Hi Everyone,

I am really enjoying reading all of your posts.

I would like to ask for some advice of the moms of teens out there.

I am being drawn more and more to become 100% raw food itarian. I already have found it difficult to navigate through the critism of other parents when it concerns my kids 17 & 15 yo being vegetarian. I do have the reminder of an experience I had when my daughter was 1 yo. She had a very serious reaction to a vaccination and a family friend scolded me saying, "I told you it wasn't healthy to not give her any sugar". So, I do know I shouldn't listen, but sometimes people can be so aggressive. My son plays Div I soccer and they have nicknamed him "seaweed", which he takes as a complement. However, anytime he gets sick or is unusually tired, everyone is so quick to blame it on him being vegetarian, I don't know how I will manage the critism if they find out he has gone completely raw.

OK, so that's a bit of what I mentally torture myself with My question is, how do I convince myself that raw food is healthy for athletes? My daughter also competes in extreme sports. What extra care do I need to take to ensure they simply get enough calories? They cannot afford to loose even a gram of weight. Right now I pile veggies with various bean spreads or goat cheese on Ezekial bread for their lunches. What other 800 calorie transporable food do you all use? I need something that can be wrapped in a piece of wax paper and stuffed into a backpack.

thanks!
Gretchen