Alexis Schulze, co-founder of NEKTER JUICE BAR, debuted her first children’s book called Sneaky Spinach. It is a story about a boy named Nick who loves junk food and refuses to eat his veggies. The spinach leaves found a clever way to slowly sneak into his morning smoothie. He never saw them and would drink the whole thing. It later gave him super powers. The book encourages children to make healthier choices for energy over eating junk leaving us sluggish and slow. It also includes a super easy smoothie recipe you can try at home.

I went to her book signing at South Coast Plaza last month. As she read her book, we all sampled Nekter’s Orange Crush smoothie and their Sneaky Spinach Berry Banana Burst smoothie. They were both great, and my boys didn’t know they were drinking spinach. =) Alexis plans to write a series of children’s book and has already started on her second book!

Before Nékter, Alexis had more than 20 years of experience working with children in both preschool and elementary school settings. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development and a Masters Degree in Cross-Cultural Education. She has plans to hold national book readings, signings, and “Sneaky Spinach Smoothie” demonstrations at local schools, libraries, and other child-focus non-profit organizations. She has also partnered up with Festival of Children Foundation and will donate $4.00 from each book sold in participating stores beginning January 25, their online store, and on Amazon to support their mission to improving the lives of children by strengthening the charities that serve them. A free Teacher’s Guide will also be available for download at www.nekterjuicebar.com offering primary-level educators the opportunity to easily integrate lessons around healthy eating into their curriculum.

“We always had a Sneaky Spinach smoothie on our ‘secret’ menu so our young guests would not reject them before they found out that healthy ingredients like spinach can actually taste great,” said Alexis Schulze, co-founder and chief visionary officer, Nékter Juice Bar. “When we started brainstorming ways to have a meaningful impact on our communities, I wanted to find a way to integrate my passion for children’s health and education. My hope is that this book will motivate children and their families to make healthier lifestyle choices, and benefit children across the country, including bringing real fruits and vegetables to lower income communities.”