Raw Foods for the Crayon Crowd

When I made the decision to try a raw food lifestyle, my six-year-old son watched me chop, and blend, and juice, and dehydrate - and declared my new concoctions, "Disgusting." I didn't mind, at first; Jacob already ate a healthy vegetarian diet. But, as I discovered the health benefits of raw foods, I wanted those same benefits for my son. I knew I had to slowly cleanse and reprogram his palette. To do that, I needed to convert his favorite fare to raw meals. Some of these recipes are quick and easy; others require a bit more effort. And, practically indispensable in the raw kitchen: a blender or food processor (or both!), and a dehydrator.

1. Nutter Butters
What child doesn't love a good 'ol PB&J? Raw nut and seed butters are available in heath food stores, as well as in the organic section of many major supermarkets. Peanut, or course, is the most common, but there's also cashew, almond, and others. Jacob has a peanut allergy, so we use sunflower seed butter here. These raw nut butters are not cheap - I've seen them anywhere from $6 to $14, depending on the nut. But you can make your own in a blender or food processor. Buy the raw nuts in the bulk section of your grocery store; make sure the label on the bin states raw. Soak 1 cup of nuts in purified water overnight, drain, and dehydrate until dry (this is easiest to do in a dehydrator set at 105 degrees F, but you can also use your oven on the lowest setting with the door slightly open). Toss into the food processor with 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and 1 tablespoon of raw agave nectar or - if you're not vegan - raw honey. Add as much water as necessary and blend until smooth. A little raw virgin coconut oil will also make it smoother and more spreadable.

For the jam, simply use a blender to purée fresh berries.

Now, obviously, bread is not raw. So, we wrap the nut butter and jam in large Romaine lettuce leaves, or fill celery sticks. If your child doesn't like anything green, try using a sprouted grain bread - still not raw, but much healthier than Wonder Bread.