Wondering how to get your children into the raw food diet? Getting your children to eat raw food may not be as exciting for them as it is for you. A lot of kids are reluctant to try new food, especially since children have more tastebuds compared to adults, making certain food taste more intense for them. But eating habits are learned, and introducing tasty raw food recipes for kids that they can make on their own will help improve your children’s overall diet.

Here are some quick and easy to make raw food recipes for kids that you and your children can enjoy making and eating together.

Raw sesame seed bars

One of the best raw food recipes for kids that you can easily teach your children to make is a recipe that doesn’t need any equipment. Well, you'll probably have to help them with the measurements. But all this raw sesame seed bar recipe takes is just mixing in a bowl, pressing down into a dish, and freezing! Your kids will not only enjoy this crunchy and delicious snack, but they will also marvel at their own dexterity in the kitchen.

Raw green smoothies

Green might not be the best color in your children’s food color wheel. But this shouldn’t stop you from encouraging them to eat healthy and tasty raw food recipes for kids. A good way to start introducing to them to the concept that green doesn’t have to mean yucky is to mix greens with their favorite fruits. In my silky green smoothie recipe, mix all of the ingredients using a high-speed blender to get that silky smooth texture that even your kids will love. And it still tastes sweet!

Raw chocolate shake

Who doesn’t like chocolate? Every child (or even child at heart) says yes to a chocolate treat! Adding bananas to your children’s otherwise regular chocolate drink of cocoa powder with some agave nectar and water couldn’t be so much easier. Just blend them together and this raw chocolate shake recipe will be a hit to your kids’ developing tastebuds.

Raw chocolate pudding with hidden avocado

Kids can’t get enough of chocolate, and introducing raw food recipes for kids is probably more effective when disguised as one! Allow your children to get busy in the kitchen blending the raw chocolate avocado pudding ingredients while teaching them the benefits of a raw food diet. That way, they will not only learn new tastes, they'll also learn to appreciate them.

Raw ranch dressing

You’ve probably noticed by now that all of these raw food recipes for kids are about mixing and blending. Guess what? This raw ranch dressing recipe is no different! Get your high-speed blender, throw in all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Kids can enjoy making this healthy ranch dressing to pair with savory raw pizza or with some raw salad.

Raw recipes for children

Aren’t you itching to try these raw food recipes for kids with your little ones yet? It’s important to start eating healthy at a young age and developing healthy eating habits can be taught by gradually introducing new tastes that are not so far off from what their palates usually enjoy. Infusing your children’s diets with raw food shouldn’t be so hard if they also learn how to have fun making raw food recipes for kids on their own. You’ll soon find your kids asking for more once they understand that healthy food can be delicious and that raw food doesn’t mean yucky food.

What you eat affects every aspect of your life, like your mood, how your body fights disease and how you maintain your health. It's also a major consideration when looking at the causes and contributing factors of many health issues like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

You can experience many health benefits, like better absorption of fiber and vitamins, by adding more raw food to your diet. Whether you're in the process of transitioning to a raw food lifestyle or just experimenting with adding more raw foods to your diet, here are some simple tips to help get you started.

For more ideas on how you can incorporate more fresh food into your daily routine, check out these tips on transitioning to a raw food diet. Do you have a plan or goal for adding more healthful foods to your life?

My name is Laura-Jane The Rawtarian, and I first went raw in August 2009 and it changed my life. As a result, I created this website, www.therawtarian.com, to share the easiest, most delicious raw vegan recipes with the word.

Since then I've had the privilege of teaching classes, creating two recipe apps, being interviewed on national radio, being featured in Vegan Life magazine, curating one of the most popular raw vegan recipe websites, hosting The Raw Food Podcast, and speaking at national food blogging conferences across North America--from Miami to Vancouver. It is an honor to spend my days changing the way the world eats, and I am humbled every day by you.

My "before" story

Although I was a long-time vegetarian, my diet was not healthy. I knew it, and my weight fluctuated up and up.

I was often snacking on pizza, chips, and lots of processed fruit juices. I didn't feel good. I was often moody and depressed.

I wasn't much of a cook and the foods that we ate were simple and unhealthy. For example, pasta with pesto sauce--with no salad or veggies. Breakfast was sweetened soy milk with mini wheats or another processed cereal.

I barely bought or ate any unprocessed vegetables.

Every year I gained five more pounds.

In the back of my mind I realized that if this five-pound-a-year-weight-gain continued, by the time I was forty I'd be at least fifty pounds overweight. I looked around. Many women at forty seemed to be fifty pounds overweight, so I accepted that this was the way it would be for me, too.

But enter raw food...

After the first two months of being a 100% raw vegan I had released ten to fifteen pounds. I looked great and I felt even better.

I've found preparing delicious raw foods to be so simple. Inspirationally simple.

Before I began my raw food journey, I was not comfortable in the kitchen. I had absolutely no confidence and no idea how to cook. I just made pasta and sandwiches and ate frozen pizza.

Learning how to prepare raw food has been an amazing and empowering experience for me. I started very rigidly following raw recipes, but after just two months I was creating some of my own recipes. With a limited number of ingredients--fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds--I find that I now understand more about how to combine food. I experiment so much more than I ever did before.

Will I be raw forever? I have no idea. All I can say is that right now I am still excited about the raw food lifestyle and being 100% raw.

Only time will tell where this journey takes me.

The purpose of this website is to inspire others to try and love this amazing lifestyle. Check out my best raw vegan recipes right here and make your first raw recipe.

You may have noticed that some raw recipes include psyllium as an ingredient. Psyllium adds texture (think moist, soft and light - yum!) to recipes like my Moist Spongy Loaves, and can be used as a thickener in puddings, shakes and soups. But some of you might be wondering: what is psyllium and how much psyllium is safe to eat?

Psyllium is available in both 'husk' and 'powder' forms. (Note: I use psyllium husk in my recipes). It is an excellent source of fiber (derived from the seeds of the plantago ovata plant). It is commonly used to promote bowel regularity. (Check out the constipation section at a store and you'll see lots of psyllium products!) You can purchase it as a laxative or as a fiber supplement, or in bulk at your health food store.

Psyllium also has other health benefits, such as lowering cholestrol,  alleviating Irritable Bowel symptoms, and maintaining colon health. As you can see, psyllium fiber can be a beneficial addition to your diet.

Psyllium absorbs water as it passes through your intestines, which then bulks up your stool. It's this action that facilitates passage through your bowels. Most healthy folks who eat a varied diet to meet their fiber requirements will not have a problem adding psyllium to their diet.

However, if you eat too much psyllium, especially if you don't drink enough water or you're not used to it, you could run into trouble. Eating too much psyllium can cause problems like gas, bloating, intestinal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, and even intestinal blockage. As with any fiber (or anything in life, really), too much isn't necessarily a good thing!

You know your own body. If you have a predisposition to intestinal problems (from surgery or other medical problems), check with your doctor first before charging out and buying a sack of psyllium! If you are on any medications, check to make sure that eating psyllium is okay (as it can interfere with absorption).

And if you don't have any issues, use common sense! Don't scarf back an entire loaf of Raw Sweet Bread (no matter how good it tastes!) or you may suffer the embarrassing (or worse) consequences!

When hosting a party, the food on the table always makes the spotlight of the occasion. You want to wow your guests with your brilliant skills like you’ve just had a raw chef prepare what’s on the menu. In this post, I’ve got some fancy raw food ideas for parties that you can proudly show off to your friends. You just read fancy up there, but truthfully, the procedures in making these raw vegan dishes are nothing but simple and easy, your guests would never guess.

Raw pumpkin crumble

This raw pumpkin crumble recipe is downright perfect for special occasions, especially for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. (You can also bookmark this recipe for your next party. It’s never too soon to plan, is it?)

This recipe is fast and easy. Blend all pumpkin filling ingredients in a blender and set aside. Next, briefly process coconut, pecans and salt, then add your dates and continue processing until the crumble mixture turns into a fluffy coarse meal. To avoid it getting soggy, always store the filling and the crumble separately until it’s ready to eat. Add dried cranberries to the crumble for a more festive touch.

Raw cheesecake recipe

Next up – cheesecakes! They simply look classy, and everyone loves their flavor. Definitely perfect for raw desserts. But making this raw cheesecake recipe requires no magic or chef expertise, so don’t fret. Just place macadamia nuts, salt and dates in your food processor and process well, making sure the mixture is still airy. Layer the bottom of your cheesecake pan with dried coconut and press down your crust mixture into it. Blend your cream-cheese filling ingredients in a high-speed blender and pour it over the crust. Allow the cheesecake base to firm up in the freezer for about an hour while you blend the strawberries and dates in your blender. When the topping mixture is blended nice and smooth, pour it on top of the firm cheesecake base and pop it back in the freezer for five more hours or until it reaches your desired consistency. Before serving to your guests, you may want to defrost the raw cheesecake for about 10 minutes beforehand. (I doubt it will last long once served!)

Raw cranberry lemon cheesecake bites

Gotta love this twist on raw cheesecakes! These heavenly raw cranberry lemon cheesecake bites are sure to capture your raw food and non-raw food friends’ palates alike. All you need for this recipe are a few ingredients and your trusty high-speed blender. Dump all your lemon cheesecake base ingredients into the blender and blend your way up from slow to high speed. Pour the mixture into pans or fancy, decorative molds and allow them to firm up a bit in the freezer. Now blend your cranberries and dates into a nice and smooth texture, then evenly spread the topping onto the already firmed up cheesecake base. Freeze again for about five more hours and serve only when you’re ready to eat them, because it will melt quite quickly.

Raw chocolate superfood brownies

This is a pretty easy raw superfood brownie recipe that has a perfect chocolate taste. And paired with strawberry sauce? Divine!

And this one is super easy too. Just process most of the ingredients in a food processor, then mix in the goji berries, hemp hearts (and optional additional sweetener) by hand. Then press into two glass brownie dishes and refrigerate.

Which one will you choose for your next gathering?

There you have it. These are only some of many more fancy raw food recipe ideas for parties. I’m certain you can also come up with more creative ways to pretty up your raw food dishes. It’s always great to be able to prepare delicious food you love to guests who aren’t even raw fooders (and leave them in awe).

Chia seeds: you’ve all heard of them! Most of you have probably used them in your recipes. But what exactly are chia seeds, and can you eat too many of them?

There’s something about chia…

The fancy name for chia is Salvia hispanica. Chia is native to central/southern Mexico, as well as parts of South America. Historically, it’s been an important food source, and is still used today in many of these countries. Chia is actually a member of the mint family. It has a very mild, nutty flavor, and is frequently used as a thickening agent in recipes like puddings and shakes. Chia also makes a tasty topping for cereal, yogurt, soups and salads (or whatever you please!).

The good news

Chia seeds are high in fiber, protein, healthy fats, and vitamins & minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Fiber helps lower your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood sugar, as well as promote bowel regularity. 

One ounce of chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons) contains (approx):

• 136 calories
• 4.6 grams of protein
• 8.6 grams of mostly unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids (higher than flax seed)
• 11.8 grams of carbohydrates
• 9.6 grams of fiber, or 38 percent of the daily value.
• Zero cholesetrol

Chia can be digested whole (unlike other grains) – it doesn’t have to be ground first. It is also high in natural anti-oxidants, so it can be stored (unrefrigerated) for a long time without going rancid.

But be aware...

Chia seeds absorb a lot of water (up to 10x their weight), so don’t go eating handfuls of them dry (not that you'd do that but you know what I mean!) else your bowels will NOT be happy (think constipation!). Presoaking whole chia seeds in water is good practice, plus it softens them up (milled seeds soften up quicker). Else make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Some people may experience gas and/or bloating with chia. As it is high in fiber, introduce chia slowly into your diet so your body has time to adjust.

One of the health benefits of chia is that it can lower blood pressure, however, if you have low blood pressure to begin with, or are elderly, this probably isn’t a good thing. The omega-3 fatty acids can also thin the blood, so you should avoid eating them if you are on aspirin, blood thinners, or have an upcoming surgery.

Allergies to chia are rare, but if you are allergic to sesame or mustards seeds, you might be allergic to chia seeds.

If you have any health concerns, ask your health care provider.

Can you eat too many chia seeds?

Can you eat too many chia seeds? Well, 2-3 tbsp a day are the recommended amount. But ultimately, the answer depends on your body and your health. And as with anything, moderation is key: don't rely solely on chia seeds for all of your fiber and protein. It's best to eat a variety of foods to provide your daily nutritional requirements.