How to Prepare a Raw Food Diet
Keep your refrigerator stocked with greens., Buy fruits and vegetables in large quantities., Try out different grains., Purchase all your favorite nuts and seeds., Stock up on raw oils., Don’t forget snacks and other items., Chop fruits and veggies...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep your refrigerator stocked with greens.
Leafy greens are an integral part of a raw diet.
These go in salads, soups, juices, smoothies, and can even be used as burrito and taco substitutes.
Here are some of the greens you should stock up on at the grocery store or farmers market:
Lettuce Spinach Kale Chard Collards Beet and turnip greens Dandelion greens -
Step 2: Buy fruits and vegetables in large quantities.
Fresh produce makes up the majority of a raw food diet, and some raw dieters get up to 80 percent of their calories from these foods.
Your crisper should look like a rainbow when you get back from grocery shopping, so make sure to pick up produce in all colors, such as:
Oranges, carrots, pumpkin, peaches, and mango Lemons, yellow peppers, banana, pineapple, and yellow zucchini Green apples, green peppers, avocado, green beans, kiwi, and broccoli Red apples, beets, tomatoes, red peppers, and strawberries, Purple cabbage, egg plant, purple potatoes, grapes, and blackberries White foods like potatoes, garlic, turnip, and onions , Grains, beans, and legumes are an important part of the raw diet for the calories and nutrients they provide.
While raw dieters don’t cook pulses, they do sprout them to make the nutrients more bioavailable.
Good grains, beans, and legumes for sprouting include:
Lentils Millet Chickpeas Kidney beans Peas Buckwheat , Nuts and seeds are an important part of a raw diet because they provide protein, calories, healthy fats, and other vital nutrients.
You can eat any kind of nut and seed you like, as long as it hasn’t been roasted.
Some favorites include:
Peanuts Walnuts Macadamia nuts Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds Pine nuts Chia seeds Hemp hearts Nut butters , Most cooking oils that people use have been processed at high heat, making them unsuitable for raw dieters.
However, there are a few oils that raw adherents can consume, including cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and cold-pressed coconut oil., Raw food doesn’t mean plain or boring, and there are lots of tasty treats and snacks you should always have on hand if you get peckish or want to prepare a meal.
Miscellaneous items you should buy at the store include:
Raw cacao Apple cider vinegar Vanilla extract Dried fruit Dried coconut Herbs Spices Dates , Fruits and vegetables are staples in a raw diet, and they're often eaten whole or chopped into smaller pieces for salads and cocktails.
To prepare fruits and vegetables for eating this way:
Wash them under running water and scrub hard produce with a vegetable brush Pat produce dry, or spin lettuce and greens in a salad spinner Remove cores, stems, and seeds Leave lettuce leaves whole for tacos, or chop them into shreds for salads Chop larger fruits and veggies into one-inch (2.5-cm) cubes Leave smaller fruits like cherries and berries whole , Raw dieters eat salad for any meal of the day.
You can make a salad with any combination of fruits and veggies you like.
To make any salad, simply toss together your favorite combination of bite-sized fruits and veggies in a large bowl, add dried fruit, nuts, and seeds, and dress with your favorite toppings before serving.
To make specific salads, you can try a basic garden salad, spinach salad with baby spinach and berries, Caprese salad with raw tomato and raw mozzarella, or fruit salad. , Raw dieters don’t eat hot soup because that would require cooking the food, but you can make raw soups with uncooked fruits and veggies.
For instance, you can make a raw carrot soup by blending together:1 cup (235 ml) carrot juice Half an avocado 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice A pinch of curry powder A pinch of salt Minced fresh cilantro (for garnish) , Juicing is a good way to get a quick boost of energy and extra nutrients into your diet.
You can juice just about any fruit or vegetable in any combination, and can even add spices and herbs to change up the flavors.
Avoid juicing soft produce like avocados and bananas, as these can get caught in the juicer.
It’s important to drink fresh juices in moderation, however, because the fiber has been removed, and this increases sugar absorption., Sprouting and soaking are integral in raw diets because raw dieters don’t cook food, and sprouting and soaking make the nutrients easier to digest.
Make sure you give yourself at least 24 hours to soak or sprout, because the process takes time., Dehydrating is the process of removing water from foods at a low heat.
You can do this with a dehydrator or low oven, as long as you keep the dehydrator or oven below 115 F (45 C).
Popular foods to dehydrate include fruits, vegetables, bread alternatives, and meat. , Raw fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than other foods, so it’s important to make sure that you eat three meals throughout the day, and have snacks whenever you're hungry.
Breakfast is a very important meal, and there are lots of things you can eat for your first meal of the day on a raw diet, such as:
Fresh fruit smoothies Granola Raw nut milk Fresh fruit Oatmeal Dairy or non-dairy yogurt , The world is your oyster when it comes to raw meals, because there are so many different types of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds out there.
It’s good to have a few staples you can fall back on for a quick lunch though, and those could include:
Salad with avocado dressing Raw soup Raw veggies with cheese dip or hummus Raw quiche Raw lasagna (made with zucchini slices instead of pasta) Fresh fruit with nut butter Raw cheese and crackers , Depending on the size of your lunch and your schedule, dinner may be the biggest meal of the day.
When dinner is your main meal, you want to make sure you have some great ideas ready if you don’t have anything planned.
Here are some great and easy ideas for raw dinners:
Burritos (made with lettuce wraps) Salad with nuts and sprouts Sprouted lentils or beans Raw tofu with veggies Veggie burger Large salad Raw pizza (made in a dehydrator) Sashimi, Snacking throughout the day is encouraged if you feel hungry, so you should always have some snack ideas at the ready.
Along with raw fruits and vegetables, good snacks can include:
Nuts Seeds Dried fruit Granola , Just because you're on a raw diet doesn’t mean you can't have dessert.
In fact, raw desserts are often delicious and extremely healthy, so you can even get away with eating them as snacks and for breakfast! Some typical raw desserts include:
No-bake brownies and cookies that use dates and nuts rather than flour No-cook puddings Chia pudding Cheesecake Dairy or non-dairy ice cream -
Step 3: Try out different grains.
-
Step 4: Purchase all your favorite nuts and seeds.
-
Step 5: Stock up on raw oils.
-
Step 6: Don’t forget snacks and other items.
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Step 7: Chop fruits and veggies into bite-sized pieces.
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Step 8: Make salads.
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Step 9: Try cold soups.
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Step 10: Turn fresh produce into juice.
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Step 11: Sprout and soak seeds
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Step 12: and grains.
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Step 13: Dehydrate foods instead of cooking them.
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Step 14: Come up with ideas for breakfast.
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Step 15: Have a few favorites for lunches.
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Step 16: Serve up delicious dinners.
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Step 17: Make tasty snacks if you get hungry.
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Step 18: Know what to make for desserts.
Detailed Guide
Leafy greens are an integral part of a raw diet.
These go in salads, soups, juices, smoothies, and can even be used as burrito and taco substitutes.
Here are some of the greens you should stock up on at the grocery store or farmers market:
Lettuce Spinach Kale Chard Collards Beet and turnip greens Dandelion greens
Fresh produce makes up the majority of a raw food diet, and some raw dieters get up to 80 percent of their calories from these foods.
Your crisper should look like a rainbow when you get back from grocery shopping, so make sure to pick up produce in all colors, such as:
Oranges, carrots, pumpkin, peaches, and mango Lemons, yellow peppers, banana, pineapple, and yellow zucchini Green apples, green peppers, avocado, green beans, kiwi, and broccoli Red apples, beets, tomatoes, red peppers, and strawberries, Purple cabbage, egg plant, purple potatoes, grapes, and blackberries White foods like potatoes, garlic, turnip, and onions , Grains, beans, and legumes are an important part of the raw diet for the calories and nutrients they provide.
While raw dieters don’t cook pulses, they do sprout them to make the nutrients more bioavailable.
Good grains, beans, and legumes for sprouting include:
Lentils Millet Chickpeas Kidney beans Peas Buckwheat , Nuts and seeds are an important part of a raw diet because they provide protein, calories, healthy fats, and other vital nutrients.
You can eat any kind of nut and seed you like, as long as it hasn’t been roasted.
Some favorites include:
Peanuts Walnuts Macadamia nuts Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds Pine nuts Chia seeds Hemp hearts Nut butters , Most cooking oils that people use have been processed at high heat, making them unsuitable for raw dieters.
However, there are a few oils that raw adherents can consume, including cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and cold-pressed coconut oil., Raw food doesn’t mean plain or boring, and there are lots of tasty treats and snacks you should always have on hand if you get peckish or want to prepare a meal.
Miscellaneous items you should buy at the store include:
Raw cacao Apple cider vinegar Vanilla extract Dried fruit Dried coconut Herbs Spices Dates , Fruits and vegetables are staples in a raw diet, and they're often eaten whole or chopped into smaller pieces for salads and cocktails.
To prepare fruits and vegetables for eating this way:
Wash them under running water and scrub hard produce with a vegetable brush Pat produce dry, or spin lettuce and greens in a salad spinner Remove cores, stems, and seeds Leave lettuce leaves whole for tacos, or chop them into shreds for salads Chop larger fruits and veggies into one-inch (2.5-cm) cubes Leave smaller fruits like cherries and berries whole , Raw dieters eat salad for any meal of the day.
You can make a salad with any combination of fruits and veggies you like.
To make any salad, simply toss together your favorite combination of bite-sized fruits and veggies in a large bowl, add dried fruit, nuts, and seeds, and dress with your favorite toppings before serving.
To make specific salads, you can try a basic garden salad, spinach salad with baby spinach and berries, Caprese salad with raw tomato and raw mozzarella, or fruit salad. , Raw dieters don’t eat hot soup because that would require cooking the food, but you can make raw soups with uncooked fruits and veggies.
For instance, you can make a raw carrot soup by blending together:1 cup (235 ml) carrot juice Half an avocado 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice A pinch of curry powder A pinch of salt Minced fresh cilantro (for garnish) , Juicing is a good way to get a quick boost of energy and extra nutrients into your diet.
You can juice just about any fruit or vegetable in any combination, and can even add spices and herbs to change up the flavors.
Avoid juicing soft produce like avocados and bananas, as these can get caught in the juicer.
It’s important to drink fresh juices in moderation, however, because the fiber has been removed, and this increases sugar absorption., Sprouting and soaking are integral in raw diets because raw dieters don’t cook food, and sprouting and soaking make the nutrients easier to digest.
Make sure you give yourself at least 24 hours to soak or sprout, because the process takes time., Dehydrating is the process of removing water from foods at a low heat.
You can do this with a dehydrator or low oven, as long as you keep the dehydrator or oven below 115 F (45 C).
Popular foods to dehydrate include fruits, vegetables, bread alternatives, and meat. , Raw fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than other foods, so it’s important to make sure that you eat three meals throughout the day, and have snacks whenever you're hungry.
Breakfast is a very important meal, and there are lots of things you can eat for your first meal of the day on a raw diet, such as:
Fresh fruit smoothies Granola Raw nut milk Fresh fruit Oatmeal Dairy or non-dairy yogurt , The world is your oyster when it comes to raw meals, because there are so many different types of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds out there.
It’s good to have a few staples you can fall back on for a quick lunch though, and those could include:
Salad with avocado dressing Raw soup Raw veggies with cheese dip or hummus Raw quiche Raw lasagna (made with zucchini slices instead of pasta) Fresh fruit with nut butter Raw cheese and crackers , Depending on the size of your lunch and your schedule, dinner may be the biggest meal of the day.
When dinner is your main meal, you want to make sure you have some great ideas ready if you don’t have anything planned.
Here are some great and easy ideas for raw dinners:
Burritos (made with lettuce wraps) Salad with nuts and sprouts Sprouted lentils or beans Raw tofu with veggies Veggie burger Large salad Raw pizza (made in a dehydrator) Sashimi, Snacking throughout the day is encouraged if you feel hungry, so you should always have some snack ideas at the ready.
Along with raw fruits and vegetables, good snacks can include:
Nuts Seeds Dried fruit Granola , Just because you're on a raw diet doesn’t mean you can't have dessert.
In fact, raw desserts are often delicious and extremely healthy, so you can even get away with eating them as snacks and for breakfast! Some typical raw desserts include:
No-bake brownies and cookies that use dates and nuts rather than flour No-cook puddings Chia pudding Cheesecake Dairy or non-dairy ice cream
About the Author
Anna James
A passionate writer with expertise in practical skills topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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