The raw food diet--which embraces uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts and other unheated fare, according to the Living and Raw Foods website--offers a host of benefits for its adherents, including weight loss and increased energy. Yet the diet's strict elimination of foods heated above 116 degrees Fahrenheit can make it difficult to plan a well-balanced eating plan. Knowing how to design a healthy raw food diet will help you reap the rewards of raw foods while bypassing the diet's potential pitfalls.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Although the sweetness of fruit and richness of nuts make these foods naturally appealing, a raw food diet should also contain plenty of green leafy vegetables--a food some raw food dieters tend to neglect. As the Best of Raw Food website explains, leafy greens deliver a spectrum of minerals not readily available from most raw foods, including calcium, magnesium and iron. Darker greens like kale, spinach, chard and mustard greens are richer in nutrients than light-colored vegetables such as iceberg lettuce, so choose deeply hued varieties whenever possible. Consuming a variety of green leafy vegetables, whether whole or juiced, can help you receive maximum nutrition on a raw food diet.
Food Safety
Because food is not cooked or heat-treated on a raw food diet, pathogens typically destroyed by cooking may survive and cause foodborne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fruits, vegetables, alfalfa sprouts and unpasteurized juices can harbor harmful microbes such as E. coli, and cuisines that include uncooked animal products--including meat, dairy or eggs--are at particular risk for contamination with salmonella.
To maintain the healthfulness and safety of your raw cuisine, wash all foods thoroughly before consuming, refrigerate fruits and vegetables rather than leaving them in open air and avoid consuming the exterior layer of produce items--such as fruit peels and the outermost leaves on a head of lettuce. In addition, maintain a sanitary environment by washing cutting boards, blenders, food processors, juicers, kitchen utensils and serving ware between uses.
Organic Food
Although organic produce bears a higher price tag than conventional fare, its benefits may outweigh its expense when eating a raw food diet. Eating large quantities of conventional fruits and vegetables can expose raw food eaters to high levels of pesticides over time, making organics a healthier option, according to The Living and Raw Foods website.
When organic produce isn't financially or practically feasible, choosing foods with removable peels and rinds--such as avocados, oranges and melons--may minimize your exposure to agricultural toxins as well. The Best of Raw Food website recommends buying organic versions of foods known for their high pesticide content, which include green beens, apples, celery, peaches, spinach, cherries, strawberries, bell peppers, meat and dairy. In addition to containing less toxic residue than conventional produce, organics may also be more nutritious and contain a higher level of antioxidants than raw foods grown with chemicals.
Supplements
Raw food diets--particularly vegan versions that eschew all foods of animal origin--may not provide recommended levels of certain vitamins and minerals found in animal products and cooked, fortified foods. In the study "Vegetarian raw food diet: health habits and nutrient intake," published in the September 1999 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that participants adhering to an uncooked cuisine consumed inadequate levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and zinc. Supplementing a raw food diet with these nutrients can help you stave off deficiencies and maintain optimal health.
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