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Where are YOU having trouble?

I noticed that we newbies are at various stages and have trouble in various stages. For me it’s dinner – when I have to sit and put together a cohesive raw meal for myself. I decided to try it step-by-step, meal-by-meal. Example: The next two weeks are hummus weeks and then I will try something else for dinner. So far, so good. I’ve been using pita bread or crackers (not raw – remember step-by-step) with my raw hummus from Ani’s raw food Kitchen book. I’m asking 2 questions I guess: Where is your trouble spot and what are some simple meals that our mentors can suggestion to cover the meals.

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Comments

  • SarahJSarahJ Raw Newbie

    Dinner time is the hardest for me – especially if I am hungry. My best friend is the green smoothie. It cuts the hunger and allows me to make better choices in the evening. Sometimes it’s all I need.

    Chilove made a suggestion of carrying lots of food with you. I am now carrying lots of fruit with me to work. If I don’t eat it, then I just bring it home. So there is always a healthy choice available.

    I hope that helps.

  • anngoingrawanngoingraw Raw Newbie

    My main trouble is: what can I eat now?!!! I think looking for recipes drives me crazy, and that it’s easier just to think, well, what do you want? salad? fruit? and make it as simple as possible (i want to cook gourmet recipes too, but that must be for pleasure if it distresses me better to leave it for another occasion).

  • I know what you mean about looking for recipes. That’s why I settled on one – two things for the week for dinner. I just ran out of Zuchini and that was the base of my hummus w/o beans – so now I will try using cucumbers.

  • you need like ten recipes. 10 recipes is enough to live on. i love massaged kale salad, nori wraps, fruit smoothies (no vegetables in my smoothies! sometimes i’ll put a little spirulina) marinated veggies, dehydrated buckwheat breads, nut cheese & pieces of fruit. this seems to be enough for me to get by, most of the time.

  • Raw_ChocoholicRaw_Chocoholic Raw Newbie

    I have the same problem with recipes. Want to try them all, yet at the same time don’t want to bother making the more complicated dinner-like ones.

    Maybe the key is to stop trying to recreate dinner in the SAD diet sense?

    mandelicious, do you mean the wilted kale salad, because that’s one of my favorites also.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I also have trouble when I am hungry and think I have to have a “regular” meal. Tonight I hadn’t figured out what to eat for dinner, and now reading about making it simple I am going to make a smoothie and eat it with leftovers from yesterday. Gourmet recipes are great once in a while when I’m not already hungry. :)

  • Dinner times have been nightmares for me. I am always 100% raw during the day, but I have to make cooked dinners for my husband and daughter and fall into the tempation of fresh bread sometimes. For now I think it will be having some nuts late afternoon, so I don’t want to eat everything in sight come seven o clock.

  • When I am just stressed or hormonal, I have failed horribly tonight, I ate hot wings and french fries with my dinner. I just have the most trouble when scattered.

  • Harmonylia – join the club – I was suppose to have hummus, but after having a difficult night with the kiddos – I tossed down a chicken pattie w/ steamed veggies – I have so much gas now – I may have to blow out my stress candle before releasing some fumes – afraid I might send the whole house up in flames.

    mandelicious I am curious what 10 recipes would you recommend for beginners or what were your first 10.

  • LMAO oh my god EnjoyRaw, a little TMI from me I also have horrendous gas, it’s just rediculous. I never have it this bad! This is my punishment!

  • I myself am having problems right now. I’ve only been trying to eat raw for about three weeks now and so far I’ve been doing pretty good and I love it. I eat almost 100 percent raw all day. I don’t mind raw meals at all but its the darn choclate chip cookies that are ALWAYS in my house for the rest of the family. Tonight no one was home so I sat down and ate three of them… and milk. ugh. I enjoy it at the time and I just don’t think about it and then feel terrible afterwards. All I can think is Why did I just do that? I get so mad at myself.

  • Dinner time is tough for me as well, especially when I am both hungry and tired. I think there is a psychological / emotional aspect as well. Like I have the SAD-type meal just ingrained in me – a smoothie for dinner just isn’t what I want!

    I also find it tough to prepare a meal for others, it’s so much easier to fend for myself and eat whatever. I think what helps is to have some recipes under your belt that you know are good and simple. And that takes some experimenting.

  • heartshapedskyheartshapedsky Raw Newbie

    when i make toast with vegan butter for my little boy he always leaves the crust and i always used to eat them, but not any more. yesterday i took one bite and it was too yummy. i was really hoping i wouldn’t like it, darn it.

    ice cream is another weakness so i made some last night from david wolfe’s book naked chocolate and it’s divine! good thing i doubled the recipe!

  • Bonnie, I totally hear you about cooking non raw for the family! and warm bread with butter is my biggest weakness. I am in my third week raw and by the time I come home from work my husband and kids are already sitting down eating dinner. For me to then prepare my own dinner seems like a lot of work when I’m already tired. So I went out and bought the biggest tupperware container I could find and make up a HUGE salad on Sunday night that lasts me through the week, that way I am able to sit down right away with them. But I really need to experiment with dressings because I’m a little bored with Apple Cider Vinegar. I’m not sure how long raw dressings can last. My husband was a little frustrated with me yesterday as he said I spend more time preparing foods then spending time with the family.(I may have accidently put to much caynne on his steak after that comment :) I am commited to being raw and know that my family will get through this transition time. This web site has been my saving grace!

  • i’m pretty new to raw too, i didn’t mena for my last post to come off preachy or like i am 100% raw 100% of the time…

    but i would say good beginner type recipes are a good bread recipe (like the onion bread) is crucial, because if you put avocado on it, it’s a great filling meal. the wilted/massaged kale salad is also a great one (basically you cut the stems off the kale, then massage salt into it, then dress it with olive oil & lemon & add whatever else you like.) you need a favorite smoothie, check out my chocolate milkshake, or just banana, strawberries, hempseeds & water…

    nori wraps… nori w/seed pate & veggies… check out my sushi recipe

    asian wraps… i think there’s a recipe on gone raw

    pizza… take your raw bread & add tomato sauce, nut cheese (like poemomm’s real cream cheese) & pizza toppings of choice

    a good salad dressing… mine is an asian one with sesame oil & bragg’s… i know bragg’s isn’t raw, but i use it…

    marinated veggies

    cauliflower rice

    raw-violi… i should really post that recipe here… it’s awesome…

    zucchini noodles & neatballs… without the neatballs the zucchini just isn’t a meal for me…

    is that ten? anyway, those are some of my favorite, most convenient recipes. i would also say we shouldn’t get mad at ourselves for being a little unraw for a moment… we probably had a good reason to do it, and then we move on. the important thing is to make being raw enjoyable so that your lemon cookies or chocolate milkshake is so much better than that other stuff that there isn’t even any reason to eat the SAD stuff.

    long post. mandy out.

  • DAY from hell – Breakfast – Doritos, and cashews, lunch mini mr. goodbar,and a mini- recees peanut butter cup, bowl of cereal gronola, raisens, and banana, I’m going to try a salad for dinner and a smoothie and start over tomorrow

  • jsorensens2jsorensens2 Raw Jr. Superstar

    Dinner is the hardest! I still have to cook for my non-raw family and my caveman husband won’t touch a vegetable or drink water – it’s meat, starch, plus beer, soda or wine. Sigh. It’s not what he eats that is hard for me to stay away from, it’s that I have to make sure I do not come home from work hungry and reach for anything quick and easy (usually SAD). So I’ve started bringing Grawnola and sweetened almond milk to work with me and at around 4:00 I eat a small cup of that. It kills my hunger pains and then I don’t feel like I need to grab something right away when I get home from my hour long commute. If I only had to fend for myself it would be easy at dinnertime, but I have to plan for 4 other people. I have always enjoyed cooking so I enjoy looking for good recipes, now focused on raw ones, but the planning and time it takes to figure it out for two different lifestyles is tiring. Honestly, once my tummy is full I don’t have cravings, so the grawnola thing is really helping me.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    oh dinner was the hardest during winter. i started making raw flatbreads that really do it for me. i love having a meal that i have to assemble as i eat… i lay out loads of “fixings” like marinated and warmed (dehydrated) onion, pepper, mushrooms.

    i was surprised that i can actually make a 30 minute meal if i place my to be warmed food on the teflex sheet to start, then chop up my salad and slice my raw veggies, or make ‘noodles’ or whatever… when i’m done my veggies are warm and soft and i can place them on top, or roll them in a wrap. very satisfying.

    my big tip is to have condiments on hand. i have an onion-jalepeno pepper salsa, mango ketchup, various salad dressings, mustard, pestos, etc… ALWAYS in the fridge. also, love the flax topping (click on my profile for ‘recipe’)

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    You know I love all the raw recipes but I find that I get greedy and obsessive when I try to make too many. So when I feel myself getting manic over what to eat I remind myself to keep it simple. Just a simple green salad and some avocado or seed crackers if I’m starving and not focused to fill me up. If I remember to slow down I don’t over eat or cave into something I’ll regret.

  • LOL jsorensens2 – It seems that everyone has the same problem with dinner. I wonder why. Do you think it’s the hungry time or tired and preparation thing? I’m with you Marichiesa on the simple green salad, but sometimes – I want something that’s going to warm me up or with a variety of flavors. I don’t know what to make of the Dinner thing.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    For me, dinner is hard when I am hungry and/or tired. I do better when I have things ready to go – desserts in the freezer/fridge, salad dressings and cut-up veggies ready in fridge, zucchini made into noodles ahead of time, alfredo sauce, etc. I have not been doing too well lately, and I am glad to remember what worked before. Keep the ideas coming!

  • For me it’s lack of preparation and getting over hungry. I try to snack all day on raw foods and then I’m usually fine but if I go home too hungry or go out to grab a bite too hungry, I’m in trouble! Raw foods are not always the easiest.

    I agree with Mandelicious on having some easy recipes handy. I have many variations on that wilted kale salad – I love to chop up some olives, red peppers, red onions, raisins/currants – just some salty, sweet and tart to the kale (destemmed and olive oil and salt massaged in). The kale salad is a staple for me!

    I try to make a couple of recipes I can have ready for the week but when my weekends fill up and I don’t do that, I’m much more likely to stray…

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    I get jealous… really jealous of what other people are eating. Tonight my boyfriend had nachos at the bar. But I just wanted the FLAVORS - not the exact dish (I never liked nachos when nonraw!) so i asked them to bring me a salad with salsa and jalapenos, and i was satisfied. : ) Next week I have to go to a college club meeting where folks will be having PIZZA. oh boy. i need to make buckwheat crusts by then (for the first time every) so i can bring my own pizza and raw dessert. cause i KNOW the smell will be killing me.

    See, I don’t want the food. I just want something similar – crunchy, or spicy, or sweet, with similar ingredients. I’m so lucky in that my kitchen usually has nothing SAD in it. There’s no temptation. I sometimes get tired of salad when i’m out with friends… and the darn dressings have been frustrating (i haven’t yet been bringing my own – just eat sad salad dressing). but the solution is to avoid restaurants, which i mostly do.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    winona—i know. i play my music in an italian restaurant sometimes and tonight the pasta sauce with the smell of parmesan cheese on it was just killing me. but i try to think of it like any other fragrance. i love the smell of roses, but i’d hardly consider eating them. =) good luck!

  • It seems that dinner is hard for most people because that has always been a sacred meal. Since I prepare raw food for other people I almost always have some leftovers. 2 of my clients pick up 3 dinners and 2 lunches on one day and 3 lunches and two dinners on another day. The tricky part is to think up the 3 entrees. I will usually do one time consuming one like lasagna and two quicker ones like sushi or pasta. There are so many recipes I need to post on here. I need to start measuring them out. I tend to eyeball and taste. I think soups are great for quick dinners as are zucchini noodle pastas, sandwiches made from raw bread, guacamole and raw tortilla chips. Wraps also make for quick dinners. I think it is just changing our concept of what dinner is. I think if you prepare a couple of different things you’ve always got something to munch for dinner and that makes sticking to raw much easier. If for some reason it doesn’t work out, I will usually eat what I prepare for my family since they are not into raw, but it’s vegetarian. I am not hard on myself I still feel as if I am eating better than most people in the world. I will try to start measuring, because I have made up some really good quick recipes.

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    kiwi: So excited to see your recipes!

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    i have been raw for less than a week but i have been vegan and wheat free for several years and what I try to do if I see other food that tempts me is think of how sick i have felt when I ate those foods. since I get pretty sick when eating wheat, usually it helps me.

    It is too bad your families are not more supportive. Maybe you can make a raw meal for yourself and as a side dish for them. Then they can add meat or whatever. Last night I made a pesto and my husband added it to pasta and I put it on zuchinni. And if I make a salad he has some but then adds a pizza slice or something (vegan pizza). The funny thing is he said his stomach was hurting from eating more raw food! My stomach has felt great.

  • I’m having a lot of trouble giving up bread and protein (I’m already a vegetarian so it’s hard for me to give up eggs). For some reason I always feel like I wont have enough carbs (like whole grains) in my diet or protein and I get discouraged easily.

  • O and I also noticed that I crave carbs (like cereal or toast) more so in the morning than at lunch time and dinner. What’s up with that?

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    rawprincess1—when i first went raw i really wanted bread, so i ate manna bread (not raw, but low-temp cooked) dipped in olive oil with some sort of tomato and pepper spread, or just plain. that really helped. and after about 5 days i was sick of it and moved on. greens really become the raw “bread.” it has all the fiber you need and so much more nutritional worth.

    you are going to have to make a mental readjustment about what you are “supposed to be eating” at certain meals. i would guess the toast in the morning thing is more habitual conditioning than anything else.

    try sprouting grains. quinoa is super easy and it is (as they say) “a complete protein.”

    you can also make a breakfast porridge by soaking raw buckwheat groats for about 30 minutes. put it in the food processor with some cinnamon, and a sweetener like a little apple or some dates.

    bitt- raw food is harder to digest at first because it isn’t pre-broken down by cooking. it’s something your body get used to though, since it’s actually what we are meant to be eating.

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