A raw food diet consists of more than salads and smoothies. Although raw foodists' diets consist primarily of raw plant foods, creative preparation techniques provide for a varied meal plan. Rawists believe that heating foods above 116 degrees Fahrenheit destroys foods' essential enzymes and nutrients. Eating a raw food diet improves digestion, helps with weight maintenance, provides energy and improves health, according to the diet's proponents. A raw food diet requires a completely new approach to food, but specific strategies can help make the transition smoother.
Phase into the Diet
If you are just beginning a raw food diet, phase in slowly. Switch your cooked meals to focus more on plant foods like beans, grains and vegetables. Make one meal a day completely raw. Breakfast is often the easiest meal to begin with because you can enjoy a fruit smoothie made with bananas, berries and hemp protein powder. After a few days or weeks, gradually add another raw meal daily. The Raw and Living Foods website says that to be considered raw and truly benefit from the diet, 75 percent of your meals should consist of raw foods.
Invest in Equipment
Specific kitchen tools help you prepare a varied raw food diet. A high-speed blender assists in the preparation of smoothies, raw soups and raw "cheese" made from soaked nuts and nutritional yeast. Invest in a good set of knives, a peeler and a Japanese mandoline to chop or slice vegetables for salads or raw "lasagna" and pasta. Obtain a dehydrator that can be used to change the texture of fruits and vegetables and helps you prepare raw crackers, granola and snack bars. A dehydrator may also be used to remove the chill from foods like raw chili and soup.
Go Organic
Choose organic produce whenever possible. Raw diet preparations often use the entire fruit or vegetable -- including the peel -- where many pesticides may be concentrated. If cost is a concern, stick to seasonal produce, which is often less expensive.
Experiment
Many foods used regularly in raw cuisine may be new to you. Invest in a few new foods each week. Purchase small quantities of raw ingredients at first to find your likes and dislikes. Try chia seeds in smoothies, use young green coconuts to make "noodles" or add hemp seeds to salads. Experiment with making your own nut milks, since most store-bought versions are pasteurized, raw cheese and soaked nuts. Obtain a few raw food cook books from the library to get ideas for creative meals. Including a variety of foods in your raw diet ensures that you obtain a range of nutrients and combats dieting boredom.
References
- Living Foods: The Living and Raw Foods F.A.Q.
- "Raw Food, Real World;" Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis; 2005
- "Raw Food Cleanse"; Penni Shelton; 2010
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