nuts and seeds

[firefaery]

Hopefully some of you more experienced mamas can help me out. I have no real issues getting kiddos to eat fruits and veggies, but nuts and seeds are a different matter. What are some tips (and recipes!) for incorporating more nuts and specifically seeds into their diets? I know you can do seeds in smoothies-but I'm clueless. Help!

[Rawkinlocs]

My kids aren't big on nuts, but they DO like them if they're flavorful as in salty. I do sometimes sneak sesame seeds or hemp seeds into their smoothies and they never know it! Just blend WELL!

So, I sometimes soak the nuts and then drain them, sprinkle with sea salt and dehydrate until dry and crunchy. I also do various spices as some of my kids like hot and spicy so I'll do cayenne powder, chili powder, onion and garlic powder and do the same as above.

Also, I've done sweet/salty by soaking the nuts and then mixing in a bowl with cinnamon, agave nectar, dash or two of sea salt and maybe a little vanilla (optional) and those are good as well!

Other ways are to make nut milks, make shakes (I usually take a handful of cashews with about 1/2 c. water, some frozen bananas and vanilla and blend, adding more water if needed and maybe some ice), make nut pate's and serve with flax crackers (though MY kids are picky and won't eat them, but some kids do) or you can make nut/veggie-based pate's and dehydrate them to make "nuggets".

And don't forget raw dessert treats that have nut-based crusts!

Do you have any raw uncook books? Alissa's book has a lot of great ways to incorporate nuts and seeds in their diets

[Shivananda]

Although it was a while back, I was a single parent for quite a while and have something to contribute, even though I'm not a mama... :)

I always found nut butters had high kid acceptance. I'd smear it on apple slices, celery stick, carrot spears, fingers...

And this recipe is an easy classic:

ANTS ON A LOG

celery sticks
nut butter
raisins

fill celery sticks with nut butter
place raisins in the nut butter, equally spaced and in a single file
tell them it's ants on a log

giggle and love them as they giggle and love them :D

[juliebove]

My daughter hates nuts. The only ones she'll eat willingly are cashews and only if it is her idea to eat them. She will drink Amazake, either the almond or the Hazlenut. I don't think these things are raw and she doesn't get them very often because they're loaded with calories. I've tried sneaking nuts into things but that doesn't work with her. She always seems to know they are in there and then won't eat whatever it is.

[karenisraw]

Hi,

You can make nut cheeses and spread it on crackers.

Here is an easy one.

1 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons applecider vinegar
1/2 red pepper (for color and nutrition)
1 clove garlic
1/4 small onion
1/2 -3/4 cup water or nut milk (or as much as needed)
parsley, basil or rosemary or other herbs for flavor

Blend in blender or food processor until VERY smooth. Put in cheese cloth and squeeze as much of the "whey" out as possible or as much as you want. Use right away or let sit out to ferment.

I skipped the cheese cloth part and it was still very thick after letting sit a few hours. It was like a cheese spread.

You could also soak nuts and then put them in a bag of sea salt, agave or honey, and cayenne or other spices and shake very well, then dehydrate to get the coating of sweet and spicy stuff to stick to it for "roasted" nuts.

k

[faith4u]

My kids love balls. Date/nut balls or whatever.

I just grind up whatever nut I am using and then add raisins or dates. You can add carob powder etc. I roll them in coconut or carob and stick them in the fridge or freezer. They love these!

[firefaery]

Thanks everybody! My kids are both autism spectrum kids and VERY picky. It's a struggle to get my dd to eat at all-she doesn't seem to connect in her brain that hunger (if she really even feels it) means she needs to eat. She really doesn't enjoy food at all-except fruit. She'll eat that all the time. I can occasionally coax a smoothie down her throat-and believe you me they are PACKED with almond butter! I just worry that she's not getting varied sources. She has several food allergies and I would like to rotate as much as possible-not only for maximun nutritional benefits, but to avoid over-exposure. I gave them apples with almond butter/honey dipped in coconut and raisins. They loved it, but guarenteed she won't eat it tomorrow-finicky sprite that she is. I will try seeds in the smoothies...besides sesame banana, are there tried and true combos? I will also try the nuts mentioned once my dehydrator gets here. I am also expecting Alissa's book any day now, so I'm sure that will give us new ideas.

[Ariella]

you could try sunflower seed milk:

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 banana
8 oz water
5 to 6 dates
(raw carob powder to taste if you want chocolate)

or sesame seed milk:

coffee grinder of sesame seeds
2 bananas
1/4 cup raisins
carob powder to taste
6 to 7 cups water

my kiddos drink this stuff by the gallon it seems like! even kids that are not raw that i take care of love it.

i usually add freshly ground flax seeds to their green smoothies in the morning. but you could probably add those to other things too....

anyway good luck! that is great that your child loves fruit though. really that is a good thing!

Ariella

JUICE PLUS+
www.juiceplus.com/+dj73561

[LovesAnimals777]

you could try sunflower seed milk:

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 banana
8 oz water
5 to 6 dates
(raw carob powder to taste if you want chocolate)
That's a real easy recipe. I'll try it soon. Thanks

[firefaery]

Wow, that looks great (and easy!) Thanks-we'll try it today!