7 Simple Ways to Add More Raw Foods To Your Family’s Diet

If you read my post, “7 Compelling Reasons to Eat More Raw Foods,” you’ll know that adding more raw foods to your diet can significantly improve your family’s health.

The best way for most people to do this, though, is by taking baby steps.

Here are 7 simple tips.

Try implementing one this week!

1. GREEN SMOOTHIES

Green smoothies are a great introductory food for people who are trying to add more raw foods to their diets. And they’re SUPER nutritious. If you haven’t heard of them, they are simply fruit smoothies with greens added. But don’t worry, you won’t taste the greens.

And neither will your kids.

There are many ways to prepare green smoothies.

Here are two: The Basic Green Smoothie and Coconut Cream Green Smoothie (my twin toddlers’ favorite!)

Both green smoothie recipes take no more than 5 minutes from preparation to cleanup and offer loads of valuable nutrients.

2. ADD A RAW SIDE

Many of us are used to adding cooked veggies as sides at dinnertime, but try switching one with a raw veggie.

Slice and lightly salt a tomato. Dice a cucumber and toss it with a delicious dressing. Do the same with another favorite veggie. There are MANY possibilities.

3. ADD A RAW SALAD

Add a raw salad to one of your meals.

Already eat salads at most of your meals? Then try this: Make your salad your entree and eat your usual entree as a side.

Also, switch up the greens that make up the base of your salad.

If you usually go for romaine, try arugula, spinach or some other type of lettuce. A couple of very nutritious, but little-known, lettuces that you could try are red- and green-leaf lettuce.

4. ADD GREENS TO SAUCES & SAUTEES

If you’re eating a meal that includes a sauce (e.g., soup), add some fresh, minced spinach to it. You can do the same for sautees.

Simply take a cup or two of fresh spinach and pulse in a food processor, then add to your dish. I do this with spaghetti sauces and no one ever even knows the spinach is there.

5. ADD SPROUTS

Sprouts are RICH in numerous nutrients and make a great addition to just about any meal.

You can add sprouts to nearly anything, including the meals I mentioned in #4. They add a satisfying, crunchy texture and are extremely nutrient dense.

Want to learn more about the health benefits of sprouts? Read my post, “12 Reasons to Eat Sprouts.”

Also, if you’re interested in finding out how simple it is to grow your own, read “Grow Your Own Sprouts in 3 Simple Steps.”

 

6. MAKE RAW FRUITS AND VEGGIES ACCESSIBLE

Keep freshly cut veggies easily accessible.

Some families do this by leaving a platter of washed, sliced veggies or fruits on a kitchen counter with favorite dips or dressings.

You can also pack some in a storage container to bring to work.

Good examples are tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, apples, melon, grapes and berries.

Make sure that a favorite dressing or raw nut butter is also easily accessible. Most children (AND adults, actually) are much more likely to eat freshly cut produce if they have a yummy dressing or dip to dip it in.

 

7. REPLACE A COOKED DESSERT

Replace a cooked dessert with a raw dessert. It can be as simple as sliced watermelon or cantaloupe. Or a sliced apple with a raw nut butter (one of our favorites!)

There are SO many incredible ones to choose from. In the coming weeks, I’m going to post a bunch of them here, so stay tuned by subscribing to my email updates.

Also, if you have a little extra time, here is an incredible Raw Chocolate Brownie with Sweet Raspberry Sauce (a favorite in our house) that only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

I hope that you find these tips helpful.

Adding more raw plant foods to our diets is one of the best ways to power our bodies and keep them healthy. It takes a little effort, but our good health is SO worth it!

Have any other tips you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments section!

In GREAT health,