution, in the form of juicing. Not only does freshly squeezed juice contain so many nutritious benefits, the different combinations you can make prevents them from getting bored and, in fact, wanting more.

These are the main benefits of juicing for children:

1. I have found that involving the kids in the making ot the juice is a fun event and a great way to bond. They can stand on a chair and help you push all the fruit and vegetables through the machine. Not only do they enjoy it but they appreciate the drink more and will drink it with no fuss. Clean up is simple as well. taking only about ten minutes.

2. A lot of children are not big veggie eaters, especially if they are anything like mine. Juicing provides the perfect solution for getting them to eat a wide range of different veggies in their raw fresh state. So they are getting more benefits than if the vegetables were cooked. This makes everyone in the home happier.

3. If your children drink a lot of fizzy sodas, then drinking more fruit juice will cut this down quite considerably. Sodas are just empty calories, with no nutrition and lots of sugar and additives. These are partly responsible for increasing childhood obesity and chronic disease later in life. It will also save you money on buying these drinks.

Have you made any goals for your children's health this year? If not, then start juicing. If will really benefit their health for many years to come and is also a fun pastime that you can do with your children.