Strategies for living w/cooked family

[gritsnla]

It is a challenge trying to be raw and still feed SAD to the family. I am transitioning and they are not very adventuresome. I will slowly get them involved here and there with time I believe. But in the meantime, I still have to cook for them. I am thinking of doing some once-a-month cooking over the long holiday to stock the freezer so I won't have to cook every night over the next couple of weeks. Extra planning on my raw menu weekly to help myself along and know what is available to me will also help. Luckily, I'm pretty OCD about menu planning, so no problem there.

What are some of your strategies for loved ones that are not raw?

Look forward to everyone's tips.
Grits

[Betsy]

i throw everything in a crock pot for my cooked eaters. Everyday I utilize the crock pot(s). The quicker and simpler preparing cooked, the better. However, i spend alot of time making a huge raw salad and dressing. It's a side dish for them, and the main event for me. ;0

Spending the least amount of time possible on preparing cooked, and as much time as I wish on raw "side" dishes, is my trick to living in both worlds!

[gritsnla]

Thanks, Betsy ... looking up crock pot recipes for Spring Break.
Grits

[Aleesha Sattva]

i'm lucky... my kids pretty much prepare for themselves... although we assist our youngest with anything "hot" (like her mini pizzas she had for dinner tonight.)

when my hubby is home for dinner... he cooks. but it's way easier for me when he isn't here... cause he makes the house smell so yummy and it's hard for me. i usually go have a bath or sit in my room and talk on the phone or read when he's cooking... that way i don't have to smell it.

sorry, i'm not much help

[crawmommy]

Gritsnla,
Many people have this issue- do a search and there will be many posts on this topic. Do you have a juicer or a food processor? You could use the pulp in spaghetti sauce or muffins/dehydrated bread, use a veggie peeler if you don't have a spiralizer or julienne peeler and shred raw carrots/zucchini and make a tomato sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes and herbs. Veggie sushi is a great way to sneak veggies or fruit in. On gliving.com, there is a recipe for fruit sushi using macadamia nuts with fruit on top. The once a month idea is great and you can apply that to preparing your food as well. Smoothies are sometimes the easiest "raw food" to incorporate into a cooked fooders life. Just a few suggestions.

[MiahTay]

I prepare dinner for 4 adults and 2 children almost every night. And what I have found works well for us (they are open but not 100% raw) is I do a salad bar. Cut and washed lettuce/greens, broccoli, onion, tomato, avo, marinated collards, baby carrots, cucumbers, etc (I try to change this up) and make it self serve for salad ... We all have a large salad together then those wanting to have something cooked I make something small to go with their salad ... muffins, whole wheat spaghetti, mini pizzas, chic nugets, etc. But I make the cooked stuff less the focus. And it started by me telling my kids that they at least had to put 2 things on their salad, now 4 months later their salad is about 1/2 a plate and full of good stuff. I also transitioned them from cereal in the morning to smoothies, I made them taste good and have even put raw chocolate in them sometimes. Lunch has been the hardest for us. But they are raw most days for lunch now but not every day. Best of luck!

Heather

[rawererin]

- prepare as little of their food as possible (make them proactive)
- when preparing SAD food for others, have a raw snack on hand, spiced/candied nuts/smoothie/dates ect.
- never underestimate the power of cravings- you can be eating a raw meal and look over at your spouse/child's plate of SAD food and bam! it hit's you, just try to talk yourself through it
- if you're on the 30 day challenge and struggling, tell yourself "if I really want it that bad I'll have it after the 30 days... always put a craving off... if you get to that time and still want it, have it, then forget about it.

[gritsnla]

Loving the outpouring of ideas and experiences!
Grits