Update 4.9.2010 -Our story is not featured on Barista Kids, a local website designed to give parenting ideas, tips and advice. We would like to thank its editor Georgette Gilmore for being so kind to spread the word on the benefits of raising children the raw food way. You can read the article here Raw Food Baby.
————————————-
My 15-month-old son Denzin never seizes to amaze me. He always pulls out some new trick and leaves daddy Mark and I scratching our heads, wondering where he had learned that. Tonight set a new milestone of his development – he ate his first whole organic apple! Mommy was so excited that she took the camera to capture those first bites of fruit…and then vegetable…and then avocado…and Swiss chard.
Round 2 of the pictures features Denzin helping mommy to put away the groceries.
Oh, how proud was I to see my baby boy exploring and tasting organic fresh fruits and veggies. He’s been eating high raw vegan diet since January when our family turned a new leaf and became raw vegan. His favorite raw foods are the green smoothies I make him for breakfast, flavored water kefir, the cucumber dill salad with olive oil, guacamole, sprouted tortilla, raw banana ice cream, my raw chocolates and the fruit & nut bars I make for our family. In place of formula we now give him home-made almond mylk sweetened with stevia.
I supplement him with vegan multivitamin & mineral liquid supplement, as well as vegan DHA drops which are important for proper brain development. In his green smoothies I add some superfoods such as ground flax seeds, hemp seed, bee pollen, maca & lucuma powder, goji berries and sprouts. They offer additional nutritional support for his growing little body.
Raising a baby on the raw food diet has been challenging, I must admit. There have been times when I didn’t know what to prepare for him. I couldn’t rely on jarred baby food anymore. Everything had to be made from scratch. But I kept experimenting and offering my son various dishes and let him pick what he likes. In time he will find his favorites and some day will be asking for them by name “Can I have gween smootie, mommy?” 🙂
Copyright © 2010 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved
zoevblog.com 
Hello Zoe,
Oh my gosh your son is beautiful! I love the photos. Good job on capturing the special moments.
Sincerely,
Diane Quam
he’s adorable! and very healthy looking, Mommy Zoe!
Zoe, I think its awesome that you are raising Denzin raw. I NEVER gave my kids jarred/canned babyfoods when they were growing up, I always made everything fresh (and organic as much as possible), a submersion blender was my best friend, it was so easy to prepare small quantities. My kids are older now, (6 and 7 years old) but they are NEVER sick. My daughter has been sick once in her life (she caught a cold when we were on a cruise once – probably due to her insistence on swimming on a really cold windy day) and my son has never been sick aside from an ear infection once, which he recovered from WITHOUT ANTI-BIOTICS. They go to the Doctors once a year for their annual check ups and immunization shot schedules, and thats it. There really is a lot to be said for eating a healthy diet, high in fresh fruits and vegetables, and without processed foods. I am sure Denzin will grow up to be a healthy, happy boy, and will enjoy a healthy long life because of the great start you are giving him.
So cute! 🙂
SO CUTE! I loved this post, this is inspiring to everyone, whatever your age to just pick up more raw food!
-Amy
Thank you, Diane, Ruth, Suzin, Amy and Sarma! 🙂 Denzin is enjoying the raw food meals I prepare for him, which makes me so happy. I believe he’s off to a good start in life.
Suzin, big kudos for making your children homemade baby food. Had I owned a Vita-Mix and a food processor a year ago, I wouldn’t have bought a single jar of baby food. But I thought it was too difficult to prepare baby food at home and I just bought the organic Earth’s Baby jars. They were still better than the conventional brands, which are loaded with pesticides.
Aside form a few colds last winter Denzin has been thriving in good health. He’s not vaccinated and we rarely went to the pediatrician outside his quarterly check-ups. I don’t even do that anymore. He’s much bigger than many babies his age probably due to the tall genes from both Mark’s and my families. 🙂
So, so, so cute! Props to you for raising him high-raw vegan, that must be a challenge, but worthwhile at that!
xo
K
little kids and big apples. too cute.
gween smootie…too cute!
thanks for the info on raw babies. my friends heidi and sam feed their baby a high raw diet too and he loves smoothies.
This is so inspiring! I don’t have kids yet, but really want to follow your example. My question for you concerns the time element of preparing Denzin’s meal. It’s difficult to be raw for just myself in terms of time. Those books that say raw food takes less time to prepare than regular food may not take into account the planning time as for me, raw food meals take a lot of planning, shopping, and prep. With Denzin, do you just give him child portions of food prepared for you and your husband? Or do you make special baby meals for him?
HI,
I have read a story about you on Baristakids. I came here to check your blog… I am planing to go raw for past few months but I still have not done it! Maybe it would be good idea to organize some raw food recipes presentations???
This is great Zoe! Dino still can’t eat the skin on an apple. We eat some raw, some lightly steamed and some organic poultry and fish. I would also love to see some recipes (raw) that you and Mark eat and Denzin. We are getting a Vitamix soon. Did you get my email about DHA supplements?
xo
Denzin is such a cute little man!!! I can’t get over those gorgeous curls and beautiful dark eyes! So Soulful! Denzin is one blessed kiddie to have a mommy like you. 🙂 You constantly inspire me Zoe. 🙂 I also just read your entry on Denzin’s birth and it was so similar to my experience. Thanks for all that you do for the world Zoe. 🙂 Blessings and hugs!
Hi!
Your little guys is very sweet.
So awesome he is on such a great diet.
Curious why you feed/eat bee pollen as a vegan? That is not vegan. Just FYI.
Blessed Love,
Tallie
This comment is for Tallie.
I think it’s important I share this so here is my two cents on Vegans and honey.
First off, I believe there are several classifications of veganism. The one you are most commonly referring to prohibits the use of honey because it comes from a bee.
My understanding is that most vegans are humanitarians so I find it very contradicting why “vegans” would refuse honey.
Honey bees are the one of the most critical components of human nature. Without bees how can we pollinate our crops?
By consuming raw organic honey, one does but hurt the bees, but instead supports the small mom and pop organic bee farms to insure their survival. I also might add that it is extremely beneficial for the body.
Just something to think about.
Best regards,
Joe