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Is anyone else having a hard time adjusting to preparing raw meals?

I eat mainly fruit, smoothies, salads, hummus, simple things. Now that I'm branching out towards more recipes, I feel like I am having a hard time with it. Maybe i need to plan specific meals then go to the store and buy just for those meals. By the time i am done with most of these recipes, my kitchen is a wreck, i've spent most of my free time working towards a so-so meal and i'm often eating too late. Do you prepare a lot of ahead of time? It is just so overwhelming sometimes to think of what i need at the grocery store and everything. Not to sound ungrateful, because sites like this are tremendously helpful. Sometimes reading through goneraw, i feel like everyone else is settling in with the recipe/cooking adjustments pretty easily and i wonder if i will ever have that organized calm look you always see of the chefs on raw restaraunt sites. Any advice from more experienced and together raw chefs out there?

Comments

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    readingatwork, You are definitely not alone with this. I think that any significant change in diet can take a lot of time to get used to. Something that has been helpful for me (honestly, something I've done whether eating raw or not in life) is to make a list of general meals throughout the week and then try to do any prep on the weekend. For example, making a dehydrator full of snacks and crackers on Sunday to use throughout the week. Perhaps throw some hummus together, etc. so I can come home from work and have a quick meal. I also tend to eat pretty simply when eating raw and am not super into time-intensive meals overall. That's what raw restaurants are for :)

    Cheers,

    Kandace

  • Thanks Kandace! i think not having a dehydrator is part of my problem. They are so expensive, but will definitely be worth it. i'm going to take your advice and prep as much as i can this weekend. It will feel great to clear out the cupboards and really get things together. i appreciate your advice!

  • My problem is, many of the recipes I come across are for, like, a family of four! This is especially a problem when making things like sauces or rawzagna. I end up throwing half of it away because saving left-overs kinda condradicts the whole "raw food" idea. I am learning, however, how to cut recipes in half or simply make the ones I know that feed more than one on occassions like potlucks.

  • ZemphiraZemphira Raw Newbie

    I agree with Kandace, making a list of foods for the week before going grocery shopping has helped me a lot, same with prepping on weekends. I did break down and bought a few gadgets though (Vita-Mix, dehydrator and food processor). This has helped me expand my menu quite a bit. I don't think I would have been able to stick to a raw diet on just salads and smoothies.

    I also sympathize with ABQNick in that I've had to cut a lot of these recipes in half (or more) at times. Some things I'm able to freeze and save for future (like pizza crust) but sometimes making such huge servings (more than 4) require too much of certain ingredients that can start to get rather pricey when buying groceries. And truth be told, certain dessert items I'd rather not make more than 4 servings because well, I don't have the self-control to NOT eat the whole thing =P

  • vegan2rawvegan2raw Raw Newbie

    Kandace is totally right take aside a few hours on the weekend to do prepwork for the week, when I have failed to do so I feel the same as you stressed confused and just hungry so try that and see if it helps. For me it helps to keep things simple but have one or two meals a week that are 'gourmet' so you dont overdo yourself.

    Good luck and keep your chin up you are on the right path

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    I was like you last year when first starting going back to whole foods(about 50% raw again now and aiming for 80%). I got into the cooking(or uncooking now) and was a game, but it was overwhelming. THEN I stopped and took a step back a looked at why I was doing it, which was originally to go more natural and less processed and help some GI issues. I needed to go simple so I could figure things out, and to be honest my body has done best this way. I have gone to raw gatherings and classes, I do great on simple but complicated or anything more than one dish with nuts and all my GI issues came back(and not gallbladder, ulcer, etc - was tested). I do have a dehydrator now, but rarely use it(plan to get most use in summer when I want to save local produce) at the moment. I find that eating simply and following what my body needs is the BEST way to eat more raw.

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