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Simple recipes??

Hello everyone. My name is Jamie and I live in sunny Florida. I am new to eating raw. I couldn’t tell you the percentage, but most of the time I am vegan. As my name states I eat veggies alone, because my family simply refuses to eat what I eat. My issue is I want to eat more raw, but because I am a business owner, mom and wife I find it so hard to fit in all the time it takes to make a lot of the raw recipes. I love to cook, entertain and make new things, but I am finding that the only time I have to make anything new (raw) is on the weekends and then I end up making a huge mess in the kitchen and getting frustrated because my whole weekend has been spent making a mess. HELP…does anyone have any suggestions on how they started with switching to more raw foods without getting so wrapped up into all the vitamix, food processor and the dehydrator. Thanks for your time. Hope I didn’t ramble too much.. Jamie

Comments

  • Hello Jamie, and welcome to Gone Raw!

    One suggestion for you: if you’re lacking certain equipment, such as the Vita Mix or the dehydrator, you can go to the recipes page, then on the right side, un-check the equipment that you don’t have. Now, when you hit Update, you’ll only see recipes that use the equipment that you have.

    Hope that helps!

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    Guacamole is pretty simple and all you need is a fork and a knife to make it. I really dont take to long to prepare what I eat and I eat really simple. I eat mostly fruit and very little salad so it is very easy for me. Fruit would probably be the easiest because they take little effort to prepare. For example a beautiful fruit salad takes only a knife. Salads are good option too. They dont have be boring. Try a new dressing everyday to change the flavor. A couple simple ones that I know are a handful of macadamia nuts blended with a mango, cashews blended with a large orange, and if you want a fat free dressing there is a large mango blended with half or whole red peppper. Make sure its red, the greens ones are basically unripe peppers which are picked early so they do have a chance to ripen.

    I really hope that helps you out and gets you started.

    -Vaughn

  • Thank you for your suggestions. I actually have the equipment…(i am the type to buy it all especially when it comes to kitchen stuff) to make the recipes, but just wanted some suggestions on what you eat on a typical day that you don’t use all that stuff. Vaughn, I love guacamole and actually I eat a avacado probably every other day. I guess my problem is I am still so new at this that it is hard to feel like I am eating properly when I take an avacado, peach and mango to eat..you know what I mean. It just seems like I forgot something. Need to get out of the habit of feeling like when I ate the SAD way. (Meat, Start and Veggie.) So thank you for your responses and I am sure I will get the hang of it soon.

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    Take your time, its not like anyone is rushing you:) You will find that will get use to not having that full feeling. Actually you will begin to hate that full feeling and love the light energetic feeling of not burdening your stomach with heavy fat laden foods. Its process that all raw foodies have gone through so we understand. Anyways good luck, God bless, and stay strong :)

  • PamPam

    Hi Vegalone,

    Many people eat mono meals, meaning they only eat one food at a time, be it 5 oranges or a big bowl of romaine. As long as you’re getting a variety of different foods and eating enough, you’ll probably be okay. If you like to eat plain foods, you’re ahead of the game. Most of us have to evolve more!

    If mono meals aren’t your thing, maybe try eating a combination of two or three foods. The avocado, peach and mango you mentioned would make a terrific salad.

    I eat very simply, usually fruit or a smoothie (sweet or green) in the morning, a salad for lunch with lemon and olive oil for dressing, and maybe something with a little more prep for dinner. That could be a raw soup and flax seed crackers; mock tuna made with carrot pulp; spicy walnut taco meat, avocado and salsa; or mock meatballs or meat loaf. There are several recipes that you can make in advance that will keep for 2 or 3 days. Some of the recipes with lots of lemon juice will keep even longer. One of my favorite meals is mock tuna (recipe on this site). I’ll make a big batch of it to last for a couple days. I’ll also make a big batch of mayonnaise that I can keep for a couple weeks. So whenever I’m ready to make more mock tuna, all I need to do is juice some carrots and chop some onions and celery.

    Last night I didn’t know what to have so I threw a banana and a mango in the blender along with a little almond butter and cacao and that was dinner.

    I think it helps to be into either juicing or smoothies. This is because you don’t have to be such a planner and food isn’t likely to spoil. I can buy a wide variety of greens and have them on hand for recipes or for smoothies. This takes away some of the anxiety. I’ve created a bank of recipes that I like and identified a regular shopping list for the items I should have on hand at all times. So, it’s fairly easy for me to whip up something.

    Also, I’d say pick your favorite appliance and leave it out on the counter. It should be super easy to clean and an appliance that you can use for several of your favorite recipes. When you get tired of the food made in, say, the blender, leave the food processor out.

    I keep nori on hand because you can roll up almost anything and call it a meal. My favorite is avocado, carrots, cucumber, hot peppers and sprouts. I use a julienne peeler (a $5.99 peeler not a slicer) to prepare the veggies and combine Nama Shoyu and apple cider vinegar to dip. If you don’t like nori, use romaine.

    The julienne peeler comes in handy. You can quickkly cut all types of fruits or veggies and combine them with sauce. Use a spicy tomato sauce and you have chili. Make a peanut sauce and you have Thai. Combine oil, garlic, jalapeno and curry, then throw in a handful of raisins, and you have… well I’m not sure what, but you get the idea!

    Hope this helps!

    Pam

  • thanks vaugn and pam. I appreciate your posts. I DO LOVE the feeling when eating raw…HATE the feeling of being full. Those are good suggestions pam, I will try doing the wraps with the nori today. I have some that I didn’t know exactly how I was going to use yet. What I do know is that I love this website…it really makes me want to go 100% raw.

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    Many of the recipes in the quick and easy categories are pretty simple!

  • Thanks Kandace, I didn’t see that. I will try some of those.

  • Whn I was transitioning from vegan to raw vegan I made a goal to eat raw every day until I dinner. Each moring I would (and still do) make a blender full of furit and green smoothies. I snacked on fruit and for lunch I had usually a salad. Dinner was usually a vegan version of what the fam was having but slowly incorporated more raw foods and the lunches got more elaborate too. But don’t underestimate the power of a salad or a bunch of fruit.

    You say you are not totally vegan; I would recommend going vegan asap. Transitioning from raw vegan is difficult enough without having to deal with animal product cravings on top of cooked food.

    Sounds like your on the right path!

    James

  • Yes James, I do believe you are correct. I am going to do that starting today. Thanks for the advice. My next goal is to quit cooking it for my family..:)

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