Having some struggles

Comments

• jenny2052 Raw Newbie

  My current favorite is a very simple tomato basil soup:

  Just toss a pound or so of baby tomatoes, 8-10 leaves of basil, and a few tablespoons of olive oil (or half an avocado) in the blender and whirr. If you have a high-powered blender, you can blend until it’s warm. If not, you could also gently warm it by placing a bowlful in a larger bowl of hot water or over a very low double-boiler. Add other seasonings if you like, but I like it just as is, with maybe a small pinch of good salt. I’m not a huge fan of sundried tomatoes, so this soup doubles as my favorite marinara for raw noodles, too.

  Germin8 and coconutty were discussing cantaloupe smoothies on another thread and they are a GREAT meal. Just cut a cantaloupe (or any other small melon) in half, peel it, and throw the flesh and seeds in the blender with a cup or two of water and maybe an ice cube or two. The seeds make it nice and creamy and also add fat and protein. I love this, and it keeps me satisfied for hours.

  Wilted kale is great, too. Just cut deveined kale into small pieces and toss it with a sprinkling of salt, a squeezed lemon, and a healthy dash of olive oil. You can let it marinate and it will wilt over time (a few hours in the fridge usually does the trick), or you can massage it with your hands for a few minutes to get it to wilt faster. This is a great base that you can add all sorts of things to. Finely minced garlic is one option, or I love it with grape tomatoes and chopped avocado. Throw on some hemp seeds for an additional protein boost.

  A simple salad of grapefruit, fennel, arugula, and olive oil is lovely, too.

  Another idea is simply to focus on rethinking your idea of what will satisfy you. I think one of the biggest changes for me since I’ve been eating raw is just the idea of being satisfied by, say, a piece of fruit. I often used to think I needed some complex recipe that spanned many “groups” to satisfy my hunger, but now I’m amazed how often I gravitate towards monomeals. Fruit in particular. The idea of having a couple of mangoes for lunch is such a thrill to me now! Or, if you find yourself wanting protein or fat, a handful of nuts might do the trick.

  But I also believe every body is different, and your body may want something more complex (mine certainly does at times, too). Still, you might meditate on this idea and see if it changes your relationship with food. I’ve been really astounded by this change in me.

  Oh, one final suggestion. Try some recipes for green smoothies! There are some great ones on this site. That’s my very favorite meal at the moment, and they’re generally light on ingredients. Best of all, man do I feel good after I drink them. And again, they keep me satisfied for hours.

  Good luck!
• coconutty Raw Newbie

  Holy cow Jenny, you must be my twin! he he! ;-)

  I agree though, it’s the getting past the feeling that you have to have these huge assorted meals that is the hardest thing. And yes it does take some time so just try your best to hang in there. Like Jenny, I eventually started to gravitate towards the monomeals, or meals with only a few ingredients. I know it’s hard, but things just don’t change overnight. It’s like you have to completely reprogram your body and mind.

  But some stuff I always try to keep on hand:

  Greens… whether it’s leaf lettuces, baby greens, kale… right there you can throw together little salads or you can use them in green smoothies.

  Bananas… They work great in smoothies, you can freeze them and make “ice cream”, they’re great on the go for a pick me up, they go great with all kinds of fruit combos

  I loooooove mangos so I always have those on hand. For me they’re great in smoothies, and they’re great by themselves and I could just eat a whole bowl full.

  I try to keep fresh herbs on hand too. Like parsley, basil, dill, cilantro…

  And then I always make sure I have some sort of “fat” on hand… whether it be avocados, seeds, nuts… It’s good to have stuff like this in case you feel you need some “heavier” foods.

  Avocadoes can be turned into a dessert with a little coco and sweetener mixed in, they also are fabulous mixed with mangos, you can use them for a base in salad dressings or soups.

  Seeds are great to have to sprinkle onto salads, or I make tahini all the time and use that as a base for salad dressings, and dips for veggies and what not.

  Nuts are great to have around for making nut milks, nut butters, or just eating!

  Oh and I ALWAYS have raw apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and raw honey. This makes for a super simple great dressing for greens or many other veggies!!!

  Hope this gives you some ideas. But most importantly experiment and have FUN :-)
• Tessa

  well, I love the idea of using melon in a shake. I hadn’t thought of that before. I’m going to give it a go next week after I go grocery shopping.

  I make that fantastic smoothie with kale, banana, pineapple (just learned from my Aussie hubby how to prepare a fresh pineapple…now I”ll never go back!! I love fresh pineapple!!) and ginger. I’ve been drinking that every morning and that’s great. I ran out of nuts a few days ago and have been lacking on the protein and I think that’s the biggest problem I’ve been having. But I really enjoy a mix of just cashews, walnuts and raisins. Something to pick at while I work at the desk all day. I’m going to give that soup a go as well. It’s been very hot here where I am so I’ll wait for the weather to cool, but I’m thinking a soup might be a great food. This summer is the first summer I’ve successfully grown a “window” garden of herbs…just rosemary, basil, and tarragon…but I love picking it when I want to. Sometimes I’ll just chew on a piece of basil. I should share this recipe…it was an experiment that went over quite well!

  handful of strawberries couple of leaves of fresh basil, ripped up into little bits cashews pineapple Mix and enjoy. It’s a great breakfast and the basil adds something to it. Yum! I’m really enjoying this site so far!
• writeeternity

  Hi Tessa two of my favorites are pimento cheeze I made recipe on this site and cherry pie i made tonight. I am cooking for my dad as my mom is out of town so i am focussing or red fruit and veges for their anti occandant aspects and walnuts for their good fat\cholesterol lowering benefits.

  I had left over coconut creme (it was unsweetened) and blended it with half a cup of fresh pitted cherries and a little agave. Then I made a crust with 2 cups nuts and 10 dates. I used walnuts a few brazil nuts and a few pecans. Pour the creme into the shell and top with another cup of chopped cherries. My boyfriend liked the flavor but the crust was too crumbly for him- but I loved it. You might want to add a little water.

  The pimento cheeze is great to have around because you can dip a celery into it or any veg for a quick snack.

  I have felt the way you are and have to basically back off from cutting everything out all at once – the worst for me is caffeine right now. I need to make some sun tea!

  Good luck with everything!
• kandace Raw Newbie

  Hi Tessa,

  One of my favorite dishes to have on hand is hummus and some kind or raw cracker (or cucumbers or baby carrots) for dipping. This dish especially helps when I’m feeling a need for protein.