Transitioning my Toddler

[rectorgirl312]

Hi-
I am new to all of this and would like to eat more raw food. I am trying to transition my 15 month old to mostly raw. He likes bread and meat, "heavy" food. What are some "heavier" foods that will fill him up more? Is it okay to give a 15 month old almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc? I have read nuts need to be avoided due to a high allergy reaction. Is this true? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Laura

[Rawkinlocs]

Welcome and congrats on the decision to eat healthier and feed your little one healthier!

You could do things like the avocado-based chocolate pudding (in our recipe section here); nut milks, banana ice cream, fruit smoothies (add a handful of kale or baby spinach), nut pate' or nut burgers (if you have a dehydrator), veggie nuggets (recipe in our recipe section - I'll help you find some of this stuff if you need me to), OH...cheddar cheeze dip/sauce with flax crackers or veggies...there's a LOT you can do that will be filling to him. I have a little guy..well, he's 3 now, but he LOVES raw and he's growing and thriving.

About the allergy thing...you'll get various opinions on that, but I personally firmly believe that it's not natural foods such as fruits, veggies and nuts that cause the reactions but it's when those are eaten and are conflicting with other "bad" foods and/or toxins already in the body. My daughter used to be "allergic" to nuts and citrus until we cleaned her diet up (she used to eat a strict S.A.D.) and now she can eat all the nuts and citrus she wants...it wasn't the nuts or the oranges causing the problem, it was the dairy and processed food and sugar, etc. that was causing the problem and counteracting with choice natural foods. Same with my husband and strawberries...used to break out in hives if he was around cats or ate strawberries...cleaned up his diet and now he can eat strawberries and be around cats.

So, that's my take on it. I fed my little one (3-year old) nuts and nut-based dishes when he was around the age of your little one and no problems.

[adrienne]

congrats on helping your little man eat well!
i do feel that once he starts eating more raw, that these type of foods will 'fill' him up just fine b/c he will absorbing all the nutrients he needs therefore craving less, but this may take time. be patient and have fun! experiment. my daughter (22mo.) has been eating nuts for a long time and has had no problems and i agree with rawks about the allergy stuff
keep posting to let us know if we can help more

[robertandenith]

Hi-
I am new to all of this and would like to eat more raw food. I am trying to transition my 15 month old to mostly raw. He likes bread and meat, "heavy" food. What are some "heavier" foods that will fill him up more? Is it okay to give a 15 month old almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc? I have read nuts need to be avoided due to a high allergy reaction. Is this true? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Laura


don't try peanuts as peanuts really need to be eaten roasted therefore they will NOT be raw. I think peanuts are the ones related to allergies. Also cashews can cause stomach cramps if they are eaten in large quantities, this I can tell you from a 'personal' experience! :o

The BEST nut for kids are walnuts IMHO, they taste rawsome and don't need to soak. My 15 mo LOVESSSSS walnuts! She will just eat them w/o anything else, by themselves! :D Another food she loves are smoothies. I make 'heavy' smoothies like coconut (water and meat), a huge globe of almond butter, some filtered water, a big bunch of greens like spinach-kale-mixed greens, 2 bananas and a few ice cubes. Blend and voila! This is such a great food! Here is a pic!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g126/robertandenith/Cocina/IMG_2869_2_1.jpg

For breads, I would HIGHLY recommend to get Ezekiel breads and tortillas. They are not raw but sprouted and midly cooked. These are great for transition or heck, just to add in a 80%-95% raw diet :) That's what my soon to be 4 yo eats and SHE LOVES THEM! :D They are a great source of protein too. My 15 mo would not eat all the fancy recipes, she rather eat simple like slices of banana, whole walnuts, pieces of apples, mangos, grape tomatoes, things like that.

Congrats in the transition, you are doing a good thing starting early. It will be so much easier :)

hugs!
Enith

[eachpeachpearplum]

Have a look at this thread from just a while ago. My reply has a lot of links to threads I did for my to kids (2 & 6). Cheers!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14107

Eachpeachpearplum

PS:

Both my kids have eaten nuts from a VERY young age although I do avoid peanuts! My kids will be walking around and I will say they are hungry and I just get a spoon and pop some almond butter in their mouths as they walk by! I also keep small bowls and ziplock baggies on the counter with dried fruit & nut mixes so they can just help themselves - and they do!

[rectorgirl312]

Thank you all so much for your help and encouragement! I feel so overwhelmed right now wanting to make sure our family gets the right nutrition. I appreciate the posts!

[cassidy]

How funny.... how observant am I? I just posted the exact same post. I have all the same questions for MY 15 month old! How are you doing with it? It is a lot tougher than I thought. I am just transitioning my self so my daughter and I can do it together which is kinda special :o . What is working/not working for you? What kind of mild substitute are you giving you child?