I'm gradually leaning into a more raw diet, and dragging my family along with me. LOL I try to keep things simple for myself and not overdo the nuts and seeds, but I do like to get a little more creative now and then to get the kids interested in food prep. One stumbling block I have is that my son is allergic to many legumes, all nuts and sunflower seeds. This leaves hemp and pumpkin seeds, which from a dietary standpoint are a great source of nutrition, but from a kid's standpoint, generally make everything turn green. I make pumpkin seed and hemp milk sweetened with dates or agave and have no complaints, but it's the "butters" that send him running, as they're very green and have a distinct taste, even when sweetened. Does anyone know of any alternative seeds we might try that would have a more mellow taste and less green appearance?

Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2009 05:16PM by Tara73.

Just a quick mindset: Allergies are often chronic inflammation from (along with a natural tendency) years of inflammatory eating habits.

Your son does not HAVE to eat nuts/seeds. Many find them hard to digest...so I wouldn't force it. You can certainly try the hemp....or flax....or sesame seeds. Try browsing your bulk section at your local health food store for some additional ideas! If he is still eating processed foods, you can try the many dried 'nuts' like corn nuts, soy nuts, dried peas, etc. Many of these have a great 'nut like' consistency. Just some ideas.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

a good friend of mine got over the hurdle of her fussy daughters eating habits by involving her in the process, allowing her to sample possible ingredients, add them to the blender and then decide if the resulting conconcotion was desirable.

as i said shes had pretty good luck with it , and makes for some good one on one bonding time as well as only the creative child can come up with some whacky yet tasty concoctions lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Sesame seed butter is pretty good.

Thanks for your suggestions. I think I've probably tried everything. Tahini (sesame seed butter) is not popular with him. I even tried adding sea salt and agave nectar to no avail. Up until a couple years ago, we gave him soynut butter, thinking it was a great alternative. I've since come to think of it as a junk food, but he will occasionally ask why I don't buy it anymore.

With regards to allergy and inflammation, I definitely follow that train of thought, but he had severe contact allergies, even before he was eating food. He was exclusively breastfed for his first year, most of which he was covered in severe eczema and also contracted a rare disease (Kawasaki Disease) that caused coronary artery aneurysms. Though looking back, his diet may not have been as great as I thought it was (we were vegan, but I didn't know much about raw food back then), we still focused on whole natural foods, avoiding things we knew he had allergies to. Thus, I'm not inclined to think his allergies are a result of his long term poor eating habits, because he wasn't eating (only breastfeeding), when they became apparent. Who knows.

Nonetheless, it is a challenge, because for a long time, his staples have been cooked black and pinto beans, oats, some soy in the form of tofu or soy yogurt, lots of fruit, and a handful of veggies that he likes (mostly cooked). I'm trying to expand his palate more, but it's hard still feeding him foods that I don't feel are the most health promoting, but knowing there's no way I could transition my kids to a primarily raw diet at this stage without it being an emotional struggle. I have to find the best balance I can and hope they at least carry a focus on health into their own lives.