Vegetarian, Vegan, & High Raw diets for teens

[Carmen_and_Company]

Hey everyone,

 

Dd announced two weeks ago she was now a vegetarian. No problem, we headed to the library to check out books on vegetarianism lifestyles and rolling cart full of cookbooks.

 

We copied recipes and I read excerpts I felt important from several books regarding proteins & healthy fats.

 

Last Sunday we headed to Costco and filled the refrigerator full of fruit and vegetables, which she ate up by Saturday. Then we made our regular weekly stop at The Wedge Co-op.

 

I'm nervous as dd only eats huge platefuls of fruit or salads. I purchased Gardein products, but she has not used any. I finally convinced her (made her) to eat a cooked vegan cream of broccoli soup I made.

 

I researched online and discovered a way of eating that describes how dd eats called 80-10-10 by Douglas Graham. Does anyone have experience with this author or way of eating mostly fruits?

 

I scheduled an appointment for dd to see her pediatrician so we can discuss Dd's new lifestyle.

 

If any of you live a low fat vegan or low fat raw lifestyle, PLEASE advise and if possible, share recipes, and book titles.

 

TIA!

[lllll]

Here is a link to a board where they discuss vegan eating.

 

http://drmcdougall.com/forums/index.php

 

There are also articles; and many, many recipes at this site under "Food and Recipes". I've never heard of eating only fruits and salads. I would think she would need to include some starches - potato or rice or pasta or beans. Is she trying to lose weight eating like that?

 

I find that non-vegetarians are often woefully uninformed about eating vegetarian. You might keep that in mind in discussions with your doctor. :)

 

ETA: Our dc were all in their teens and younger when we began eating vegan. We've never even take vitamins and they've been very healthy eating this way. In fact, I can't even remember when any of them last visited a doctor for illness. Just to ease your fears about eating vegetarian/vegan in the teens. (I would, however, be concerned if she is only doing this to lose weight and doesn't really need to lose weight??)

Edited March 14, 2010 by ksva

[Peela]

There is a huge raw food movement, and I am quite familiar wit it. Eating lot of fruit and veg is actually fine. Many people live on mostly frut and veg, including me. Greens are full of protein. Many people actually feel a lot better leaving grains, dairy and meat out of their diets.

However, what I would suggest is to encourage your dd to get in tune with her own body and it's cravings. Also, there are some 'superfoods' that can help fill in those nutritional gaps- like spirulina (more iron and protein than meat), bee pollen, berries, and a huge assortment of others.

 

Victoria Boutenko had a sick family- herself, her husband and her 2 kids all had chronic illness, and when her son was diagnosed diabetic, she prayed for help. Help came and overnight, she took her whole family to a raw diet- and they all became well, including her son. Her story is in 12 Steps to Raw which I highly recommend. It also covers all those issues like "what about calcium?".

I know about the 80-10 -10 diet- I think it suits some people but most raw foodists I think, find it too extreme to base their diets on fruit. Fruit is a great source of energy and many nutrients....but vegetables contain essential minerals. It is particularly important to eat plenty of greens. Too much fruit can be too much sugar and not so healthy.

 

The whole point of "raw" is that enzymes and nutrients are destroyed through cooking. Many of us who have tried it feel really good eating high raw. A blender to make smoothies and perhaps a juicer are very useful to get a concentrated amount of nutrients into her body. I make green juice (based on celery and apple, with lemon,cucumber, parsely,carrots, ginger) or green smoothies (fruit, water and handful of baby greens ) most mornings for my two teens. I als make a super duper chocolate smoothie regularly, that has raw chocoate powder, bee pollen, some sort of non dairy milk (I like almond milk), honey, sometimes fruit, any other superfoods I have like maca powder- and ice. Yum, and very nutritious.

 

I dont find it a cheap way to eat. Most of our food bill goes on fruit and vegetables now but they arent cheap, and I tend to have to shop more often. But, I do feel it is a LOT healthier than the SAD (Standard American/Australian Diet).

[Pamela H in Texas]

I am fairly new at it all myself. I have two thoughts.

 

First, I definitely think it's healthy. Most people worry about proteins. Here is the 3rd grade science lesson on that: Proteins are made up of amino acids. Your body needs amino acids. Your body must break down proteins into those amino acids in order to benefit from them. You can get all those amino acids, in the form your body can use, in a raw vegan diet.

 

Another consideration is the PURPOSE of proteins. We use them in order to grow, heal, repair. The time we do that the most is infancy. Breastmilk has VERY little protein compared to the average diet! So say breastmilk is 4-10% protein. If you aren't doing at least as much growing (or the equiv amt of healing/repairing) as an infant, you don't need even that much, much less considerably more, protein!

 

Fat is another thing though. Healthy fats are necessary and I wouldn't want a teen getting too little. These are REALLY easy to add. In smoothies, add avocado or flaxseed oil or nuts. Add nutbutters. Use hempseed or flaxseed oil based salad dressings. Her body and brain need fat.

 

Which brings me to my Number 2 thought...WHY is she doing this? Is it that she really just wants to be healthier? If that is the case, GREAT! There are a LOT of benefits short and long term to eating well (by the body's standards though not society's).

 

However, your description worries me a little. If she has unhealthy reasoning, her choices could become unhealthy. The fact that she went from one level to another so incredibly quickly is a bit concerning. Of course, I did also so it may just be what she read as well as how she did encouraged her to get and keep on this path.

 

Anyway, so those are my thoughts. Yes, she can be very healthy on a raw vegan diet. But I would want to know where her head is and make sure she's okay in that way.

 

BTW, there is NO WAY on earth I would take her to a pediatrician about this for a few reasons. First, the average doctor gets VERY little information about nutrition. Second, he is likely to just give the basic acceptable standards. Third, the chances he has a clue about high raw is next to nil which means any opinion he has will be based on ignorance which whether favorable or unfavorable can be dangerous. And lastly, I think there is a real concern about eating disorders when we focus inappropriately on diet.

 

Instead, I would see if you could find someone semi close by who counsels people starting this sort of diet. She can then get information within her interest to make it healthy. Here (Dallas area), there are all sorts of things like this. Next weekend is a "covered dish" at this woman's house where people bring a little of everything and they are basically doing a mini-seminar but also recipe exchanges and such. The support among people who choose this can be great.

 

I have an ebook with a lot of simple information and recipes. It was free online so let me find the link for you. If you want, a friend of mine sent me a list of green smoothie recipes. I could email it (it'd be too big for PM). The Renegade Health Show is available online and is short snippets (less than 10 minutes a day). LOTS of questions are answered so you could look up specific ones. YouTube has tons available also.

 

HTHs a little,

[MelanieM]

Great post, Peela! I especially agree with the advice (for anyone!) to get in tune with her body and its cravings.

 

The 80-10-10 diet appears to be controversial in raw circles. Some swear by it, and others feel it is not an especially healthy way to eat. I think that comes down a lot to the individual, so again, checking in with the body as a way of monitoring success is very important. I do feel like this way of raw has a lot more 'rules' than other ways of eating raw, and for that reason alone I would be somewhat cautious. I don't like eating by the rules. (Disclaimer: I am very far from an expert on the 80-10-10 diet, and perhaps only know enough to make me dangerous! Please do read the book if you want more than a shallow, potentially incorrect, opinion from a stranger. lol!)

 

Big double thumbs-up on the suggestion for green smoothies. You can get a lot more greens into your diet that way than by eating salads. Plus, it's a super yummy way to eat!

 

I'm a huge fan of Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen. The book gets into the reasoning behind raw, and has loads of yummy and easy recipes. Her DVD is also pretty great, and she hosts an active raw food forum where you can learn a lot about eating raw.

 

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen is another great book with easy, delicious recipes. Ani Phyo also has a great website, complete with a video section that I love. She's just so wonderful to watch in the kitchen!

 

Regarding the pediatrician... I would be prepared for your ped to tell you that this isn't a good idea, as mainstream information on nutrition is not always friendly to a vegetarian/vegan diet, and pediatricians are typically trained in the mainstream ideal. Not to say you shouldn't listen to your pediatrician, but rather, that your pediatrician may not be the best source of nutrition advice and you might think about how much weight you'll give his/her opinion. I guess I say this because I'm remembering a young girl I ran into on a forum who was eating raw and her pediatrician opposed the diet (even though she was extremely healthy, tests were all great, etc.) and so her parents refused to support her diet or buy her food. She was pretty devastated by it.

 

ETA: I cross-posted with Pamela, and she already said what I was thinking on the pediatrician thing, and in a much better way!

 

I think you sound like a really awesome mom to be supporting your daughter in her new dietary goals! She's so lucky to have you. :D

Edited March 14, 2010 by MelanieM

[Carmen_and_Company]

I am fairly new at it all myself. I have two thoughts.

 

First, I definitely think it's healthy. Most people worry about proteins. Here is the 3rd grade science lesson on that: Proteins are made up of amino acids. Your body needs amino acids. Your body must break down proteins into those amino acids in order to benefit from them. You can get all those amino acids, in the form your body can use, in a raw vegan diet.

 

Another consideration is the PURPOSE of proteins. We use them in order to grow, heal, repair. The time we do that the most is infancy. Breastmilk has VERY little protein compared to the average diet! So say breastmilk is 4-10% protein. If you aren't doing at least as much growing (or the equiv amt of healing/repairing) as an infant, you don't need even that much, much less considerably more, protein!

 

Fat is another thing though. Healthy fats are necessary and I wouldn't want a teen getting too little. These are REALLY easy to add. In smoothies, add avocado or flaxseed oil or nuts. Add nutbutters. Use hempseed or flaxseed oil based salad dressings. Her body and brain need fat.

 

Which brings me to my Number 2 thought...WHY is she doing this? Is it that she really just wants to be healthier? If that is the case, GREAT! There are a LOT of benefits short and long term to eating well (by the body's standards though not society's).

 

However, your description worries me a little. If she has unhealthy reasoning, her choices could become unhealthy. The fact that she went from one level to another so incredibly quickly is a bit concerning. Of course, I did also so it may just be what she read as well as how she did encouraged her to get and keep on this path.

 

Anyway, so those are my thoughts. Yes, she can be very healthy on a raw vegan diet. But I would want to know where her head is and make sure she's okay in that way.

 

BTW, there is NO WAY on earth I would take her to a pediatrician about this for a few reasons. First, the average doctor gets VERY little information about nutrition. Second, he is likely to just give the basic acceptable standards. Third, the chances he has a clue about high raw is next to nil which means any opinion he has will be based on ignorance which whether favorable or unfavorable can be dangerous. And lastly, I think there is a real concern about eating disorders when we focus inappropriately on diet.

 

Instead, I would see if you could find someone semi close by who counsels people starting this sort of diet. She can then get information within her interest to make it healthy. Here (Dallas area), there are all sorts of things like this. Next weekend is a "covered dish" at this woman's house where people bring a little of everything and they are basically doing a mini-seminar but also recipe exchanges and such. The support among people who choose this can be great.

 

I have an ebook with a lot of simple information and recipes. It was free online so let me find the link for you. If you want, a friend of mine sent me a list of green smoothie recipes. I could email it (it'd be too big for PM). The Renegade Health Show is available online and is short snippets (less than 10 minutes a day). LOTS of questions are answered so you could look up specific ones. YouTube has tons available also.

 

HTHs a little,

 

I thought something was wrong with DD, too, as this is not the first attempt at a vegetarian diet, but her third. She's never been a meat eater, but would eat fish or chicken once or twice a week. She ate eggs daily along with a nut butter sandwich, and seeds or nuts, so I never really worried. DD took a multi vitamin, and had several meals that included protein.

 

As she got older, she began asking about our meats, how they are processed, and how wrong it was to kill a living animal so we could eat, when we did not have to. She also thinks many environment and disease issues stems from how we raise animals as a food source. As she gets older, her stance on animals as a meat source grows stronger. She also thinks we should buy most of our clothing & furnishings used, or repurpose our clothing & items around the home when outgrown or broken.

 

We hunt for sweaters in resale shops so dd can unravel them to make scarves, hats, or mittens. Dd turns old jeans into skirts, bags, and wraps. Get the picture?

 

I'm not worried about an eating disorder, as dd still eats roughly 2000-2200 calories per day in fruit, vegetables, and seeds/nuts, so she's not starving herself by any means--especially when I see her down 2 bananas, a bowl of strawberries, and a mango for lunch. Five hours later, she'll eat a trough (my medium mixing bowl) of salad consisting of spinach, broccoli, shredded carrots, yellow peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, raw sunflower seeds, and homemade raspberry vinaigrette.

 

So, yes, dd's changing the way she eats for ethical and environmental reasons, not health issues at all. As a parent, I just want to make sure dd's life style also is as physically healthy one.

 

I'll keep in mind the healthy fats, and make sure dd gets enough in her diet. How many grams per day, or what percentage of her caloric intake should be made up of healthy fats? I remember when I ran track at the U of M many moons ago, that we were limited to a maximum fat intake of 10-22% depending if it was off season or track season. I remember never feeling ill or having off days. They also limited our processed carbs, and starches, too. We ate lots of whole grains, lean protein, and tons of fruit and vegetables.

 

After reading your post, I talked to dd about why all raw, and not cooked vegan. She finds raw vegan easier to do, as she just grabs and eats and does not have to think about making anything. She wouldn't eat the Gardein meat substitutes because she felt it was hypocritical to state why she does not want to eat meat, then go and eat something that tastes and looks like meat. I had to chuckle. I guess this is the end of the logic stage and the beginning of rhetoric stage, as she's taken a position on an issue, and argued for her position in a persuasive manner to the point she had me second guessing my egg & veggie scramble this morning. I ate my eggs, but did not enjoy them as I had a vivid image of featherless, sore infested, and emaciated hens dropping eggs through a one cubic foot cage--ewe.

[lllll]

After reading your post, I talked to dd about why all raw, and not cooked vegan. She finds raw vegan easier to do, as she just grabs and eats and does not have to think about making anything. She wouldn't eat the Gardein meat substitutes because she felt it was hypocritical to state why she does not want to eat meat, then go and eat something that tastes and looks like meat. I had to chuckle. I guess this is the end of the logic stage and the beginning of rhetoric stage, as she's taken a position on an issue, and argued for her position in a persuasive manner to the point she had me second guessing my egg & veggie scramble this morning. I ate my eggs, but did not enjoy them as I had a vivid image of featherless, sore infested, and emaciated hens dropping eggs through a one cubic foot cage--ewe.

 

:lol: (I'm picturing you gagging down your breakfast here.) Seriously, though, she sounds perfectly fine to me.

[Carmen_and_Company]

Great post, Peela! I especially agree with the advice (for anyone!) to get in tune with her body and its cravings.

 

The 80-10-10 diet appears to be controversial in raw circles. Some swear by it, and others feel it is not an especially healthy way to eat. I think that comes down a lot to the individual, so again, checking in with the body as a way of monitoring success is very important. I do feel like this way of raw has a lot more 'rules' than other ways of eating raw, and for that reason alone I would be somewhat cautious. I don't like eating by the rules. (Disclaimer: I am very far from an expert on the 80-10-10 diet, and perhaps only know enough to make me dangerous! Please do read the book if you want more than a shallow, potentially incorrect, opinion from a stranger. lol!)

 

Big double thumbs-up on the suggestion for green smoothies. You can get a lot more greens into your diet that way than by eating salads. Plus, it's a super yummy way to eat!

 

I'm a huge fan of Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen. The book gets into the reasoning behind raw, and has loads of yummy and easy recipes. Her DVD is also pretty great, and she hosts an active raw food forum where you can learn a lot about eating raw.

 

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen is another great book with easy, delicious recipes. Ani Phyo also has a great website, complete with a video section that I love. She's just so wonderful to watch in the kitchen!

 

Regarding the pediatrician... I would be prepared for your ped to tell you that this isn't a good idea, as mainstream information on nutrition is not always friendly to a vegetarian/vegan diet, and pediatricians are typically trained in the mainstream ideal. Not to say you shouldn't listen to your pediatrician, but rather, that your pediatrician may not be the best source of nutrition advice and you might think about how much weight you'll give his/her opinion. I guess I say this because I'm remembering a young girl I ran into on a forum who was eating raw and her pediatrician opposed the diet (even though she was extremely healthy, tests were all great, etc.) and so her parents refused to support her diet or buy her food. She was pretty devastated by it.

 

ETA: I cross-posted with Pamela, and she already said what I was thinking on the pediatrician thing, and in a much better way!

 

I think you sound like a really awesome mom to be supporting your daughter in her new dietary goals! She's so lucky to have you. :D

 

I'll cancel the pediatric appointment tomorrow morning, and look for families or teen groups living a vegan lifestyle so Storm has like-minded folks to bounce questions off of when needed.

 

Two of the books you mention, we have in the pile from the library, so we'll read through those today, and I ordered the 80-10-10 book from Amazon along with Eat To Live, as we're numbered 20something on the hold list.

[Snickerdoodle]

She also thinks many environment and disease issues stems from how we raise animals as a food source.

 

What about environmental issues related to how grains are grown for a food source?

[DarlaS]

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Your body needs amino acids. Your body must break down proteins into those amino acids in order to benefit from them. You can get all those amino acids, in the form your body can use, in a raw vegan diet.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

I'm a wanna be vegan. I really feel better when I eliminate grains and animal products from my life. But it's work--especially in the beginning.

 

I'm planning to try again soon.

[DarlaS]

What about environmental issues related to how grains are grown for a food source?

 

What do you think they feed the animals?

 

Only they need to eat a lot more of it to produce meat for us than we would if we just ate it--especially in small quantities (NOT 6-11 servings a day) in it's purer forms.

[Snickerdoodle]

I listened to a talk by Lierre Keith and I think she made some interesting points that I had never thought about before. I'm not a vegetarian so I'm sorry for intruding on this thread. I find the area of nutrition fascinating.

 

If anyone is interested, the talk I listened to can be found here:

 

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/1583/20-year-vegan-lierre-keith-advocates-omnivorism-episode-334/

[Carmen_and_Company]

What about environmental issues related to how grains are grown for a food source?

 

She's concerned about not only meats, but fruit and vegetable harvesting, and GMO issues, which led to Storm participating ina local GMO rally in February. But this discussion pertains to my daughter not consuming meat products as a source of protein, not grains. And, as you can see from my post, she has not eaten any grains--grin. So, subconsciously, she must be thinking of the implications of GMO, pesticides, growth hormones, etc., and our grain food source, as well. I buy organic and locally grown as much as possible. Keep in mind, my dd is only 13, and her main concerns at this point are animal rights and humane treatment along with conservation of resources. I'm sure as she explores environmental issues as she matures, other issues such as grains, chemicals in clothing, non-American made products, and other problems she's mentioned will go to the forefront of her activism.

[HappyGrace]

I don't have much to offer but enjoyed this thread since I'm going through something similar with my dd10. Best of luck to you though!

 

How do you manage the expense? With the veg diet, I am having trouble keeping up with organic produce in our house in the amounts the dc are eating them. (We are strictly organic, and do a lot local but not all.)

 

And a little bit OT, but do you have a good raspberry vinegarette recipe? ;)

[MelanieM]

Well, I have to say that your daughter sounds *amazing*! I am inspired reading your words about her. In fact, this thread is another big nudge for me toward going back to a high raw diet. I even just carted up the family for a trip to the local raw food restaurant for lunch, but unfortunately it was closed.

 

So, please let Storm know that she's influencing people over here in Canada with her committment to her beliefs. :)

 

Now I'm going to go write up a list for the organic produce store and think about what clothing I can repurpose for bags to take on nature walks...

[Lawana]

The one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is vit. B12. Some vegans/vegetarians can become deficient, since the most common sources are animal. It would be a good idea to supplement B12.

 

It sounds like you have an incredible dd. Also, I think you will get a lot of reassurance reading Eat to Live.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Oh, I'm glad she's healthy and doing this for healthy reasons. Honestly, she sounds GREAT!

 

A couple superfoods will help with some of the vitamins and other nutrients people worry about. We put spirulina in our smoothies, for example. Sea veggies are good sources also.

 

I really think a lot of people who first start out may need to supplement. Though I know that isn't as good as getting it from "real" sources, I think it's probably a good idea when we're first learning. So just an idea.

[Slartibartfast]

This blog has some nice recipes, they eat a high raw vegan diet

 

http://www.greenandcrunchy.org/

 

I really like her pictures and how she lays things out. I have actually tried many raw recipes I would have just flipped on by in the recipe books. I want her blender. :(

 

I really want to make some of her energy bar type of things. YUM. Plus looking at her plates might give you good ideas.

 

It isn't healthy for her not to eat protein. She has to get that from somewhere, there are a ton of veg*n options.

 

I am not veg*n I just like some of the recipes :lol:

Edited March 14, 2010 by Sis

[Carmen_and_Company]

I don't have much to offer but enjoyed this thread since I'm going through something similar with my dd10. Best of luck to you though!

 

How do you manage the expense? With the veg diet, I am having trouble keeping up with organic produce in our house in the amounts the dc are eating them. (We are strictly organic, and do a lot local but not all.)

 

And a little bit OT, but do you have a good raspberry vinegarette recipe? ;)

 

We shop for most of our organic produce at Costco, as they carry a majority of the Earth Bound brand of produce.

 

Also, we hit our local grocery store sales on organics. For example, this week store A has organic navel oranges at .89 cents per lb., store B's organic bananas sell for per .59 a lb., and our local co-op sells strawberries & grapes at 4.99 per lb, regular price. Last week organic pears & organic apples were on sale for less than a 1.00 per pound, so those were our main fruits outside of mangoes and bananas. We filled in with more expensive items like raspberries & strawberries. We also buy a lot of organic frozen fruit during sales. Just a few weeks ago, our local Super Target had their one pound bags of organic berries on clearance for 2.48 per bag. I bought 20 bags. So when we make smoothies, we just through in frozen berries along with the cheaper bananas and greens.

 

When certain fruits are on sale for less than 1.00, I'll hit the store twice, once on the first day of the sale, and again the night of the last day of the sale. This way, I can 'stock up' for the next week, and maybe a third week, depending on the fruit or vegetable. I've been known to throw 20lbs. of bananas into the freezer if .39 cents a pound or less.

 

Also, I don't buy all organic, as some fruits and vegetables do not carry a large pesticide load such as onions, mangoes and pineapple, while others are deathly, like peaches, apples, and peppers.

 

There's several lists floating via the Internet about which 20 foods you should ALWAYS buy organic along with a list of non-organic produce to buy to save money for the organic must haves.

 

Here's the vinaigrette recipe.

 

Raspberry Vinaigrette adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 1/3 C fresh or unsweetened raspberries’

1/3 C vegetable broth

1.5 TBS Agave nectar

1TBS Raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1TBS Spicy mustard

 

Throw all ingredients into the jar of a blender, process on pulse until berries are pureed and everything is blended. Strain through fine gauge strainer & refrigerate in lidded glass jar.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Carmen_and_Company
recipe did not format well--2nd attempt-- I give.

[Carmen_and_Company]

This blog has some nice recipes, they eat a high raw vegan diet

 

http://www.greenandcrunchy.org/

 

I really like her pictures and how she lays things out. I have actually tried many raw recipes I would have just flipped on by in the recipe books. I want her blender. :(

 

I really want to make some of her energy bar type of things. YUM. Plus looking at her plates might give you good ideas.

 

It isn't healthy for her not to eat protein. She has to get that from somewhere, there are a ton of veg*n options.

 

I am not veg*n I just like some of the recipes :lol:

 

Thank you, for the link, and I want her blender, too.:D

[Pamela H in Texas]

That woman's pics are beautiful. Part of it is the food and kids, but part is her skill photographing. Sadly, I can't make food look that good yet and a picture I took wouldn't do it justice if I could.

[Peela]

The one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is vit. B12. Some vegans/vegetarians can become deficient, since the most common sources are animal. It would be a good idea to supplement B12.

 

 

Yes, many meat eaters are also B12 deficient. It's a common deficiency.

 

As for oils- I wouldn't worry about counting amounts. Just include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and nuts in her diet, in smoothies etc. Nuts are a good source of oils and protein in a vegan diet. I snack on nuts a lot.

[HappyGrace]

Thank you, for the link, and I want her blender, too.:D

 

:iagree: Awesome blog, thanks-my new fave! I have the Blendtec; now I want a 3 quart jar for it!!! (Can't live w/out my B'tec! We do green smoothies every single day here.)

 

Thanks, Carmen-sounds like you are basically doing what we do-shopping at several different stores, etc. I like your idea though of hitting a good sale AGAIN at the end of the week to stock up--thanks! If you poke around on the blog linked above, it looks like she does a lot through co-op shopping, so maybe that's another option for us all?!

 

I'm re-motivated after seeing that blog! :) It has some great and practical ideas/recipes on it.

 

Also ordered the Boutenko book from library-I've read some of her stuff second-hand-through Green Smoothie Girl, who loves Boutenko (http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com). I'm a devotee of her blog! I have GSG's recipe collection and it has some GREAT and family-friendly recipes-not all raw but all veg. It's one of my fave websites! I think your dd might like it too.

Edited March 14, 2010 by HappyGrace

[MelanieM]

When people switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet there's often talk about making sure there's a balanced diet, watching out for missed this or that... But really, most people who are health conscious and choosing a vegetarian/vegan diet are eating far better than the average person on the standard North American diet. A person who is eating fresh, whole foods and no meat is going to be doing way better than person that lives on chicken nuggets, hamburgers and other highly processed/factory farmed animal products.

 

I know I was certainly eating way better on high raw, even if I missed a few things along the way, than I am now that I've reverted back to my more standard diet. Yet I was much more hyper aware when I was tracking my raw intake than I am now. It's funny, really.

 

Not to say it isn't worth paying attention, whatever the diet... but it is ironic that we get so freaked out about what we might miss when we shift to healthier ways of eating.

[MelanieM]

This blog has some nice recipes, they eat a high raw vegan diet

 

http://www.greenandcrunchy.org/

 

 

 

Awesome! I love the Indian spice boxes she has there. I'm definitely going to be on the look-out for some of those!

[HappyGrace]

most people who are health conscious and choosing a vegetarian/vegan diet are eating far better than the average person on the standard North American diet.

 

I had this epiphany the other day after I posted my concerns over dd going vegetarian. With our unprocessed, whole foods, organic diet, we already eat WAY better than 99% of the population in America, so she is actually ahead of the game nutritionally and I don't need to worry!

[Peela]

This blog has some nice recipes, they eat a high raw vegan diet

 

http://www.greenandcrunchy.org/

 

I really like her pictures and how she lays things out. I have actually tried many raw recipes I would have just flipped on by in the recipe books. I want her blender. :(

 

 

 

Oh wow, I love her stuff too. I WANT some of those Indian plates :) I always liked them but could never think of a good reason to get them :) Her blog is beautiful. I have started a raw food blog but havent found the time or motivation to really get it going.

[jld]

Like other have said, Carmen, your daughter sounds like a great kid. She is inspiring many of us. And you are, too, with your genuine respect for her, and your support of her lifestyle. Thank you!:)

 

We believe in the McDougall diet strongly here. It has stopped my sister's rheumatoid arthritis from progressing. It is a starch-based diet with the inclusion of fruits and vegetables, and is quite affordable and health-supporting. We are truly grateful to Dr. McDougall for sharing his message with the world.

[kitten18]

:lurk5:

[Slartibartfast]

I WANT some of those Indian plates

 

Oh I know! It is so tempting to get some.