What unraw food do you eat?

[aquarius77]

Just wondering what unraw foods people eat when they say they are 75, 85, 95% raw... I'm new to this and am not 100% raw so I just wonder what the healthiest unraw choices are that I can make when I just have to have something not raw?

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi aquarius77,

I'm sorry and I know you may not like what I'm about to say, but this is somewhat an inappropriate topic for the theme of this forum.

While we do know, recognize and realize that not everyone is or will be 100% raw, we try to at least encourage it as much as possible here on the forum.

Alissa advocates and expresses the importance of doing this 100% although she, too, realizes not everyone does or will. But we really don't want to support, condone or give too much acknowledgment to cooked food...even if they are healthier choices. I'm pretty sure you realize what the unhealthiest choices would be: heavily processed/refined/bleached/irridated/GMO foods, fried foods, a lot of cooked grains, a lot of animal protein and dairy (especially hormone-laden), sugar, soy-based products...so from that, you can pretty much make some determinations as to what non-raw foods may be a healthier alternative.

[aquarius77]

Hi Rawkinlocs,
I see your point now, I guess the problem I'm having, which is more for my kids than myself, is that in that moment of 'what can I give them for lunch, dinner, etc?' I have to make a quick decision and with a 2 year old and 1 year old I don't have much time to think. I can go with cheese, or french toast made with an egg or there's always kraft dinner or whatever other unraw item is lying around but I'm so worried now about anything not raw that I give them, like which is going to be the hardest habit to break later, I hear about casein in cheese but that grains are addictive, so this is my problem...

[rawstrength]

Well, then, just feed your kids raw vegan food.
Seriously. Check out the "Raising Raw Kids" forum.

[Rawkinlocs]

Having 4 of my own, I totally understand what you are saying and where you are coming from. But let me give you this one piece of advice:

Do NOT be too hard on yourself or on the kids...your children have grown accustomed to eating a certain way and it's not always easy to change overnight...especially children. Start by incorporating more raw foods and introducing new things over time. If you force it on them, they'll only rebel and give you a hard time. I used to force all raw on my kids but I don't anymore but they know. My daughter knows that her headaches or tummy aches or acne breakouts are a result of dietary choices and I watch them eat something totally not raw and then end up later on saying, "Man, I need some FRUIT!" or "I want a salad!" and just the other day my eldest daughter was asking me to make her some dehydrated stuff that I used to make all the time when the entire household was all raw...when I was forcing it on them. So, you plant seeds, you set the example by eating as much raw as YOU can and you try to make the healthiest choices possible when/if you DO decide to do some cooked and things will fall into place.

But have plenty of wholesome foods on hand and get a lot of what they already like/love in terms of fruits and things and then again, introduce things to them like nut milks or banana ice cream or the chocolate pudding made with avocado or simply stuff like "ants on a log" or apples and nut butter or Alissa's onion dip with baby carrots.

And they may still ask for (insert SAD food item here) but you have to decide if you want to stop buying certain things, substituting certain things or allowing certain things for a time as you make the transition. But just know that as long as you are incorporating more and more raw foods that their diets are healthier than the typical kid their ages!

[Aleesha Sattva]

My kids and hubby eat whatever they choose... I simply lead by example.

Slowly, over the last year I see them all making more raw choices. My hubby is almost 100% raw! (and he told me he'd never be raw with me LOL)

[Revvell]

If you plan ahead, then your "quick decision" will already be made. Take time at least twice a week to make up some more wholesome foods such as pates to be made into wraps, smoothies made ahead, sliced veggies with dressings, fruit, cookies, kale chips, pies, loafs, burgers ... This way the kids can eat what they want, when they want (which is most natural) and they'll always be eating wholesome foods.

Instead of looking what you can feed them that's not raw, why not research what you can feed them that is?





Hi Rawkinlocs,
I see your point now, I guess the problem I'm having, which is more for my kids than myself, is that in that moment of 'what can I give them for lunch, dinner, etc?' I have to make a quick decision and with a 2 year old and 1 year old I don't have much time to think. I can go with cheese, or french toast made with an egg or there's always kraft dinner or whatever other unraw item is lying around but I'm so worried now about anything not raw that I give them, like which is going to be the hardest habit to break later, I hear about casein in cheese but that grains are addictive, so this is my problem...

[JennaBoBenna]

I still eat non-raw items. I just make sure to pick the healthier alternatives. Like I eat sprouted bread instead of regular. I sprout beans/rice before eating them. I've been eating more veggies lately because I've been steaming them.
When I eat cooked I make sure it's a clean choice. Just stay away from overly processed junkies, even the "healthy" ones!

[Eva]

Hey aquarius77 -- I agree with Revvell on this one re: if you plan ahead, you'll already have the raw stuff ready for snacks. I always have some tomato sauce, a pate and some enticing fruit/veggies on hand at home. I have some dehydrated fruit, sunflower seeds, almonds or other nuts, and little flakes of cacao butter on hand to make fresh trail mix for when I need it. :)

[Emma-Liza]

Everyone's got good advice. I just thought to add, I feed my non raw hubby the same food I feed myself, but if he prefers it cooked, I'll cook it. So, if I'm having spinach and cherry tomato salad, he might get the spinach and tomatoes sauteed over some pasta. If I'm having a taco in lettuce, he gets the same taco "meat" and toppings in a wheat wrap. Most anything I put into a salad makes a great steamed or stirfried dish, or omelet filling, or sandwich filling, or nacho topper, or pizza topping, or, etc....

He has found that he loves green smoothies, eggless salad, nut pate, all kinds of stuff I wouldn't have predicted! He asks me now what I have that he could snack on! Not bad!

[juliebove]

My fridge always has sliced raw apples and baby carrots that I get at Costco. I always have bags of raw nuts and seeds that I get at the health food store. If anyone gets hungry between meals, that's where I direct them. Of course they might not eat that stuff, but it is what I tell my daughter to eat. Now she has gotten into the habit of saying, "Well if I eat ___ first, can I have something else after?" I tell her she can. Then she will eat what I want her to and usually not be hungry for anything else.

As for meals, I try to plan them in advance. We have food allergies, so much of what we eat is planned around that. There are some foods that never enter the house at all. I try to buy organic foods for the most part. I read all labels. Nothing comes into the house with high fructose corn syrup in it. No trans-fats.

Now I realize a 1 or 2 year old might not be able to eat nuts or seeds. And maybe I was just lucky, but my daughter got all her teeth by age 1 and loved to eat raw veggies. I used to buy those and keep them cut up and ready to eat all the time. A favorite food was "An apple cutted", meaning sliced. She also liked a date stuffed with nut butter for dessert. She liked pretty much anything she could pick up with her fingers and eat.

[roseyonnex]

I think a good general rule is raw is the best food, of course! I always try to eat that first and foremost.

One thing I try to do is have so much raw food around, that it is easy to grab and go, it's easy to create meals on the fly. Just keep it all around you. If I am travling or going out, I always take big bags of veggies and fruit so I won't be deprived. The last thing I need is to go feel like I want to go through a drive-through or go to a 7-11 and buy junk food. If you plan ahead, raw should not be hard at all! Switch your thinking to thinking about all the food you CAN eat, instead of all the food you CAN'T eat.

But, if you have to eat cooked, make sure it is organic cooked food. Like cooked oatmeal, for instance or roasted peanut butter. A lot of times I will eat capers or olives just because they are hard to come by raw. These would be my second choices over raw.

And then the worst food, of course, is food in a box or can. Obviously those things usually have so much crap in them, it's not even worth it to go there.