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Need help getting started!

I have been vegetarian for 5 years and I am fascinated by raw food and the health benefits it brings. I have numerous books on it and even have the tapes and transcripts from a program called Rawkathon. I have all the information I feel at my hand but I just can't get it started. I don't have a dehydrator, food processor, juicer or anything it looks like that I need to really get started so I think I that is hindering me. For those of you that have been doing it a long time what is a good suggestion for breakfast and lunch? I'll probably do a big salad for dinner. I'm thinking maybe just 1 or 2 fruit like apples, bananas and such but lunch is a kicker. I don't want the same thing for lunch and since I am a mailman I have to take my lunch with me. I'm not sure what to bring because I need something I can't really handle because if I don't get a chance to wash my hands I don't want to touch the actual food. I think I'm just rambling here.....but any help on getting this going would be greatly appreciated! I'm really excited about doing this and want this to big part of my life to show the people that think I'm nuts for doing this that it does work and I do believe it does. Again thanks for any help!

Comments

  • Hey rawmailman!

    I myself havent read any books on raw foods I just did some research online. I went raw about a month ago and I find its so easy. All I pretty much do is eat tons of fruits including fatty fruits, sweet fruits, cirtus fruits, 1 or 2 huge green salads each day, lots of live sprouts, and soaked nuts like almonds.

    It was so easy for me to make the transition cuz I dont really worry about being fancy. The only fancy things I make are big raw green leafy salads. Eventually I want to get fancy and learn new raw recipes, but as I was going to college i just didnt have the time to get fancy.

    So all you have to do is eat lots of fruits, get your leafy greens, eat a wide variety of vgetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, etc, you can add sprouts to your salads.

    Mind of matter, its easier than you think it is!

    God bless!

  • Hey!

    You don't need a lot of equipment to get started - in fact the only MAJOR thing you need is a blender and it doesn't have to be a vita-mix (I don't have one and I'm surviving just fine :) I got my dehydrator later and I only use it for bread and things that are impossible to make otherwise.

    A blender makes breakfast smoothies a snap (mine are usually made with 6 bananas, fresh-squeeze orange juice, and strawberries, pineapple or ginger). Loads of fruit kills mid-morning cravings and will fill you up until lunch (plus it takes almost no preparation. Chop the fruit the night before, put it all in the blender in the fridge and add the juice, water and ice in the morning). It should also give you loads of clean energy, which you obviously need for your job.

    Why don't you consider doing a big salad for lunch instead of dinner and fill it with dense, fiber-rich foods like greens and avocados that will leave you feeling full until dinner time, that way you can bring it with you and you don't have to touch it? You can prepare a dressing the night before or just bring a little oil, salt and nutritional yeast and you can be a little more creative with your dinners as you'll have more time and clean hands! :) Head here for a great recipe index that has loads of meal ideas that don't require a dehydrator (just a blender!): http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2007/03/this-blogs-recipe-index.html

    Also Ani Phyo's book is full of dehydrator-free recipes.

    Also - are there any raw restaurants in your area? When I'm home in Vancouver I'll stock up on a few meals from the local raw kitchen to keep me going when I don't feel like preparing food. You could maybe do this for a few meals a week until you really get into raw and are willing to commit the $ for all the gadgets and whatnot.

    Good luck!!

  • have_merseyhave_mersey Raw Newbie

    Bananas, make-ahead salads, granola. Those are a few things that don't require hand washing. The granola and salads can be very versatile with different ingredients daily, dressings, or in the case of granola- milks and varied dry ingredients. I have a very old old dehydrator given to me by a friend, and I use it to make flax crackers (extremely easy and good for travel), and occasionally raw food bars etc. The raw food bar, if wrapped, you could hold onto the wrapper while eating. They even started selling raw bars and crackers at my tiny health store, so surely you'll be able to find something like that at your local health store, or request that they carry them. For other raw foods, I suggest chopsticks, or a fork if unable to wash.

    Good luck!

  • LilEarthMuffinLilEarthMuffin Raw Newbie

    Hi :)

    I found for lunches that a couple pieces of fresh fruit, a larabar or maybe a wrap of some sort is good. For breakfast I always have a green smoothie, a couple bananas and some other fresh fruits. It might be a good idea to also pack some snacks, maybe some raw nuts/needs or some home-made trail mix.

    Like BushCrazyRaw said you dont need a whole lot to go raw. I started out with a knife, cutting board and my magic bullet.

    Hope I helped a little!

    http://lilearthmuffin.wordpress.com/

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    I third the recommendation of the blender - I just got a Magic Bullet at Costco for $40. I didn't need it but...it was only $40. (Aggghh...)

    If you get hooked on smoothies, you might find that one with greens and fruit and maybe coconut water is a good take-along lunch, in a thermos. They're filling and you can sip it as you go.

    Fruit, nuts, bars are all good to-go items too. And wet wipes!

  • Thanks for everyones comments! For those of you with Magic Bullets, do you have any secrets to use them? For me it doesn't chop ice easily and I tried making raw brownies with it and the dates just wouldn't blend. I know I need to get a better blender but how do you all get yours to work so well?

  • To get dates to blend, soak them first until they're super soft. I've never chopped ice in my bullet - I just put it in a bag, wrap it in a dish towel and beat the crap out of it on the counter or pound it with a meat tenderizer, then add it back into the bullet to incorporate it. Make sure you're using the attachment with the four-prong blades (2 elevated, 2 flat) instead of the one with the two flat ones. It does a better job! Also use the smallest container possible so whatever you're processing has maximum contact with the blades. Hope this helps!

  • Thank you BushCrazyRaw! I will definitely try that!

  • Hello Rawmailman,

    You can try this recipe for breakfast.

    Take couple bananas and mash them very well.

    Then add grated carrots with the pulp and put dates on the top of it.

    Or if you have a juicer, just juice the carrots and add the pulp.

    Quick and easy breakfast!

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