Increasing Raw

[pinkgirl]

Athough the idea of a completely raw diet doesn't appeal to me (I love hot food too much) I quite like the idea of eating, say 70% raw. The thing is, it just seems like hard work! Sometimes I can eat a stack of veg sticks etc, but other days its too much of a mission, and I feel worn out from doing it, but still hungry!

Any suggestions of easier ways to increase my raw intake?

Thanks.

[JO]

You can always add raw nuts and seeds for fat/protein that will last you a while (two, three handfuls per day), fruit juice smoothies aren't boring either. I haven't got to the point where I'm combining soaked raw nuts and raw fruits in a blender/food processor, but .flux has posted a couple of nutritious, raw blender drinks (see the recipe section).

[seasiren]

Check out some of the raw food boards to get an idea of what they are eating. Another idea is to eat a piece of fruit 30 minutes before your meal.

My day generally looks like:
coffee (not raw)
1/2grapefruit
small banana
huge organic spinach salad with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, brocolli sprouts, baby carrots, raw sunflower seeds w/olive oil dressing OR raw brocolli in a raw tahini sauce
small organic apple
cooked or raw dinner, if it is cooked I have a raw "side".
raw veggies if I am hungry before bed

If you are still getting hungry add nuts or avacado to your mid-day eating, this should help. Knowing you are consuming enough calories should help. You do not get the same type of "full" feeling eating raw foods. After 2-3 days you'll adjust and for me I feel "too full" after eating my cooked meal, and therefore have been eating a smaller portion of it.

[pinkgirl]

That looks like the sort of day I could manage actually, but probably not every day. The only cooked things I have had today are soup at lunch and a couple of cups of coffee.

[saucypunk]

I'm right with you on the raw thing, actually. I've found something that has worked well for me (though probably not quite 70% raw) is a fruit smoothie (with some protein powder) for breakfast, a salad for lunch, some nuts or dried fruit for snacks, and then a cooked dinner. There are some raw dinner-type things that I enjoy too when it's warmer out, like cool soups and that sort of thing.

Also, what I do sometimes is follow a raw recipe and then just heat it up. That way you get the emphasis on fresh vegetables and natural ingredients and still get a warm meal!

[michelle2]

You can make many things that are raw, like cookies, nut milks and cereals, also snacks and "pasta dishes" that are just zuchinni or other veggie cut in a shape of spagetti and fixed with nice sauce, maybe some nuts etc. I have a book Raw Food Real world, and I found some good recepies and good advices, but I still think I like my cooked food to much, so I can't switch to high % of raw food. Maybe 50% in winter and 70% in summer.
Chocolate Puding Raw
2 cups coconut meat
3/4 cup coconut water, at room temperature
1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sea salt
Blend all the ingredients until completly smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary. Chill for firmer pudding or eat straightaway. Serve with chopped nuts!

[Joaquin's Army!!]

That sounds good. I'm going to try it!!

[KombuchaCHIC]

The more raw foods, the better! I find that when I'm eating all raw, I get full faster. I eat lots of fruit in the morning and nuts and seeds throughout the day. A nice big salad with nuts on it can fill you up pretty good. Another thing I do is carry around raw trail mix, so when I go out to eat with friends I can order a salad and throw some trail mix on it to make it more substantial.

Good luck,
Heather