Foods that your children absolutely adore.

[Gosia]

I am sure that every parent knows that the best way to get your kids have healthy foods is to make them irresistable. So, please share with me. I am trying to expand my knowledge about these "irresistible foods", so that I can get more of the healthy foods in my children's mouths.

I discovered that my children love fruit. Watermelon, mango, they won't say "no" to these. As far as recipes, they just looove smoothies. For example, blended
* bananas, dates, almonds, water,
* bananas, raspberries, dates, almonds, water,
* bananas, strawberries, dates, almonds, water.

They also like fruit jelly, which is basically, blended
* fruit and psyllium husks.

And, they like cookies (nuts and dried fruit, perhaps some carob, blended).

My daughter likes avocadoes (but my son does not).



Please, share with me.

[Rawmommie]

My kids love some of the food I have been eating, I'm trying not to be stingy with it! ;)

smoothies, avacado's, carrots, I can't keep them away from the apples and grapes either! I think they will eat even more raw foods when I get a dehydrator. Does anyone have any good dehydrator recipes that kids like? I would love to hear those too.

[Rawkinlocs]

My kids love grapes, and most fruit in general. My girls love smoothies; my oldest daughter loves banana flax crackers, the raw cheesecake; all of them love fruit leather; my youngest baby loves most of my raw food especially the oatmeal, grawnola, cut up apples and bananas with almond butter and raisins and any fruit pudding or smoothie. He also likes carrot slaw and loves my raw salad dressings (he sucks the dressing off of the lettuce and spits the lettuce out, but I'll grate carrots and mix that in the dressing and he'll eat it.

[lvg4him]

I agree with the smoothies. My kids love dates and most dried fruits. PRESENTATION is also really important. If I just give them something to eat, they usually snub their nose at it. So I tell them I am making them something that will make their eyes shine bright (when I am making somehting with carrots) or something that will make them have strong muscles (when I give them something with spinach). My kids always batt their eyes at me and tell me what beautiful eyes they have while they are eating something with carrots in it. IT IS GREAT! :)

HTH!

[Gosia]

That is so cute! Rawkinlocs, could you please share the recipe for your magic dressing?

I just remembered that my chidren also love strawberry-banana ice-cream. And, my 4-year-old daughter likes banana pancakes (made from ground flax seeds and bananas, dehydrated).

[lvg4him]

Banana pancakes and banana flax crackers -- are they the same thing? Either way, I would love the recipe for both. I know my daughters really miss pancakes. THANKS!

[Rawkinlocs]

That is so cute! Rawkinlocs, could you please share the recipe for your magic dressing?

I just remembered that my chidren also love strawberry-banana ice-cream. And, my 4-year-old daughter likes banana pancakes (made from ground flax seeds and bananas, dehydrated).

Oh, when I said "my raw dressing", I didn't mean my own recipe...but rather Alissa's creamy avocado dressing and the tahini dressing (those are the two I make the most!). But really ANY dressing he'll do that with. My other children still eat the bottle dressings and he'll do the same with that...he just LOVES to eat!

Lvg4him: WELCOME!! The banana cracker recipe is really easy and I hope Alissa won't mind me posting it (it's from her book along with other tantalizing recipes):

Banana Crackers -
2 cups whole golden flax seeds (soaked in 2 cups water for 4 hours or overnight)
3 bananas
1 1/2 oranges, jujiced
*I always add a few dates to make them a little sweeter 'cause I just like 'em that way!*

Blend oranges and bananas in food processor until smooth
Add flax seeds and blend well.
Spread into a thin sheet about 1/8" on teflex (or fruit roll sheet) and place on dehydrator tray.
Dehyrate at 105 degrees for 10-16 hours or until desired crispness is acheived. Flip crackers and peel off sheet after 7-8 hours and dehydrate on the actual mesh tray.

*I always end up eating these off the tray while they're still soft (not wet, though) and spread almond butter on them...MMMMM.

I'm not sure if it's the same as banana pancakes or not...can you share that recipe with us if it's different than above? Thanks! :)

[Gosia]

I have not made them for a while, so I do not rememeber the exact proportions. Basically,
* blend bananas,
* grind flax seed, add to banana mash and then blend,
* form round pancakes (I make them small, palm size), and
* dehydrate overnight.
(In the morning, if you have any left, before your kids eat them, you can flip them and dehydrate again, so that they are firm on both sides, if you wish. But, this is not a necessary step. I think that they are nicer when soft on one side.)

As far as proportions, for 4 cups of banana mash (measured after blending), perhaps about 1 cup of flax seed is needed. When I make them again, I will let you know the exact proportions.

You could make some nice sauce to go with the pancakes (fresh dates blended with water/dried dates soaked in water and blended; or perhaps ground cashews blended with water/orange juice to make cream).



lvg4him, I use exactly the same trick!!! (that is telling my kids that something will make their eyes see better etc)

Thanks Rawkinlocs for the recipe!

[Veganmama]

My girls seem to be natural Raw eaters, i can't believe i actually use to worry because they wouldn't eat any "normal" food.

They both love most fruit and vege's but they do have some favourties.
My 3 yr old loves, Mango's, strawberries, carrots, Avocado and mushrooms
My 2 yr old loves, Peas in the pod, mushrooms, Cashews, watremelon

[Rawkinlocs]

Wow...kids that love veggies...now that must be a treat! My oldest daughter used to love bell peppers but now...

I was in the fruit market and there was a little girl asking her mom to buy broccoli! I thought that was so cute and interesting. I did hear her say she wanted some because they had ranch dressing at home, but still...most kids wouldn't want to eat broccoli whether they had ranch dressing or chocolate sauce to dip it into! I need to get my kids to eat more (raw) veggies.

[Gosia]

I made them again (Julia had them for breakfast this morning, nice and warm). The proportions are as I said, 4 cups of banana mash (measured after blending) and 1 cup of flax seed, ground. My 4-year-old daughter loves them (my 13-year-old son does not).

Yes, vegies, vegies. Perhaps, the trick is to serve them arranged in a nice way (check out those photos by Veganmama). Veganmama, you are soooo lucky!:)

[racheljj]

My girls love fruit, especially grapes, watermelon, apples and canteloupe. Though, lately they've been eating tons of oranges! They also love salad with Annie's Goddess dressing and smoothies. I make two raw salsas that they absolutely love too (though they dip blue corn chips in it).

Rachel Johnson

[Gosia]

Rachel, if it's not too much to ask, could you possibly share the recipe for the Goddess dressing and the two salsas? And, smoothies, if you do not mind, please?

(I have not been succesful in tempting my kids towards eating salads. Also, the range of smoothies I make is not very extensive yet, simply bananas, some other fruit, dates, almonds and water.)

[Gosia]

I thought that this recipe by Rawkinlocs might be very tempting for kids. I thought I might try this! (Testing time, will they or won't they?)

"What I do with oat groats:

Soak overnight. I also soak golden flax seed (about 1/4 c. pre-soaked) The next morning, I take the soaked/drained flax seed, an apple (or pear or both), some dates (or if you use raw honey you can use that), a half of or a whole banana (opt.), cinnamon to taste and a dash or two of sea salt and a little water to help it blend til smooth (test for desired sweetness). Blend well, then add the oats and some raisins and pulse chop. This is some of the best tasting oatmeal! Sometimes I add soaked/sprouted buckwheat as well.

If there is any left over, I spoon it onto the dehydrator into cookie shape and make oatmeal cookies! YUM!"

[Veganmama]

Yes, vegies, vegies. Perhaps, the trick is to serve them arranged in a nice way (check out those photos by Veganmama). Veganmama, you are soooo lucky!:)

One of my tricks is not just the arranging nicely it's more the prep time that it takes as my girls probably eat most of their vegies at the bench whilst i'm chopping and fiddleing making it look pretty. They'll pick up a whole carrot and have a bite, then a zuchinni and have a bit of that, then they'll just pick off the plat ewhilst i'm arranging it. They don't eat half as much one it's at the table.

I also find that because when they open the firdge that is all there is to eat they just do, i leave the stuff that they can just grab on the shelves they can reach, Like the bag of mushrooms, the peas in the pods, tomatoes, and baby carrots and red capcicum