How to Feed Young Children on the Raw-Food Diet

Bring up the topic of a raw food diet and most people will look at you like you have two heads. Tell them that your children also follow a raw food diet and you'll likely face a barrage of accusations about malnutrition. But in world with a rapidly rising number of children living with obesity and disease, abstaining from junk and processed foods and focusing mainly on raw, unaltered foods seems like the way to go. With some planning and consideration for the special nutritional needs of a growing body, you can certainly feed your child a healthy, balanced raw food diet.

Things You'll Need

• Kid-oriented raw foods recipe books
• Raw food nutrition books
• A variety of raw fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds
• Food processor
• Juicer (optional)
• Food dehydrator (optional)

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Instructions

How to Feed Young Children on the Raw Food Diet

• 1

  Choose your ratio of uncooked versus minimally processed foods. Many raw foodists define eating a raw diet as consuming at least 75 percent of their foods uncooked, with the remaining 25 percent minimally processed and never heated above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which it is believed that the nutritional value of food begins to decline. Be realistic about your raw food intake goals for your children.

• 2

  Adapt your own raw food diet. Generally, your kids can eat what you eat. If you're eating a meal with leafy greens and your child is very young and has trouble with the texture of greens, simply puree the greens and make a soup or sauce for your child. As long as the foods are developmentally appropriate, go ahead and make the same meals and snacks for both of you. Be aware of things like nuts that are choking hazards for very young children; adapt and give them nut butters instead.

• 3

  Make sure your child gets enough essential fats, minerals and vitamins. Raw food diets have little to no dairy, which is where most children get their calcium and vitamin D from. If you live in a climate where your child isn't regularly exposed to sunlight, or if your child has dark skin, vitamin D deficiencies from diet are especially worrisome. Children who aren't eating meat are prone to anemia and vitamin B deficiencies. Depending on what portion of your child's diet consists of raw foods, supplements will likely be necessary to prevent diseases and mood and attention disorders.

• 4

  Stay educated. It takes some effort to make sure your child is getting enough nutrition from food. Raw and partially raw diets are a subject of much debate and research. Stay informed and get advice from a medical professional who is knowledgeable of raw food diets and the nutrition requirements of growing children. Have your child regularly examined for any nutritional deficiencies.