Third Coast Cuisine

By now, we all know or should know that soft drinks are terrible for  for us and especially for children.  Those "fruit" punches are only slightly better.  Even 100% fruit juice has way more sugar in a single serving than children need.

So what's a loving mom to do?  The Mexican street beverage, Agua Fresca, is the answer.  In essence it is just watered down fruit juice.  By mixing 2 parts water to 1 part of your favorite fruit juice you can make a refreshing and healthy drink for your kids.  Plus by having a cool name like Agua Fresca (aka Aguas de Frutas) your kids may not realize what they are drinking.  You can also make it by pureeing fresh fruit with water in your blender (honeydew and cantaloupe are great for this).

Imagine getting a whole week out of one small bottle of juice and it only takes seconds to prepare.  Plus you always have fruit juice on hand for gastriques and other fancy reduction sauces.

The Agua Fresca pictured was made by mixing 1 quart orange/pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons raw local honey with 2 quarts water.  Some of my other favorites include mango, blueberry/pomegranate and honeydew.  A few tablespoons of raw local honey mixed in will add ample sweetness to boost the flavor of the drink without adding unhealthy sugar.  Honey is remarkably healthy.  Additionally, fresh squeezed juice is better than buying bottled juice but is not always practical.