Raw Food Diet Breakfast Ideas

A raw food diet consists primarily of vegetables, sprouted beans, fruit, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. With the exception of fruit, these may not sound like breakfast foods, but with a little creativity, you can still enjoy raw versions of many popular breakfast items. Some recipes are quick and simple; others require a day or so of planning ahead.

Fruit

Go simple with sliced fruit dipped in nut butter or coconut butter. Good choices for nut butters include apple and banana. For coconut butter, try apples, berries or peaches. If eating just fruit, you may want to spread out your consumption throughout the morning; fruit alone digests more quickly than other foods, and you may find yourself hungry again in just an hour or two.

Smoothies

Blend nuts, nut milk or coconut with fruit and a raw sweetener to make a breakfast smoothie. Raw sweeteners include dates and several brands of agave syrup and honey. To be sure your sweetener is raw, look for labels that specify a heating temperature of less than 118 degrees Fahrenheit. For a reduced-calorie breakfast, sweeten your smoothie with stevia, a calorie-free herb with a sweet taste.

Omelettes Without Eggs

Most raw food cookbooks contain recipes for a raw breakfast scramble. These are typically made from nuts or seeds, vegetables and spices. Look also for recipes that convert eggplant or coconut meat into mock bacon strips.

Raw Cereal

Good base grains for cereal include sprouted buckwheat and oats. Dehydrated sprouted buckwheat will keep for months if placed in a sealed container. For a warm cereal, blend sprouted oats with water and gently heat on the stove top. Mix these cereals with nuts, fruit, dried fruit, raw sweetener and raw nut milk for a standard American breakfast packed with live enzymes. You may also want to check a natural food market for raw cereals or raw cereal bars.

Veggie Patties

There are many veggie patty recipes based around nuts, vegetables and spouted beans. These patties can be made ahead of time, dehydrated and then frozen for quick consumption later. To reheat, simply place a frozen or thawed patty in the dehydrator for 10 to 20 minutes. Once heated, cover with raw toppings such as avocado and sprouts, or serve with raw bread.

Pancakes

Yes, you can have pancakes on a raw food diet. Look for recipes that use a mixture of flaxmeal, nuts and banana. Top with fresh fruit, raw fruit sauces, agave syrup, honey or raw whipped cream made from cashews. Look also for raw crepe recipes made from similar ingredients and filled with fresh fruit, nut creams or raw chocolate sauce.