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Raw for Toddler

rawpatiencerawpatience Raw Newbie
in Family

Hi. I’ve been quasi-raw for 6 months..getting more raw every week. I’d always steamed my toddlers veggies so that it what he currently prefers, but I am giving him raw choices daily. He does not like raw greens so I’ve been giving him some of my smoothie with kale. He likes it alot, but often has a stomach ache afterwards. I’m thinking he’s going to have to adjust to the raw food. I don’t worry about portion control when he’s choosing how much to eat from a plate, but with a smoothie I am a bit worried about the quantity of raw greens a typical toddler can tolerate. I fill the blender up if it’s for me. Does anybody out there have any tips for going raw with a toddler? Thanks!

Comments

  • I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. THey have become addicted to my morning smoothies! I just pop a straw in their cups and that gets them really excited about it. This is what is in one of my usual smoothies: 2 bananas, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup raspberries, water from 1 Baby Thai Coconut, some fresh squeezed Almond Milk, green powder from www.amazinggrass.com. I mix it up sometimes with mangoes or whatever frozen fruit I have on hand. They go crazy for these. Some of their favorite foods are: avocadoes, watermelon, cantelope, blueberries, sliced apples, sliced cucumbers, sliced mangoes, or sometimes whatever I’m eating. Today they both went crazy for the Nori rolls I made. Every day is different though. I’m sure you know, what works one day, may not work the next. I have also learned that it’s also all about the presentation. Making it looking pretty on their plates helps a lot. Good luck!

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    maybe spinach would be easier to digest than kale. or juice it rather than in smoothie form. i think it’s cool you are doing that! so many parents give their kids junk.

  • I’ve been feeding my 2 year old some of my green smoothies every morning. Sometimes I use spinach or kale. He hasn’t shown any signs of stomachache. I usually add some sort of citrus + banana.

    another idea I tried this morning is to blend a frozen banana with a little agave + water in the blender to make ‘mylk’ ..he drank it all up!

    I also feed him lots of ‘raw’ finger food. blackberries, grapes, blueberries etc.

    today for dinner I fed him 1/2 an avocado sprinkled with some Goya seasoning (non raw) ..and he gobbled that all up too!

    He’s transitioning well ( started out a vegetarian baby ).. raw foods seem to help his constipation. This is a relief because we tried EVERYTHING ( including meds) and nothing worked before we started incorporating some raw into his diet.

    hope this helps a bit.

  • rawpatiencerawpatience Raw Newbie

    Thanks you guys for the inspiration. Rawleen the smoothie recipe with coconut sounds yummy. It’s interesting reading your replies, my son will eat most of the raw items you all have mentioned (with the exception of avocados and greens) and so we are probably doing okay. Unfortunately our household, nor is his daycare, are completely raw so we are all still transitioning. My son has suffered from severe atopic dermatitis since birth and we’ve tried the elimination diet with wheat, eggs, soy, dairy, nuts, you name it. No one item seemed to be a big factor so I have a suspicion he may be allergic to the chemicals in packaged food. Anyways, his preference has always been for rice or almond milk and my next challenge is to actually start making it myself so it will be raw. I will definitely try replacing the kale with spinach to see if it makes a difference for his tummy. Thanks for all the tips and support!

  • kindaraw: my son also suffered from atopic dermatitis since birth. My doc told me that often a child who is allergic to dairy will be allergic to those other common allergens you named in your last post. So we tried the elimination diet, but it didn’t work. I also started using fragrance free detergent on his clothes but that didn’t work either. What did work is to completely stop using soap when bathing him. I also do not shampoo his hair. Within a week I noticed his skin improving! We’ve stuck to that routine & he’s been fine ever since.

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    here’s the cutest raw blog about a toddler’s daily diet: http://rawtoddleralex.blogspot.com/

  • tdgtdg Raw Newbie

    I use California Baby products on my children. Mostly I use the Tea Tree products that they offer. My son had terrible dry cracking skin and cradle cap that wouldn’t stop. After switching to those products, he has been fine.

  • winona: thanks for posting the link to lil Alex’s blog. my own 2 1/2 yr old, enjoys a similar diet. flaxseed crackers are one of his favorites w/some homemade guacamole (local organic avocados).

    kindaraw: tips for going raw = check out the site that winona posted. finger foods are great. make sure you only buy organic fruits and veggies tho. conventional strawberries and peaches are the worst for high high levels of pesticides, not just on them but INSIDE. everyone else posted some great tips, so…yeah. good luck! your baby will thank you. i know for my own son, he was Born a Natural Raw Fooder. :)

  • this is a great topic. I am trying to include raw in my childrens diet aged 6 nd 2 1/2 yr.Its tough to include the greens.Also tough to change the habit of drinking milk.Winona thanks for the blog.

  • rawpatiencerawpatience Raw Newbie

    Yes this is a great topic, artzy: you know I had been following the no poo thread under health and beauty and have been poo-free for a week. In that thread there was much talk of the chemical from soaps and shampoos so I’ve stopped using them with my son too. I think this may be a huge breakthrough for us because I have tried EVERYTHING…organics, “natural” skin products, and chem-free laundry soap with no results. Mrs.rev: I suspect the strawberries too. When I was looking back at food consumption after the last big breakout I remembered I had broken down and bought some fresh strawberries from Calif. that looked so plump and delicious. The organic variety is not in season here until summer. We are trying to eat more “in season” foods, but oh it’s so hard when you are craving berries in the Spring. My goal is to stockload this summer at the farmer’s market and buy a used freezer for storage. Anyways, thanks so much for the feedback!

    PS: tdg: I have been reading so much about the value of coconut oil that I have just recently started using that on my son’s skin after baths, instead of store-bought…not sure if it will make a difference yet but it’s a solid where I live so pretty easy to apply and much cheaper than some of the fancy stuff :o)

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Avocados hide well in flavorful smoothies, sauces, puddings, etc. if you want to get those in :)

  • just keep him diapered and beautiful for life and both will be happy and well to eat

  • Wow- great advice, I am mostly raw, but its only been for the past year and a half, my son will be 4 in a month and he loves finger foods andsometimes my smoothies; definitely spinah is a winner for kids, it's also the only green he will eat raw, I just roll the leaves and he has fun eating them that way. Still it is difficult to introduce this to him now, at home it's pretty easy, although he already has preferences...we come from a family of carnivores and candy lovers, he was started out eating healthy foods, but we also used to eat meat so its hard telling him no at his grandparents house....so everywhere we go I deal with that, he is also in day care, where he does eat vegan foods that I take in, but definitely not enough raw!! I just really liked this topic and all the good advice!!

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