Each Wednesday we will be answering questions from our readers. If you have a question for *Raw Mom* send it to Ask *Raw Mom*
Q: Hi ladies,
I have been interested in your new dessert book and the lunchbox book, but because I am overseas things like coconut meat and the variety of fresh berries and interesting fruits is limited. Not to mention cacao butter costs the bomb - are many of your recipes dependent on exotic foods? ( I would have a minimal to moderate amount of superfoodage going on )
In Gratitude,
Julia
A: Hi Julia,
The HEALTHY LUNCHBOX recipe book contains no hard to find or exotic ingredients; even the cacao recipes call for the substitution of carob if cacao isn’t an option. Where coconut water is used, the recipe mentions and does just as well with plain water or nut mylk, so its really interchangeable, as all good, user-friendly recipes are.
Chia seeds and goji berries show up a couple times, but they are not difficult to find anymore, and of all the superfoods, I feel they are mostly economical because a little goes a long way. Goji berries are costly, however, so raisins, currants or other dried fruits acan be substituted if need be.
I appreciate the whole Superfood movement and recognize its value, yet as a mom I mostly relate to the struggle moms have just getting real food into their children… so I have kept it all pretty real. The 2 recipes that have jicima, which is a root vegetable that tastes between a potato and an apple, and the few that contain coconut buttter (olive oil would work too) are kind of nice and refreshing because I feel and made the statement in the opening of the book that it is good to try new things, and be open. Good nutrition almost depends on it.
So its mostly common ingredients with a few surprises thrown in to keep it interesting.
I very much hope you will enjoy it!
Blissings,
~Shakaya
Shannon Shakaya Breeze Leone
Q: Dear Raw Mom,
1. How do you transition your child(ren) from SAD to raw?
2. How long did it take to get them to eat healthy?
3. How do you prepare your child(ren) to deal with social situations, such
as birthday parties, where there will be lots of unhealthy SAD food there?
A: It’s all in the DOING!
It starts with the AWARENESS of what is possible…of the importance of proper nutrition on our children’s young bodies, minds and spirit.
I personally recommend ppl start by
- REMOVE ALL JUNKFOOD from the diet i.e. refined sugar and flour use fruit, honey and other natural sweeteners and create or buy natural and less processed treats.
- ADD IN GREEN SMOOTHIES daily- read GREEN FOR LIFE.
- GO RAW ALL DAY UNTIL DINNER.
Fill up in the day with fresh fruit, veggies and dips, raw soups and flax crackers, raw trail mixes, raw puddings and cereals, salads and garden burgers and zucchini pasta and cabbage burritos and manna bread avocado, tomato, lettuce, cucumber sandwiches or peanut butter/almond/cashew butter with banana.
Green Smoothies and/or Green Juices and/or Nut milks and/or Herbal Teas, with superfoods and supplements such as SPIRULINA/HEMP SEEDS/CHIA SEEDS/BEE POLLEN~ all great protein sources.
Then serve whatever is comforting and wholesome for dinner: soups, stews, steamed veggies, non-gluten grains such as MILLET, QUINOA, AMARANTH, BUCKWHEAT, RICE
Here is where you would have your meat or fish or other cooked foods.
The key here is HEALTH.
HOWEVER long it takes to do this, which could be as fast and quick as you like, its up to each family to go at their own pace.
At social events, bring fruit platters and raw desserts, and big salads and fill-up ahead of time with green smoothies and bring trail mix for the car; and then let go a bit and enjoy the festivities. My rule is no meat, no junk food. If they want to try something, I let my kids now, (when they were younger than 9 I just created their plates with the best choices I could find - now that they are 10 and 11, they do this themselves)
And the next day, we are raw and simple and ‘detoxing’ so its all good!
I hope this helps!
Just follow your heart and for some inspiration check out my HEALTHY LUNCHBOX e-book and/or my DVD RAISING CHILDREN RAISES US at the rawmom.com site
Blissings,
xoxoxShakaya
Tags: children, conscious parenting, Family, health, Homeschooling, Life, Living Food, love, nature, organic, parenthood, Raw food, raw food recipe, raw kids, raw mom
