Raw Food Diet Plan - some thoughts

On this website, I do not focus on the exact details of a raw food diet plan or raw food recipes. Thus, I would just be touching on a few broad points of eating raw.

What are some raw foods which we could eat? (Click here for a list of some possible raw foods to eat and some raw food information.)

Types of raw foods to include in a raw food diet menu

When I talk about eating raw, I’m talking about eating healthy. So that pretty much rules out raw animal foods, like oysters or rare beef.

Healthy, plant-based raw foods thus include fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, sprouts, nuts, seeds, and fresh juices. Seaweed and dried fruit are sometimes also mentioned. In addition, herbs and spices can be used.

Since there is no cooking, grains are usually sprouted or soaked overnight before they are eaten. Seeds and beans can also be sprouted, while nuts can be soaked.

Freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices also provide superb nutrition and excellent refreshment, both as a food and as a beverage.

These foods must be natural whole foods which are not processed. Preferably, they should also be organic.

Generally, raw foodists eat foods which are not heated above 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Above this temperature, it is believed that beneficial enzymes as well as the nutritional value of food is destroyed or greatly reduced.

Not all raw food diet plans are 100% raw – some are 80%, or 75%; some even less.

One common food which is eaten is salads, which can include various types of the abovementioned raw plant foods.

Equipment for food preparation

To prepare more elaborate recipes, certain equipment may be needed. This includes a blender, a dehydrator, and / or a food processor.

If you are going to eat a lot of raw foods, it would be a good idea to invest in a good food processor or blender, as well as a good juicer.

Dehydrating food can go some way toward mimicking cooked foods, although not all raw foodists actually do this.

Other tools which would come in useful are glass jars and containers, which can be used for sprouting as well as for storing food. And you would definitely need a refrigerator to store some of your foods!

Amount of raw food to eat

In terms of food quantity, in my view, you may eat as much raw foods as you see fit – it is virtually impossible to overeat and become overweight on them, due to their high nutrient, fiber and water content.

If you feel that raw foods do not seem to ‘satisfy’ you or make you feel full enough, you may to eat foods such as avocadoes, coconuts, olives and various types of nuts and seeds. These foods contain fats and will help to fill you up. However, do take note not to overeat nuts and seeds.

Other key points to note in coming up with raw food diet plans

When formulating your own raw food diet plan, remember a few key things. Firstly, you are going raw probably for health reasons. So be focused on ‘healthy’ rather than ‘raw’ – it’s quite pointless eating raw foods which actually harm your body!

Be flexible and do not be too hard on yourself. If you are stressing yourself a lot just to keep your diet raw, then perhaps it is time for you to re-look things.

And if you are transiting from a mainly cooked diet to eating more raw foods, give yourself time to adjust; make the transition at your own pace, and don’t go rushing yourself to do it as quickly as possible.

Also, keep things simple. Raw food lifestyles go hand-in-hand with simple living, so it really doesn’t make sense to complicate matters greatly.