According to the Living and Raw Foods website, a living and raw foods diet can be the ultimate vegetarian or vegan diet. Followers must consume only uncooked, unprocessed and unheated foods, preferably from local or organic farmers. Eating a diverse raw food diet helps ensure you meet your nutritional needs. In addition, sufficient amounts of proteins are included in a variety of raw foods, making it possible to meet daily nutritional requirements.
Seeds and Nuts
According to the Raw Guru raw food diet website, raw, soaked or sprouted seeds and nuts come packed with protein as well as other essential vitamins and minerals. For example, hemp seeds offer high-quality protein, as they contain all eight amino acids essential for adults as well as three additional amino acids deemed essential for children. A 3 tbsp. serving of hemp seeds provides 11g of protein, or 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Raw almonds rank almost as high, offering 19 percent of your RDA. Raw cashews yield 5g of protein per ounce.
Vegetables
Plant-based foods offer a surprising amount of protein. According to the Happy Cow Compassionate Eating Guide, vegetables fulfill a portion of the daily protein RDA of 46g for women and 56g for men. The USDA database indicates that a cup of peas in the pod contains more than 5g of protein, as does a cup of yellow corn. A cup of tomato has 1.5g of protein, and a cup of spinach has nearly 1g.
Sprouts
Sprouted vegetables, legumes and grains contain significant amounts of protein. The International Sprout Growers Association compares the nutritional value of various types of raw sprouts, with a single serving being 1 cup. Alfalfa sprouts have 1.3g, mung bean sprouts have 2.5g, radish sprouts have 1.4g, soybean sprouts have 9g and wheat sprouts have 8g. Raw food coach Karen Knowler adds that eating sprouts should be a part of every raw foodie's daily diet. She recommends sprouted lentils, sprouted chickpeas, sprouted buckwheat and sprouted quinoa as high-protein raw food sources.
Fruit
Compared to other raw food protein sources, the amount of protein in most fruits is relatively low, but a few fruits stand out for yielding a decent quantity of protein. Coconuts are a key part of many raw food diets, with many raw foodies blending young coconut milk in smoothies and other recipes. Other choices include tomatoes, avocados and peaches. Figs, another source of protein, fall under the definition of raw food when you eat them fresh or dry them at low temperature.
Member Comments