Helping children learn to like veggies and fruits?
Hi all,
Sorry it's been a while. I've been swamped with trying to keep this uninsulated house warm this winter, water lines rupturing, trying to earn a living, etc. etc. etc.
I think I've already posted that my children have given up ALL meats (including fowl and aquatic). This isn't a RAW issues per se so I'll ask for resources.
In a nutshell, my children HATE most vegetables and many fruits. Can/would someone provide some resources dedicated to helping children learn to like veggies and fruits? If we can get past the "potatoes and rice" only blockade I think we'll be able to make headway into incorporating more fresh, raw organic items into their diets.
Thanks for any help. Sorry to ask not a strictly raw question but since it's transitional I thought it would be acceptable. Thanks again.
I say give them sweet juices to drink and make more green smoothies. They will eventually adapt because their bodies will be craving the good stuff. Carrot apple juice is really good.... that's how I got my hubby to start liking Raw juice. Now he can't get enough carrot apple juice. Personally I think there are lots of juicing books out there but I really like the Juiceman. He had little kids at the time and has lots of ideas for kiddos.
Forcing them will not help. Maybe take them to the store and have them pick out a fruit or vegetable they would like to try? Or perhaps you have an "orange" color day at the grocery store for fruits and veggies?
Oh yeah and we like all kinds of questions..... don't worry if they are not all RAW questions.... we have no Raw Police here.
when i decided to transition my kids, i made fruit salad using some fresh, raw fruit and sad ingredients like whipped cream and marshmellows.
kids love to "dip" cut up strawberries and pineapples, put colorful toothpicks in each piece of fruit and serve with fruit and chocolate dips.
they will almost always eat baby carrots with ranch dressing.
sweet juices like leah said.
sweet and creamy smoothies like banana/strawberry with agave and almond mylk. i made smoothies very sweet for my kids in the beginning. now they add greens and some won't use agave claiming it is too sweet.
I think all kids are fruit lovers at heart, I tried to get my son to eat veggies but have basically given up on anything other than our daily green smoothie (ours are fairly fruity but good greens there!) and he also will eat the Veggie herb pizza crusts/crackers with a cashew cheeze topping. Also, he LOVES the Kale chips, I think the recipe is here under the recipes, if not let me know and I will post it. Oh and I guess if you don't have a dehydrator or access to one, all I can say is enthusiastically push fruit and green smoothies.
We transitioned slowly, first having all fruit at breaky, then til 12, then a green smoothie for lunch, and finally, all raw
I guess dates helped once he decided he liked them, and dry fruit for treats.
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"We design products to be thrown "away" when, in fact, there is no "away"."- Shannon Huecker
The children will eat smoothies on a frequent basis but not on a daily basis. We're trying not to push them but it's difficult seeing them eat so much rice and potatoes. They are crazy about clementines but I'm having a hard time finding a supplier that has them available regularly.
We do have a dehydrator, and they love fruit leathers . We're trying to find simplistic wholesome recipes and ways to sneak in healthier foods without making things a chore but they are sharper than tacks and it's not the easiest
we used to have potatoes or rice just about every night. we ate a chunk of meat, potatoes, and veggies from a can. ew.
when i learned about raw food i took out the potatoes and added fruit salads. it seemed the easiest thing to break them of first. the fruit salads were "sad" types to appeal to their palattes, for example, pistachio pudding with added pineapple. they loved it and did not complain or seem to notice that there were no potatoes. i slowly transitioned them to eating plain fruits.
stop buying potatoes and they will stop eating them.
when we are broke and have no food in the house, i'll buy a sack of potatoes which will feed all of us, so we still have potatoes from time to time.
i've been raw off and on for a couple of years, always trying to eat raw and failing over and over. in that time my children have come to love green smoothies and make up thier own concoctions. all of us are vegetarians, and i love to see my kids reach for fruit when they are hungry.
we also take note of what they seem to be craving. we get it for them on the weekend. we don't want them to feel so deprived that they rebel against eating healthy.
I did try avoiding potatoes but they started working on Mom, who would rather them eat than not (as do we all) and gives in a bit too quickly. My thought would be if it's not here, eventually they'll eat what is. The older ones are at least trying "new" veggies, etc. periodically but I can't get them to eat things on a regular basis. We can squeeze in some veggies in the smoothies but they're just asking for potatoes, rice and pasta quite often since they decided to give up meats.
I just worry about all those starches. My wife says she worries too but keeps getting the stuff when they go to work on her.
. We're trying to find simplistic wholesome recipes and ways to sneak in healthier foods without making things a chore but they are sharper than tacks and it's not the easiest 
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