I’ve received many e-mails asking about eating 50% raw/living foods. One guy had the idea of a chicken running around the house while the family took a bite off the little critter when we felt hungry.
It’s really not as hard as it may sound, and no animals are harmed while eating raw. 🙂
Here’s a raw/whole foods sample for a day.
For Breakfast, keep it simple with lots of fruit. Fruit is probably the best thing to eat in the morning. If you have low blood sugar, eat some nuts/seeds (preferably raw/unroasted) with your fruit (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, etc.)
For lunch, try a gigantic salad–we made one the other night which was very filling and didn’t leave us feeling stuffed or lethargic. Andrew and I both commented on how energetic we felt. The salad was made with:
Tons of greens–spinach, romaine lettuce, etc.
One diced red pepper
A handful of pumpkin seeds
Two cut up zuchini squash
One large cucumber (sliced and diced)
One or two tomatoes (diced)
A handful of ground sesame seeds
Fresh Mint
Two Crushed Garlic Cloves
Chopped Green Onions
A sprinkling of organic onion powder and some garlic powder too
About two tablespoons of Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s
About two tablespoons of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s because it also contains “the mother,” which isn’t often found in typical supermarket apple cider vinegar.)
About two tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
On top of all of that I cracked a few black peppers (which tasted great)
And lastly poured on 1 to 2 tablespoons of organic, raw maple syrup, just to add some sweetness.
It was very good and suprisingly filling.
Now for dinner, we tried another raw recipe in which I made fettucini out of sqaush and made a nut sauce to top it, but let’s say you don’t want to do that. From what I understand, a person will reap health benefits from just 50% raw, are considered raw foodists at 75% raw, but there are some out there who live 100% raw.
But if you want to stick with the 50%…. for dinner, plan a menu which uses “whole foods,”. I’ve already shared a few of my favorite cookbooks, but will often use the Whole Foods for Kids to Cook because the recipes are simple (I’m very busy), the kids get to feel as though they’re helping out, and they’re pretty good. BTW a “whole food” meal can include meat, so please don’t think you have to go vegetarian or vegan.
Another recipe book I forgot to mention is also fantastic. They even have a DVD teaching all sorts of kitchen tips. I like this especially because the sisters who created it are from a large family, so that’s what they’re used to catering to. In other words, the kitchen tips include things regarding working with little ones in the kitchen, which is extremely helpful for me as my little shadow, Elena, is normally attatched to the back of my skirt. I often joke with people and say I had to resign to wearing long, flowing, broomstick skirts, so that I wouldn’t lose Elena–she just can’t hold on very well to those A-lines.
OK, so that’s off topic. You can find the info on From the Kitchen of Two Sisters by clicking on the link. I very much enjoy their materials and don’t know why I haven’t yet included it on here.
Here’s a meal idea from their cookbook, which would be a great dinner:
Garden Spaghetti
Italian Bread Topping
Lotus Flower Salad
And for dessert, how about some pudding? But one that is far healthier than one you’ll find in a box. Scrape the fruit of a papaya into your blender, throw in a banana or two, and blend. You’ll have “instant” papaya banana pudding but without any added sugars, sweeteners of any kind, and way more nutrients than if you made it from a powder. I sometimes wonder about adding in some carob to make it chocolate.
I understand that the concept of living foods or raw foods can be intimidating–I really do. Being brought up in the Deep South of Alabama, I’m extremely accustomed to fried foods and lots of Barbecue (BTW Barbecue in the Deep South isn’t the same as Barbecue in the north or here in the Southwest, for that matter). And honestly, the first thing I buy when I get back to Bama is a barbecue sandwich (even the husband demands that it’s on the top of the list for first stops).
One final note: please don’t stress out over following a raw diet 50% of the time–if all you’re doing is adding in more fruits and vegetables, while cutting out junk/fast food, you’re taking a step forward. Baby steps 🙂
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