I was writing this in response to a post on another thread but it got so long that I decided to put it on a new thread. There seem to be a lot of people who are trying to feed their kids raw on this board at the moment so it might be helpful to have a raw kids thread where we can share experiences and ask questions.

I have been raising two children (10 and 16) raw for almost 5 years and it is not always easy. The eating itself is the easy bit. Most kids will have some fruits that they really like and you can spoil them and really fill them up with smoothies. If you use a banana base, smoothies are a cheap way to feed them as well. Just add an orange, mango, strawberries etc. I haven't met a kid yet who doesn't like them.

When you first start out there's probably only a very small range of raw fruits and vegetables that they will like to eat raw. My youngest only ate bananas and salads made with broccoli and tomatoes. Now he eats almost everything. My eldest only ate apples and sunflower seeds and very basic salads. We never really got into gourmet raw much for which I'm glad because now both my kids are into a really simple raw diet. Mostly fruit, smoothies, with at least one green smoothie a day and a green juice every day. About once a week or so they will have a very simple gourmet dish. I only make raw cakes for birthdays.

The hard part is that you have to re-educate them about what is good for them to eat and especially if they're teenagers this can be difficult. At that age they tend to think we parents don't know what we're talking about anyway and when your mum becomes a raw vegan that just proves it, she's a nutter!! You just have to do the best you can, every raw bite that goes in those bodies replaces a cooked or junk food bite. I try to brainwash mine, I read articles to them about how bad certain cooked foods are and the stories of people who eat raw and healed themselves of diseases. I don't know if this will work to keep them raw after they leave home, the future will tell.

If you want your kids, whether they're big or small, to change their eating habits you're going to have to do all the hard work. You'll have to explain to them why you are going to feed them different food and get them to agree on a transition plan where you will either go raw overnight or more slowly. You'll have to explain to them that they might experience some detox symptoms and they will also experience cravings and you will have to teach them how to deal with these. Once they start to love certain raw foods, ask them if they had to choose between eating something that they really like and that's good for their bodies and eating something they really like that's bad for their bodies, what would they choose? That one works with my kids most of the time. And when they do eat cooked ask them to do so with awareness and really pay attention to how the food feels inside their body once it's gone past the tasting nice part in their mouth.

The other part of the hard work is that you're going to have to do all the shopping, carrying home and food preparing for this new way of eating. You can't expect them to do it until they are well established into eating raw. I see this as a second chance to give my children healthier memories of mum's "home cooking". I want them to think of fruit or a smoothie as comfort foods. I'm running after my kids all day long with smoothies, juices and cut up fruit and vegetables. After almost 5 years of eating raw my youngest is quite capable of looking after himself but my eldest is going through a phase where he is using cooked food as a weapon to rebel with and he is also at an age where peer pressure is important and he doesn't want to be the odd one out so he sometimes buys crisps when he is at school. When he is home or now during the summer holidays he'll never say no to a nice smoothie or a plate of cut up mango or pineapple and he eats 100% raw without a problem, as long as I prepare his meals for him. For me, that's a small price to pay to make eating raw second nature to him.

All the above is just my experience with raising raw kids. I know that parts of it sound a bit like a lecture but I wrote this in response to a question on another thread and couldn't be bothered to rewrite it

Love, Francis

thank you for posting that! when i met my dear husband 16 years ago he was the pickiest guy on earth eating so much typical sad food it`s unreal. i wasn`t a whole lot better although i`m not picky by any definition of the word, i was raised on a farm and we grew most of our own vegees and i ate alot of fruit. i did eat alot of cooked food though. my hubby has made small improved steps over the years but he still does not eat as wide a variety as i`d like and everything is cooked. all but the sushi/sashimi he will eat. he will drink any juice i make him. he juices apples for the kids also. i gave up my battle a long time ago. i didn`t bring fruit and vegees home because i was the only one who would touch them. i felt i was "wasting" money and i was being lazy. now my kids will not accept hardly any cooked vegees much less raw. i am ready and willing now to take on the challenge of my kids eating habits. hard part (well there`s more than 1) is i don`t want to force anything on my husband or make him feel guilty for eating cooked food. that will only cause bad blood for us and i don`t want that. that will turn him off more than anything. i feel for you....ahhhh the teenage years and rebellion...i`m getting there soon...tyler will be 12 in october. at least he`s eating well when he`s with you and you`re right..."train up a child in the way in which he shall go and he will not depart from it" he may take a break but he will return to it. it will be a longing for him if he stops and he will not rest until that longing is fulfilled. my family comes home from reno today so i shall embark on smoothie 101.
patty
patty

We are transitioning our family. It has been almost a year now and is going quite well. When we started this our six (then five) year old and I were sick. Our health is recovering and our raw attitudes are improving. We are a family of five with the kids being 11, 6 and 2. I am basically following Frannie's plan. Lot's of brainwashing, LOL. I am lucky to have my husband on the same page. He was 45 and really wanted to turn the clock back on aging. We both are active and couldn't understand why we would choose to get sick and overweight in our "later" years. We want to continue to hike the mountains and ride the horses and run the races. We have had an uphill battle with our six year old and raw but we knew it would be a challenge. The transition is actually going much smoother than I ever expected. Having Mom and Dad on the same page has made all the difference.

pakd4fun Wrote:
> Having Mom and Dad on the same page has made all
> the difference.

this is what bums me out. he doesn`t not support me in my life change and he wants the kids to eat healthy foods but he`s still into that sad mentality/brainwashed thing. he feels that we need meat/chicken to be healthy and if i were to take it completely away from them i think i`d have a huge fight on my hands...and that`s not healthy for the kids either.we have been happily together for 16 years, married for 12 of them...people around us use us as an example of what a couple should be. he is my right arm....he`s just not bending it my way on this......yet LOL.maybe when he sees the changes in me he`ll come around. in the meantime i guess i`ll just make lotsa smoothies for them and have the fresh things available.i`m also very good at debating when i want and at throwing things out there without stepping over the edge
patty

I think making occasional comments, like stating facts about the SAD diet, and being patient will go a long way toward your man making baby steps in the right direction. I think sometimes the more you push the more people push back. Keep educating him and the kids gently. Some of it has to sink in. Good luck! One thing that convinced my husband was showing him Storm's picture. He has transformed his body and is feeling 20 years younger. He says he could never go back to SAD. This is a man that I never thought would eat this way, so there is hope.

that`s my plan pakd storms pic is located where? is that the 60 year old that has a blonde wife and a few children?

[www.thegardendiet.com]

That's him.

pakd4fun Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> [www.thegardendiet.com]
>
> That's him.
That`s what i thought...what an inspiration!

i made my son banana milk yesterday and he liked it. this morning i made him and my hubby a smoothie of blueberries, a banana, and kale (my son had no clue i put kale in it). he asked about the funky color and i told him it was the blueberries. i didn`t lie, i just didn`t tell him EVERYTHING LOL. they both loved the smoothie!
patty

The way your body feels when eating raw is addicting. Just keep making simple stuff they like and hopefully when you aren't around to make it for them they will crave it and it's easy so they make it themselves.

That's the way to go patty, get them hooked on the smoothies and plates of luscious cut up fruit. Fill them up on it before they leave the house and they won't have room left for anything else

That's great pakd4fun that you have your husband on board with your family's raw transition. I'm a single mum which makes things easier in one way because I don't have anyone making things difficult by not agreeing with eating raw. But on the other hand, it would be nice to have someone support me sometimes when my eldest is playing up.

Francis

Bump

Francis

It really does make a huge difference having dad on board, not just with raw but with everything. I know it must be a huge challenge to be a single parent. I still can't believe mine is high raw. Not only does it help with the kids but who wants to get old with a tired fat ass?

Hey pakd4fun, I wasn't trying to solicit a reply from you, although it's always nice to hear from you I bumped this thread up because of someone else asking about raising raw kids on another thread.

I agree with the getting old with a tired fat ass bit. I'm not actively looking for someone but I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to find a new partner. He will have to be at least vegetarian and open to raw vegan and have done his homework on the spiritual aspects of life. I don't know if there are many guys my age who are available and can say yes to the above. I'll just have to trust in the infinite wisdom of the universe

Francis

Francis, we don't need many guys that fit that description, we each just need ONE of them! I'm with you, sister. I'm counting on the universe for the same thing.

Francis, Patty and Pakd4fun, you three are inspirations. This summer I'm going to start transitioning my 12-year old secretly. I started him on raw corn chips the other day (he's eating them with cheese). You've given me the courage to make the next step: all-raw smoothies. He won't notice the missing cow's milk, right? Thanks for all the tips--you three have made my day.

Betty

perbetty Wrote:
>
> Francis, Patty and Pakd4fun, you three are
> inspirations. This summer I'm going to start
> transitioning my 12-year old secretly. I started
> him on raw corn chips the other day (he's eating
> them with cheese). You've given me the courage to
> make the next step: all-raw smoothies. He won't
> notice the missing cow's milk, right? Thanks for
> all the tips--you three have made my day.
>
> Betty

good for you! he won`t notice a thing...just make his smoothies as a secret treat. my son has to know everything because he thinks i`ll sneak some green food in there...me? never! LOL. so when he is watching i skip the kale and just do nanas blueberries and strawberries sometimes kiwi...but when his back is turned in goes the kale!! LOL
patty

this might be a little rude but i would like to know what is a normal grocery list like for you guys?? and how much $ do you set yourselves for the grocerys?


i am kinda hoping i can make it on $150 every two weeks? but am i living in a dream world? do i have to cut it in half and shop every week? pls guide me... lol
-katie

katlatgurl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> this might be a little rude but i would like to
> know what is a normal grocery list like for you
> guys?? and how much $ do you set yourselves for
> the grocerys?
>
>
> i am kinda hoping i can make it on $150 every two
> weeks? but am i living in a dream world? do i have
> to cut it in half and shop every week? pls guide
> me... lol
> -katie


not rude at all. unfortunately money has alot to do with the things in life we can do. what is your family size? it also depends in what state/country you`re residing. i have 4 in my family including me. my hubby and kids are sad eaters but i`m hooking them on smoothies and having fresh fruits more readily available than i used to. i am really bad at keeping track of where my money goes so it`s hard for me to pinpoint it but i think 150 is definately do able. i think where you run into more money is if you`re making all the gourmet recipes and spending cash on cleanses and stuff. i`m a very simple eater so having fruit for a meal is ideal for me. salads are also good because they don`t take much prep time. you probably will have to split your cash into segments because i can`t see how fruit and vegees would stay fresh for 2 weeks at a time.
typical list for me is whatever fruit i can find at a decent price, usually apples, plums, kiwi, blueberries, nanas,strawberries, etc. vegees would be spinach,kale, romaine, bell peppers, cukes,parsley, garlic, mint, stuff like that.
patty

it is just the three of us.... my little girl, husband and me ... we live in no mans land south carolina....(we live about 30 min from charlotte, nc

do you garden or have the means to garden? that would cut down on your food bill plus it would be so fresh and so good for you

i have two little sad tomato plants in the back yard... but i my green thumb is more brown then green.... if i could afford everything (ie. rake, seeds,hoe,tiller) i would do it, but its a little to late and funds are always tight.
on the bright side i have a great little helper at home who likes to help mommy water the plants... and we have 4 tomatos growing so far..... i wish they would hurry up and ripe!

Hi katlatgurl,

I remember when we first went raw my shopping bill rocketed because we were all eating so much and we weren't even eating any gourmet dishes. Just lots of fruit and salads and nuts and seeds. Now I spend about half of what I used to. We need less food to feel satisfied and we eat mostly fruit now with a little bit of greens and not much of the expensive nuts and seeds. Also I have become better at the shopping itself. I buy fruit by the case which makes it cheaper. We go through a box of bananas each week. It's one of the cheapest, most filling fruits you can buy and you can also use it as a base for making fruit/green smoothies. If you get a book about edible plants you can pick wild greens for free.

Below is a post which I put on another thread but maybe it will be useful to you. There are lots of things you can grow at home for which you don't even need a garden and that will help to keep the cost of eating raw down. If you really want to eat raw, you'll find a way to do it. This board is a great help even if some of the information you will get will be conflicting because there are as many different ways to eat raw as there are raw people Once you get the hang of it just start listening to your own body and you will find your own way to eat raw.

Francis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi cricri,

I admire your efforts to be raw in Romania. I know from experience that it's much harder to do in an East European country. I used to spend all my holidays in Czech a couple of years ago and raw foods are very limited there as well. I live in the Netherlands and we are so spoiled for all the raw food choices. But if you really want to be 100% raw it is possible to do so no matter where you are (well almost). It's not necessary and probably much healthier to eat raw in a very simple way without all the fancy supplements and gourmet food. If you can get some basic foods like bananas and avocados you can do it. You can grow everything else you need in your apartment, even a small apartment.

Grow sunflower, buckwheat, broccoli and pea greens in trays. You can add these to lettuce and tomatoes and cucumber for salads. Or you can juice them although you would need quite a lot of them. Or you can make green smoothies with bananas.

Grow wheatgrass in trays. That will give you a green boost and all the juice you need each day. You only need a small cup of it.

Sprout alfalfa, mung and aduki beans, chickpeas and green peas, sunflower seeds and any other seed you can think of for adding to your salads.

Make sweet smoothies by adding another fruit like oranges or whatever else is available like berries in season (you might have to go out of the city to pick these yourself which would be a nice day out anyway to your bananas.

And that's it. It's a bit basic but after you've been eating raw for a while you probably won't want much variety anyway and as far as nutrition goes you will be getting everything you need and more and you will be eating a much healthier raw diet than a lot of people in Western Europe or the USA. And you'll be eating not just raw but truly living foods, picked a few moments before you eat them.

It may seem like a lot of work at first but once you've grown a few trays of your own greens it will become easy and you'll soon get into a routine of soaking and rinsing and planting. It's just a matter of getting organized, get your seeds, your trays and your soil. If you can get or make a small composter you could make your own compost from the finished trays. Maybe your husband will help you with it as well. All the information you will need for growing indoor greens and sprouting you can find on the internet. Probably someone on this board can direct you to a good website. Or you can buy a book.

Good luck, francis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Betty,

I hope you and I won't be fighting over the same guy I suppose we could share him.

I'm pretty sure you'll have your son transitioned unto raw in no time. From reading your other posts you seem to be very good at making the kind of raw food that will have him eating raw without missing cooked food. It's eating raw at school that seems to be the hardest bit.

Francis

I hope so. Generally, putting anything 100% raw other than a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks in front of him is liable to send him out the nearest window headfirst. You'd think I was suggesting he pull out each of his fingernails.

I tried him on the smoothie this morning. As I was dropping strawberries and banana pieces into the blender and pouring in a generous pool of agave, he chirped, "Don't forget the cow's milk!" I said nothing and, after he turned and left momentarily, proceeded to add what I hoped was an undetectable amount of hemp seed powder. When he returned, I handed him the creamy pale-pink liquid in a lovely gold-tinted goblet. He took a sip. I smiled, perhaps too cheerfully, and asked, "How is it?" He smiled (albeit faintly) and nodded, and I began to breathe again. He then put it down and got busy in another part of the house. I called after him, trying to sound casual, "So are you going to finish it?" His distracted reply: "No, I'm done." So I finished it for him.

The next time he was hungry (20 min. later), he started to go for some box cereal. I told him, "I'll get it!" Trusting boy that he is, he went back to reading. This time, I poured in half almond milk and half cow's. Then, just to be safe, I squirted a heaping mound of freshly whipped cream, sweetened with agave, over the Honey Graham Life. He didn't seem to notice the almond milk. Does that count as progress?

I have the greatest opportunity to do this: I'm homeschooling. What could be better? (Besides his attitude.)

Betty

Ha ha Betty, I suppose that does count as progress

If he likes fruit, why don't you try making him just a fruit smoothie, without the nut milk, agave and hemp seed powder. Bananas and strawberries are so sweet they don't really need extra sweetening and it tastes more light and refreshing that way. With the nut milk and agave it probably becomes quite overly sweet and heavy. How about making him an all fruit smoothie with just a bit of water and just ask him if he will taste it and tell you what he thinks of it. Tell him you're looking for a good combination and you need his advice. If he doesn't like the banana/strawberry smoothie try a different combination until you find one that he likes.

The needing his advise bit might work for other raw foods as well. Tell him you're trying to put some recipes together for other people, you could even tell him you want to write a raw food recipe book and you need his help to taste everything and that you want him to tell you what you should do to make it taste better. Tell him the book/recipes is for people who still eat cooked and because he still eats cooked his advice is really helpful as you already eat raw and your taste buds have changed. Even if he only tastes one bite of everything you make he will still become used to eating more raw and you'll find out what works with him and what doesn't. And who knows, you might even write that recipe book for real

Also you could cut up fruit that you know he likes and just put the plate in front of him. Try doing this before he feels hungry and starts looking for something to eat himself. Most kids like being offered some fruit. It's only when he starts actively looking for food himself that he probably won't accept fruit as an option.

That's great that you're homeschooling. I live in the Netherlands and homeschooling is not much of an option. If my kids were smaller and just starting school I would definitely make an effort to do it.

Francis

i think it`s progress your kid reminds me of mine but my son loves his smoothies so it`s not a problem getting him to drink them. as far as fruit goes i try to have what he (they) likes available. one of the fruit he loves are pluots...a cross between a plum and an apricot...they are YUMMY. my daughter loves grapes so they`re always in the house. depending on the child`s resistance to change your transition for him may be easy or difficult, depends on his personality. he sounds pretty easy going compared to some. introduce new stuff little by little and you`ll change his tastebuds over
patty

perbetty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope so. Generally, putting anything 100% raw
> other than a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks
> in front of him is liable to send him out the
> nearest window headfirst. You'd think I was
> suggesting he pull out each of his fingernails.
>
> I tried him on the smoothie this morning. As I
> was dropping strawberries and banana pieces into
> the blender and pouring in a generous pool of
> agave, he chirped, "Don't forget the cow's milk!"
> I said nothing and, after he turned and left
> momentarily, proceeded to add what I hoped was an
> undetectable amount of hemp seed powder. When he
> returned, I handed him the creamy pale-pink liquid
> in a lovely gold-tinted goblet. He took a sip. I
> smiled, perhaps too cheerfully, and asked, "How is
> it?" He smiled (albeit faintly) and nodded, and I
> began to breathe again. He then put it down and
> got busy in another part of the house. I called
> after him, trying to sound casual, "So are you
> going to finish it?" His distracted reply: "No,
> I'm done." So I finished it for him.
>
> The next time he was hungry (20 min. later), he
> started to go for some box cereal. I told him,
> "I'll get it!" Trusting boy that he is, he went
> back to reading. This time, I poured in half
> almond milk and half cow's. Then, just to be
> safe, I squirted a heaping mound of freshly
> whipped cream, sweetened with agave, over the
> Honey Graham Life. He didn't seem to notice the
> almond milk. Does that count as progress?
>
> I have the greatest opportunity to do this: I'm
> homeschooling. What could be better? (Besides
> his attitude.)
>
> Betty


I have a suggestion Betty.

Have your son make his own smoothie.

just fruits, nut milk and greens.

whatever he chooses. has nothing to do with you.

if that doesn't work, let him use frozen bananas, alone or with other things, that's what my kids like.

consider having a rule that it must be the first thing he has in the morning.

after that, it's his choice.

Great suggestions! I am heartened by your encouragement. Yes, Franky loves plain fruit and does choose it on his own. Grapes are a great idea to always have on hand, and I'll see if I can find the pluots--I hadn't ever heard of them! Thanks Patty. I love the idea of having him taste a bunch of different recipes, and to make sure I catch him before he's hungry--thanks, Francis.

Francis, I would never be able to homeschool if my son were any younger. Now that he's a middle schooler, he's independent enough that I can be doing my own thing most of the time. I also wouldn't be able to do it without this online program, K12.com, doing all the planning and scheduling, and providing all the materials. It's the best education he's ever had. I've been a teacher at nearly every level, and can knowledgably say that this curriculum is tops.

We're on our way to the store now: I'll try to get him to choose all his smoothie ingredients, and talk with him about making his own each morning. Thanks, Fresh!

Here goes!

Betty

I thought of you this morning Betty as I was squeezing fresh orange juice for myself and the kids. Orange juice is their favorite way of starting the day, followed by a smoothie. Does Franky like orange juice?

I'm not sure if they have home schooling programs online in the Netherlands. But my eldest is going to college in September, he wants to work with horses. And my youngest has two years left at primary school and loves his school and his mates and he hasn't got a problem with being the only raw kid in his school, it's the eldest who finds it hard to eat so different from all the other teenagers.

Francis

Francis,

Funny you should mention orange juice. Yesterday, we went to the store to pick out smoothie ingredients--although my son's idea was to get a Luna bar. (When I mentioned to him the idea of picking out his own ingredients to make his own smoothies, his response was, "No thanks, Mom." Anyway, as I was perusing the fruits, he called out from the fridge section, "I want to get some orange juice." Happily, I turned to the big bin of organic juicing oranges. "No, not those," he said, waving his hands emphatically. "I want this!" He was holding up the yucky pasturized stuff.
"But these will make sweet, refreshing, yummy orange juice! That stuff is thick and gluggy." I emphasized this with my yucky face.
"No, I'm tired of your fresh-squeezed juice. I want this kind. It tastes better. Please, Mom. I'll drink it every morning."
To prove my point, I did buy it for him. He had to add water to it, because it was too thick and gluggy. To prove his point, he put a big smile on his face and told me, "This is really delicious!"

Next time, I'll get the oranges, squeeze them, and add water. How's he gonna know?

Life goes on,
Betty