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Good recipes to transition with?

Hi Everyone,

I could really use some advice here. I've been playing with raw food for over three years now but can never get myself to stick with it. It seems like these are the problems:

1. I don't have the time or money to make what appears to be proper "meals" so I get bored and feel deprived

2. I have a hard time feeling satisfied

3. The only place i can buy organic is a semi-hike from my house and going there more than once a week is unrealistic, so i end up running out of fresh produce or i get too much and it rots before i can eat all :-(

4. Coffee- I'm addicted

Can anyone help? I would sooooo appreciate any advice here because i really REALLY want to be able to do this finally. Its like I'll do it for a while (okay, not that much of a while.. 30 days was my tops) and then just crack. In case anyone is wondering i am already a vegan so weaning of the meat and cheese isn't a problem. Also, I don't have a blender or a dehydrator but do a have a juicer and food processor.

I find all of you as such an inspiration, reading through the forums and posts is def a motivation but all of the recipes seem so daunting for the most part. I would really like to know some easy ones with just a couple of ingredients that can be made quickly and are satisfying.

Thanks!

Tara

Comments

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    You don't need any fancy equipment to go raw. In fact, the less you use the better because you will be eating foods in their whole, raw states.

    For your breakfast and lunch meals, you can easily rely on whole sweet fruit, as much as you care for. This doesn't have to be organic, but of course it is preferred. I've been eating raw for over 1.5 years and the majority has been conventional. I value freshness and good quality produce over organic produce, so often times this means conventional. If you have a Costco in your area, I suggest checking them out for really good inexpensive fruit.

    For dinner, it's common to start with as much fruit as you want and then to end with a savory meal. This is where you can get "fancy." You can make a really delicious (and seasonal) raw pasta by peeling 2-4 zucchini into strips (fettucchine) and then pulsing 2 tomatoes, 1 mango, and a handful of cilantro in your food processor. Pour over the pasta and your done!

    You can also make a variety of delicious salsas in your processor, as well as raw ice cream (just freeze a few bananas and puree in the processor).

    Hope that helps,

    Swayze

     

  • wichtenwichten Raw Newbie

    the simple trick i think is to bring more food with you than you think you'll eat in a day. I always have a banana, apple or baggie of carrot/celery stix on hand for noshing.

    nut pates freeze pretty well so make big batches and freeze some of it, that way youre not eating the same thing all week, have a few different kinds stored. and you can alternate what kinds of things youre pulling out of the freezer.

    investing in a dehydrator may be beneficial to you- this way you can make dried snacks to have on hand. theres some awesome flax cracker recipes out there. Its all about being prepared so youre not caught at 6:30, starving and without any food in the house.

    As for the coffee thing, try a coffee substitute until youre over the caffeine addiction, i recommend dandy blend, it makes an awesome latte.

    You may want to do the 'raw till dinner' thing. This is where you make a nice raw breakfast, lunch and snacks for yourself and then a healthy vegan dinner. I think the act of cooking is meditative in a way (to stand and stir the pot for a while is fairly soothing). once you've established this as a habit you can do all raw three days a week, and 4 cooked dinners and just up your raw dinner amounts from there. Most of the problems people have is reprogramming old habits. Keep it up- you can do it! Don't get upset if theres setbacks along the way. Even monkeys fall out of trees.

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    Yeah, I totally agree with the above. Just start doing 'raw till dinner' with a healthy vegan evening meal, then you can gradually phase across (if/when you are ready). This is currently what I'm doing and I honestly dont feel deprived at all. I love eating plently of fresh fruit in the mornings, with a big salad for lunch and some other raw snacks in between. I found nut/seed pates really helpful in the beginning as they are satisfying and filling.

    Good luck!

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    1 and 2 - if your food is boring and unsatisfying, maybe you need to increase the flavor? Make things sweeter, spicier, saltier, sour-er? Do you use ingredients like nama shoyu, maple syrup, agave, chili pepper, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice? I just can't stand to eat bland food. I'd rather go hungry.

    3 - in addition to pates like zucchini hummus, you can make many soups with a food processor. That might be a way to use up various produce, and store the finished product in the fridge for a few days. Otherwise you might look into the Debbie Meyer green bags or other gadgets for helping food stay fresh longer.

    4 - so drink coffee! But if you don't want to, do the "taper off" routine with green tea, since caffeine withdrawal can be really really intense.

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    "I don't have the time or money to make what appears to be proper "meals"... "

    I suggest re-evaluating what is considered a "proper meal". I consider sitting down with a cantaloupe a proper meal. Or a half of a watermelon. Or a mixed fruit smoothie. Or a massive bowl of greens with an avocado and/or other veggies.

    I think for many folks, getting past what we were taught growing up about "proper meals" is the biggest hitch. They were *wrong*!! 'A meat, a vegetable, and a starch' is NOT a healthy meal, regardless of how many folks try to tell us it's "proper". There is no need to simulate that ideology when doing raw.

    Loosen up- put together as much as you want of whatever raw fruits and veggies you enjoy, and call it a meal.

    I also agree with folks suggestions of doing the "raw until dinner" thing. It's a good way to get used to the whole concept of eating this way. At some point you may want to take it all the way, or you might not. Either way, it's still healthier than not eating any raw at all. :~)

    Also, don't stress the organic thing. Yes, it's healthier for you, and the planet. But one step at a time, will still get you where you are going, eventually.

    Best of luck to you!!

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Great post, pixx! I consider a proper meal one that fills me up, satisfies my taste buds, and provides optimal fuel. No cooked meal can accomplish all three criteria...only raw foods can!

    Swayze

     

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    Yeah, I agree that the whole concept of a 'proper meal' is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome on raw.

    I have totally changed my way of thinking since going raw.

  • Wow, thank you all so much! I have actually been able to get off the coffee and switch to one cup of green tea a day. It seemed like i started on the green lemonade in the morning and just didn't need or want coffee anymore. Then around two I get a major headache (caffiene withdrawl) and I sip a cup of green tea and its gone. Although I did check out the dandy blend it seemed like it was geared more toward replacing the taste. It looked good though, I might try it anyway ;-)

    Swayze, this past weekend I found myself outside of town near a raw cafe where I had raw zucchini pesto noodles for the first time, and they were AMAZING! They also had marniated kale which i could probablly eat everyday for the rest of my life. This is the "proper meal" thing I was missing. Like how Suasoria recommended using other things like apple cider vinegar to give flavor. I was just so sick of eating salad with lemon juice and fruit all the time and actually making anything aside from a salad seemed so complicated to me. I've decided to seriously try it though- my experience at that cafe has really given me a new idea about raw foods. It wasn't anything complicated but there was so much flavor and it was so satisfying.

    So far I've been doing good. I really appreicate everyones comments. The raw till dinner concept is something that I like becuase it keeps me from going into obsessive all or nothing mode. Surprisingly though I've been doing really well and have made it about 90% raw since last Saturday and feel absolutely amazing =)

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Awesome, glad to hear you're doing so well. :)

    Swayze

     

  • Wow!! I feel like I'm reading a post that I wrote myself... I'm exactly how you are, bored with fruit and salads each day, addicted to coffee and mind-plagued by the idea that I have to eat raw meals a certain way. I've started documenting my progress, even my slips, and it has helped...but I still can't get over the fact that I buy too much produce and waste it, or not enough and end up at the grocery store (or health food store) on a DAILY basis, which takes time away from my kids and family. I'm also cooking two meals - one for my family and one for myself (for me, it's UNcooking lol) which can drag me down and wear me out.

    In addition, I've tried new recipes and failed miserably. I'm not good at working with coconuts (how does everyone manage to use them so much?? It's a pain in the butt to open just one of them and I can't seem to get all the meat out of it and if I do, I manage to get the shell too), my food processor smokes when I run it and my blender makes terrible noises and smells bad when I try to blend a frozen banana and some almond milk. The only tool that seems to work flawlessly is my Juicer, and cleaning that sucker is a pain.

    Ok, I'm definitely silly and new to this, but I just wanted to say that I appreciate your honesty and look forward to the responses here. It's so good to know that you're not weird and you're definitely not alone!!

    Misty

     

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Oh yay! I'm so encouraged by your update - and you too Misty. I definitely think that becoming a whiz kid in the kitchen and building those skills are important for maintaining a lifestyle change around food. I know it's the old argument about what our food represents to us - to me it's so much more than just fuel. I *love* food! Good food! Making it, eating it, sharing it, talking about it...which is why I'm here so much.

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Misty, you might want to go super simple for a week and see what that does for you. Try just mono-meals of fruit. That way you won't have to worry about preparing a whole separate meal for yourself. You will already know what to eat and how much.

    Many people do quite well with this approach.

    Hope that helps,

    Swayze

     

  • First I want to just say that this site is such a huge help- everyone is so non-judgmental and genuinely caring. So thanks everyone :-)

    Second I wanted to update- in light of my positive raw experience, a lot of forum browsing, and watching a lot of documentaries about the horror of mainstream food additives etc I've decided to embark on a 28 day juice fast/feast... whatever you want to call it. I started pretty much right after my last post on the 15th and haven't slipped up at all. In fact I feel incredible and think that it actually might be the easier route to go during a transition, although I know everyone is different and has different experiences.

    Misty- I hear you, cleaning the juicer is a nightmare, but honestly if you can make the time for it and get past the first three days you will be glad you did! I can't even tell you the amount of pure energy I have right now, I'm sleeping better than I have since probably junior high, and believe it or not I have no cravings anymore. Don't get me wrong the first couple days were not easy but its like you just have to break through and wow, its an awesome thing! After this I plan to continue eating high raw and juicing in the morning. I'm finding out already that it really is an incredibly vibrant lifestyle and community.

    Tara

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    "cleaning the juicer is a nightmare"

    I cannot speak for any other juicer, but -- I have a Green Life (predecessor to the Green Star - they both look the same) and I think it's a breeze! All the parts rinse off very easily. The strainer needs a tad bit of scrubbing, but it's not too bad, really.

    My nightmare is lifting it to the counter...if I had my own place, it would stay there!!

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