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Intro/ Raw Food Staples

Hi, I'm Rachel.

I'm new to a consistent raw food lifestyle, as I'm in college and not able to easily get around the city I'm in for fresh foods.

Anyway, I came to raw food in a few different ways. In high school, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (caught in its earlier stages, but still quite a scare). My mom made the decision to go an alternative track, rather than going through the toxic process of chemotherapy. After a lumpectomy and 3.5 years into the cancer-free window, she's alive and healthy today. Though she doesn't eat raw, she's a big promoter of it (don't ask me how you can know the benefits and not do it-- except she just *likes* her cooked foods!). Also, my best friend from high school went vegan our senior year, and was always sharing the good news with me. Her whole family eventually transitioned, and one time when I was at their house, her mom handed me this book, saying "Vegan I can do. This-- THIS is too much! But the testimonies are great!" And it was Carol Alt's book The Raw 50. I borrowed it and was hooked on the idea.

Anyway, now that I've been dabbling in it for about a year (I'll call that my transition period) I'm trying to figure out what I need to stock up my pantry/fridge with in order to be able to make most raw recipes.

Would you guys mind letting me know what *your* raw staples are?!! Don't worry about overwhelming me, I'll pick and choose if it gets to be too much!

Thanks!

Rachel

Comments

  • Lots of avocados and tomatoes for me. I make guacamole, salads and soups with them.

  • for me, it has become leafy greens! red and green lettuce, spinach and kale. I find greens to be the best bc they are so versatile - for salads and smoothies. On a similar note, I can't have a morning without a green smoothie! Also, nuts and seeds are important for me, even though I just eat small amounts. Having fresh and frozen fruit on hand is also important. Carrots, broccoli...everything:-)

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Swiss chard, cabbage, kale - these are detox veggies. I like them in my green smoothies.

    Bananas for sure.

    Some kind of seed, but I am getting off fatty foods now.

    Sprouts.

  • wichtenwichten Raw Newbie

    heres my basic shopping list to get me from empty fridge to set for a few days:

    greens (usually spinach, kale and romaine)

    1 bunch green onions

    bag of carrots

    head of cauliflower

    bunch broccoli

    3 zuchinni

    1 cucumber

    pint of cherry tomatoes

    1 avocado

    2 red bell peppers

    small head of cabbage

    shiitake musrooms

    bunch of apples

    couple bunches of bananas

    bag of grapes

    couple lemons

    mangoes, pineapple, papaya, but only if they look ok

    stuff to have in the fridge:

    apple cider vinegar

    high quality olive oil

    wheat-free tamari

    tahini

    a pound of nuts or seeds (mix it up)

    medjool dates

    cupboard stuff:

    sea salt

    black peppercorns (grind them fresh!)

    agave nectar

    cumin

    cayenne

    dry basil

    coconut oil

    sun dried tomatoes

    raisins

    that right there is a stocked raw kitchen. good luck on your journey!

  • seaweedseaweed Raw Newbie

    No matter what I always have greens, tomatoes, sea vegetables, sprouts, apples, bananas, ginger, garlic, ACV, tahini, and fresh herbs like basil or cilantro. Sometimes I keep a couple of packages of kelp noodles in the fridge.

  • I haev been on raw food for the past 8 weeks only - cheated one evening for B.day when we went out to eat - I have got rid of a regular headaches and feels great - weekly shopping is mainly - red leafy letuce/ tomatoes / cucumbers / dates / organic peanut butter / Almond butter / almond milk ( I make it at home) / cabbage / celery and fennels.

  • I haev just tried the most delicious Tahini - thought I share it -

    I sprouted chick peas for 3 days

    In the food processor I added tahini

    lots of lemon juice

    some water

    cumin

    salt and peper

    if too thick just add more water to reach the preferred consistancy - it kept in the fride for 7 days , I used as dip...made it a bit thinner with water and used it as salad dressing.

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Wichten's list is pretty similar to ours - groceries:

    Kale + at least one other green leafy (chard, spinach or romaine)

    Tomatoes

    Zucchini

    Cucumber

    Beets

    Broccoli

    Red onion

    Green onion

    Parsley

    Basil, cilantro or dill

    Red bell peppers

    Jalapenos

    Ginger

    Garlic

    Mushrooms (small crimini, portobello)

    Salad greens (usually a mix of baby romaine, arugula, spinach)

    Avocados (we have a tree that bears many months out of the year)

    Fruit: lemons, bananas, grapes, blueberries year-round; this time of year apples and pears, in the spring/summer stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums.

    Pantry

    Nori sheets, dulse flakes

    Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

    Raisins

    Goji berries

    Dates

    Sun-dried tomatoes

    Nama shoyu

    Olive oil

    Coconut oil

    Apple cider vinegar

    Agave syrup

    Tahini

    Herbs/spices: pink salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (just the staples - there are dozens of others...)

  • Thanks!! This has been so helpful-- now a question... are there any secrets to finding this stuff inexpensively? I have a co-op and a Whole Foods relatively nearby... I could probably find the asian market with a little research. Are things usually less expensive there?

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Check Localharvest.org for a farmers' market nearby if you haven't already. We get most of our produce and nuts at the FM. I do go to Whole Foods or other stores for out-of-season things (like bell peppers, which I have a hard time living without).

    Asian markets can be awesome, but little to none of it is organic. There's also a recent thread about internet storefronts with a fairly good listing of places you can compare prices.

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