Raw foods are whole, unprocessed, uncooked and unheated plant-based foods that include land and sea vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, sprouts and other organically grown foods. Many raw foodists eat organically grown foods. Planning raw food meals requires creativity, an understanding of nutrition and a variety of foods so you can obtain all the nutrients you need to sustain health and prevent disease. Consult your nutritionist about planning your raw food meals.
Breakfast
Start your day with a healthy raw food breakfast that includes fruits and nuts. Fruits contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you eat a variety of fruits every day. You can mix it up by eating citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, sub-acid fruits, such as apples and peaches and melons, such as honeydew and cantaloupe. Nuts are a good source of proteins and healthy fats. Walnuts contain alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may reduce your risk of heart disease. Eating a mixture of walnuts and other nuts, such as cashews, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts, may improve your heart health, according to research by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia and published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in 2002.
Lunch
Enhance your nutritional health with a mixed salad comprised of vegetables and sprouted legumes and grains. Eating a variety of vegetables every day can help you to sustain health and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Salad vegetables can include dark leaf lettuces, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and avocado, which is high in healthy fat. Mix in sprouts from alfalfa, sunflower, lentil, mung bean, adzuki bean, chick pea, radish, fenugreek, amaranth, millet and buckwheat. Sprouts contain a high concentration of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can grow sprouts at home or buy them at the health food store. Together, these raw foods contain protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Plus the meal is high in fiber.
Dinner
For dinner, have a mixture of sprouted quinoa and raw vegetables. Quinoa is a grain that contains all essential amino acids to synthesize proteins in your body. Choose from a variety of vegetables that include broccoli, green beans, pea pods, zucchini, squash, onion, kale, mustard greens, spinach and carrot. Add some olive oil and for a healthy fat and your meal will contain healthy amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats, vitamins and minerals. You can also add flaxseeds which are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Snacks
A refreshing snack, especially during warm weather, is an almond milk banana smoothie. Almonds are high in vitamin E and calcium and bananas are high in potassium. Add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries to boost the antioxidant content.
References
- Living Foods: Living and Raw Foods
- United States Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fruits and Vegetables
- PubMed: The Scientific Evidence for a Beneficial Health Relationship between Walnuts and Coronary Heart Disease
- Living Food For Africa: Growing Sprouts and Indoor Gardening
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