Recently the boys were sent some Little Crackers juice drinks to try out so that we could share our thoughts with you here on the blog. Little Crackers are a great range of drinks which are natural and healthy for kids, and incorporate a fun design and original flavours too.
We have actually tried the pear and vanilla flavour before but the other flavours were new to us. I love how all the flavours are quite unique mixes so it encourages the children to try some new tastes and combinations. The flavours currently available are as shown in the picture:
- Pear & Vanilla
- Blackcurrant & Cherry
- Orange & Lemon
- Apple & Raspberry
One drink can count as one of your child’s “five a day” and is made up of “pure juice with a splash of water.” The exact proportions of juice will vary depending on the flavour. For the Pear and Vanilla, you get 36.5% pear juice and 36.5% apple juice with an extra 2% pear puree, and then topped up with water, along with natural vanilla flavour. For the Blackcurrant and Cherry its 70% apple juice, 4% cherry juice and 1% blackcurrant juice along with natural flavours. You can check the full details on the side of each pack if you wish.
There are friendly “Fruitheads” characters shown on each pack to give a fun look that appeals to children and grabs their attention.
Mr Z noticed these and commented on them straight away, as they do look quirky and funny. On the back these characters give some simple information about their fruit which is a good way to get children thinking about what is inside the food and drinks they are consuming. For example the blackcurrant says “The colour of my glossy skin is a rich dark purple. I am often called one of the world’s superfruits which means I come packed with loads of healthy stuff such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and iron.”
I often give the boys juice boxes in their lunch boxes, we bring them while out and about and I even give them at home sometimes as it’s so convenient for them to grab them from the kitchen and take them out in the garden while they are playing. It’s always good to have variety so I was happy to introduce them to new flavours rather than the typical plain apple or plain orange which we normally buy.
Mr Z (6) and Mr T (4)both enjoyed testing out the flavours for me, and their definite favourite was the orange and lemon flavour. This is one of the sweeter tasting combinations and I think this tastes more similar to the juices that they are used to, which may be why they had a preference for it. Orange and lemon is not a combination we have tried before though, although we do enjoy both flavours separately and we all agreed that this combination worked really well!
The Pear & Vanilla was also a hit with Mr Z although Mr T was less sure about that one. There were no flavours that Mr Z wasn’t happy to drink. He is generally a little bit more adventurous with his tastebuds than Mr T though!
I tasted the drinks myself too, just to see what each of the flavours is like. I enjoyed them and found that they are very unique from any other brand of juice I’ve bought. Some of the flavours are not very sweet (like blackcurrant and cherry) so if your child is used to juice drinks with added sweeteners, or if they just have more of a sweet tooth, they might not like it straight away. The tastes are a lot more natural rather than artificially sweet.
The juices are marked as school approved and would be a good brand to include in lunch boxes if you are thinking about back to school already! I’ll be making up packed lunches for my youngest Mr R in September, while the other boys will try school dinners to see how they get on. It’s not easy finding ways to keep lunch boxes varied when you are sending them in week after week, so at least Little Crackers can offer a lot more variety on the juice front!
If you haven’t tried these, I would recommend you give them a go and see what you think. Let me know which flavour is your favourite!
Disclaimer: I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
We’ve bought these in the past and they are lovely – and better than fizzy pop by miles!
They sound yummy. My two aren’t keen on juice at all but I love a small carton for myself at lunch time.
My two love juice and these sound fab, although I am keeper the blackcurrant and cherry for me!
We reviewed these a while back and Monkey really liked them – a bit different.