Intro and some questions....=)

[Babyblessed]

So just wanted to say hi first off, and that I and my family have just started to investigate and incorporate a raw food diet into our lives. After much reading on the subject of meat/wheat/dairy/sugar we've decided that we need a change and that raw food is the way to go for our family. In making this change I have some questions for those of you with young children (under 5yrs). If you have a toddler who is a picky veggie eater, what creative ideas have you done to incorporate greens into his/her diet so that enough protein is being eaten? What are your favorite kid friendly recipes? Fav recipe books and/or websites. Any advice from been there/done that parents who have made the switch from a SAD diet to Raw with young children would be great. Also, any resources/recipes for little ones under 1 to start on solids? My youngest is almost 8 mo. and has been introduced to some cooked foods, but since our goal is to be a mostly raw family, want to limit that as much as possible but not sure what to feed him other than soft fruits. Hope I haven't asked too many questions! Looking forward to reading your responses~Candace

[GoodCat]

Hello babyblessed..

A book that really helped me concerning how/what to feed little ones, is....
Pregnancy, Children and the Hallelujah Diet... by Olin Idol. Although the Hallelujah diet is a high raw diet, it is Christian based. That being said, this book is full of raw information and good advice concerning children. Very sound.

As for the protein issue... try lots of green smoothies. They can taste very good and you can put in hemp seeds which are complete proteins and high in protein. My children love hemp seeds.
Smoothies are also a good way to get in more "healthy" raw things without them having to actually chew it up or see it ;)

My children's smoothie's in the morning consist of almond milk, banana, spinach w/ a splash of lemon juice, frozen fruit (like strawberries or blueberries), flax seeds, hemp seeds, and if you want.. some coconut oil/butter or just raw coconut meat is wonderful!

When making salads and such, cut the pieces small or grate things to make it easier for them to chew and eat.

in Light,
Cathy :D

[Eva]

Whoo whee! That's a lot of questions!

This website will be a great help with your specifics. You can also click the banana above to search for particular topics.

I have a (free) site (http://uncooking101.com) and (free) recipes/articles/inspiration (http://rawnewsbites.com) to help get people started.

If you click at left (here on this site, not on mine) where it says "find a teacher..." you might find someone near you if you have the budget to take a class. It can be a HUGE help in the beginning to have someone who cares and totally gets it. I'd tell you to come to one of mine... but I have NO idea where you are and if you can come to me...

Otherwise, Alissa's book "Living on Live Food" was a godsend when I first went raw. I haven't used it in ages, but I honestly don't know if I could have made it without it in the beginning!

Good luck ~ you are making suuuuuch a great choice for yourself and your family!

:)