Nutritious snacks for school kids? Juju to the rescue!

For many, it’s back to school. 

With this clarion call comes the matching excitement of new friends and new adventures. Yet for many parents, this week marks not only the beginning of yet another school year with nights of homework and days of carpool schedules but also the start of that anxiety two months dormant at the pit of our stomachs that all of a sudden comes rising to the surface.

Uniforms and school books? Check. Orientation and level handbooks? Check. Nutritious snacks and lunch that won’t be traded for a sugar rush?  Panic attack!!! If you have ever packed a lunchbox in your life, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Almost like magic or perhaps mayhem, you begin to hear two voices in your head, two Liliputian beings arguing on each shoulder — go with the pop tart, or maybe the frosted flakes …. the kids need to stay awake after all!!! …. Then you have the — You can’t be serious?! You’re creating a candidate for diabetes and maybe even heart disease. How could you do that to your child? Exactly… but are there any real options other than, of course, being labeled a negligent, uncaring, insensitive parent that would dare put his/her child in harm’s way with a box of pure saturated fat? The answer…

JuJu to the rescue!

Although “Juju” is actually an African word connoting a style of music as well as the more popular definition of “luck,” the founders Katharina and David Azanza decided on the name by literal repetition — jujuiiiice, ju-ju! Characteristic of their branding perspective of fresh, clean and straightforward, the word “Juju” has evolved to mean more than just 20.

Backed by a legacy of wellness from the Rempe family and the world-renowned Farm at San Benito, Kat and David committed themselves to producing items of the highest quality possible. Meticulous sourcing and process development became key to the success and mission of Juju. Put plainly, its products were geared towards a no-fuss, all-benefit approach to detoxification and fasting through an easily accessible juice cleanse. However, the almost immediate reception of Juju into the market as it went viral through Facebook and other social media transformed their vision beyond just detoxification but rather a sincere desire to improve a person’s way of life through proactive choice. What we put in our bodies is just as important as what we take out. Enter…. the recently opened Juju Eats at the BCS building, 2297 Chino Roces Avenue, Ext. in Makati City.

This, to my mind, is a mecca for frantic mothers eager to silence the guilt-ridden, sugar-laced voices that accompany every attempt to pack a school day snack/meal. The wonderful thing about Juju is that apart from being amazingly good for your insides, you cannot help but smile on the outside when you realize how delicious each item tastes! Gone are the days when healthy food meant consuming something in the vicinity of moist cardboard or liquid mud. Juju Eats is equally taste-driven as it is health-inspired. Even children are bound to agree. 

Thankfully enough, as parents become more conscious about their food choices, so do their kids. All of a sudden it is cool to be green. After all, what better time to teach children good habits than even before they begin discovering the potential dangers of fried food and high-calorie sodas. 

Having three children of their own, the Azanzas are completely aware of the trials and tribulations that can plague a fickle young palate. So at Juju Eats, you’ll find an amazing array of food and drink choices. For those worried that all you’ll get stuck with is just an assortment of vegetables, hard-core vegan offerings or non-fat versions of everything… think again.

Apart from over 5,000 DIY salad combinations, Juju classic salads come in a regular adult size, a half-size as well as a carb-friendly tortilla wrap variant. A delicious inasal version features a house mix of pork inasal, green mango, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onions, hardboiled eggs and a special Balayan dressing. For those who prefer a little spice, the “Ay Caramba!” is a perfect offering of nacho chips, grilled chicken, roasted red pepper, pickled jalapeño, red kidney beans, corn, grated cheddar, and salsa doused in the signature Ay Caramba dressing. There is also the very popular Chicken Caesar filled with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, Parmesan, bacon, herb croutons topped with a Caesar dressing. Of course, we don’t want to ruin the surprise for kids by telling them what is actually in these things are good for you. Let them try it and decide that it is. They can choose from other items such as: a Thai beef salad, roast pumpkin, tuna nicoise pasta, and even a protein-packed “Big Boy” combination. And if you’re worried about all the nutritional information, though not indicated on the menu, they’re readily available on their website: www.jujueats.com.

Not to be missed are Juju’s beverages — solo versions of their famous cleanse line can be purchased to accompany every meal. With names like vanilla nut milk, red giant, and greenbomb how can your kids not at least try them? They also have Juju refreshers such as buko, orange, and a special pineapple plus chia seeds version that is sure to make even a discriminating seven-year-old a real convert. Aware of the constant Filipino caffeine cravings, they offer locally produced coffee and equally delicious slushies, and freshly pressed homemade fruit sodas.

But the Juju vision doesn’t end with just well-thought-out and executed products. There is still another teaching tool woven into this seemingly simple concept. Parents will be happy to know that its commitment to provide its consumers with the best ingredients is matched only by their commitment to the environment. Packaging is proof. Their juices are packed specially in glass bottles that are both better for preserving the juice quality as well as for recycling and reuse. For those who embark on the Juju cleanse program, an insulated canvas bag is provided with the initial delivery and then subsequent items are brought to you in reused crates and boxes. No plastic here. Juju’s model is based on the concept of food-in-season as a means to support the local Filipino farmers. They try to source their produce within driving range of Metro Manila and focus on organic products as often as possible. Even the icepacks that they provide for their cleanse can be re-used over a hundred times. What haven’t they thought of?

Perhaps the better question is this: Why haven’t we thought of them?

As parents make this coming school year an opportunity to teach an extra something outside the classroom, why not use the proverbial lunchbox as the perfect teaching tool? Equip your children with the knowledge that fueling the mind also means properly fueling the body and in this case, it need not be such a painful, tasteless process. More than just teaching their taste buds to enjoy good food, point out how good food affects their body in a good way. They have more energy, higher immunity against sicknesses and possibly even happier mood days. They can do more, be more, enjoy more. This way, you need not wait for next summer to put that smile back on their faces.

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Juju Eats delivers for a minimum of only P300 through City Delivery: 878-7878.

E-mail tcbautista@arkeology.org.