Raw Diet & Feta Cheese

A raw diet consists primarily of uncooked, plant-based foods. You eat no food heated to a temperature above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Most cheeses are cooked or pasteurized, so they are inappropriate for raw dieters. However, some raw foodists make a mock feta cheese with soaked nuts and citrus juice.

The Raw Diet

Raw foodists believe cooking food destroys the essential enzymes that assist with digestion and nutrient absorption. While some raw dieters eat raw milk, meat and fish, most follow a vegan plan that includes grains, nuts and seeds, unpasteurized juices and raw vegetables and fruits. Techniques such as dehydrating, sprouting, soaking, juicing, marinating and sun drying add different dimensions and tastes to the diet plan.

About Feta

Feta is a crumbly, white cheese traditionally made with sheep's or goat's milk. It is commonly used in Greek cooking. Cheesemakers boil milk to create a curd that is then pressed, salted and "pickled" in a whey brine. Even if you use raw milk, the boiling process makes feta a cooked food. Feta labeled as "raw" is not pasteurized, but it was cooked to extract the whey.

Raw Feta Recipe

Raw foodists often make cheese with soaked almonds or macadamia nuts. In the book "Raw Food, Real World," authors Sarma Melngailis and Matthew Kenney suggest using 4 cups of raw macadamia nuts soaked for at least an hour in water. In a food processor, grind the nuts with 1/4 cup of lemon juice, one green onion and 2 tsp. of sea salt to create a chunky texture. You then dehydrate teaspoonfuls of the cheese at 115 F for about five hours. You can use the cheese as you would regular feta -- in salads or with raw crackers.

Considerations

To be considered a raw dieter, you have to eat raw at least 75 percent of the time. The other 25 percent of the time could be reserved for times when you eat at restaurants or social functions. If you truly enjoy feta cheese, you could include it as part of your 25 percent cooked food.