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No more raw vegansim : (

I made a post a little over a month ago about concern that I was going raw. My blood test results came back, and my protein levels are very low, so I'm being forced to stop the raw veganism. I'm sure that my nutritionist would've found some reason why I can't be a raw vegan even if I was still healthy. She argued that I was going to be deficient in calcium (in though I'm not now), and I don't really have any choice of going back to just veganism. I will try raw veganism again when I am in college and people can't arbitrarily put me in the hospital.

Anyway, I don't want to eat soy again besides tempeh, and I'd like to eat as much raw food as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions for the healthiest cooked food around, ex: quinoa, tempeh, etc.

Comments

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    vegankid, add more dark leafy greens and sprouts into your diet. they have a lot of protein, too. as for healthy cooked foods with protein, barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, lentils, beans (chickpeas, lima, kidney), artichokes, and potatoes are just a few. you might want to add hemp into your diet as well. it's gluten free, has 34.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, and has the perfect ratio of omega 3's to omega 6 fatty acids.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    if you have access to a library, you could do some reading and learn about different diets. i personally feel better on low fat, and they are easier on the body. so I would go for a low fat cooked food diet. also, the less seasonings the better. i hope you can still eat a lot of raw food, may for breakfast and lunch you could eat raw. good luck :)

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    eat more raw vegetables! they are very dense in protein and calcium. specifically leafy greens like spinach. sesame seeds have loads of calcium. you have to eat a lot on this diet to maintain your nutrient intake. consider adding blue green algae to your diet (LOADED with vitamins and minerals). I'm 13 and have never been deficient in anything.

  • SimplyRawesomeSimplyRawesome Raw Jr. Leader

    Wow! Really? I'm raw vegan and my blood panel came back excellent! I do consume a lot of green smoothies and I make these yummy buckwheat bars that are loaded with protein. Here's a recipe my ND gave me when I first went raw. Maybe if you drink one each day, it will help bring up your protein levels.

    High Protein Smoothie

    3-4 romaine leaves

    1/4 - 1/2 frozen pineapple, without skin

    1 frozen bananas

    1/4 -1/2 cup frozen blueberries

    10 almonds

    5-10 cashews

    1/2 small avocado

    4 pitted dates

    8 oz. apple juice

    Blend and enjoy!

  • Thank you guys for your help! I'm still active in being raw as of right now. I'm trying to encourage my parents to take me to a better health food store than trader joe's for they don't have many raw options (besides the fruit and nuts). Hopefully I can find some options at Whole Foods or smaller health food stores near me.

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    If you are going to eat cooked, you could have simple things like baked sweet potatoes or roasted squash. They are nice with a home made veggie sauce poured over. I'm not 100%, and these are the kinds of thing I have when eating cooked. Simple, tasty and not too hard on the tummy.

  • Sorry to hear that vegankid, I'd stick with lots of greens, even if they're cooked, in fact you can eat more at one time, I think if they are wilted. Also nuts, whether raw or cooked are a good source of protein. All of the best to you!

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    I have been on a high-raw (meat free) diet for over a year now and have had blood tests done twice, one fairly recently and both times all my levels were excellent, even protein and calcium. I do however have cheese sometimes but of course not much protein is coming from there. I take hemp seed protein in my smoothie every day, and that is my highest source of daily protein. If you are not already using hemp seed protein I highly recommend it. LuckyVitamin.com has it for $12 a container.

    Also check out Brendan Brazier's Thrive http://www.brendanbrazier.com/book/index.html

    He is a triathlete on a High-raw vegan diet. His book offers LOTS of great recipes both raw and some cooked at low temps. I have already tried one of his vegan pancake recipes and it was delicious.

  • Eat some nettles when they're in season. The plant is 10% protein and you can eat them raw if you blend or mash them well!

  • The main reason people go deficient in protien is because of inadequate calories, its literally impossible to go deficient in protien if you just consume enough calories.

    Before you eat animal protien check out this video

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1308977765978236346#

  • Have you tried out hempseed? It is high in protein and really yummy. There are also raw food protein powders (mine contains, brazil nut protein, maca and a bunch of other stuff) and a bunch of so called superfoods ric h in protein which you can get online (naturalzing, therawfoodworld) if you can afford it, that is. I also second dark leafy veggies, but you have to eat lots of them. I get that done by putting them into smoothies, but again, you need a powerful blender in order not to get little chunks (maybe check craigslist or freecycle). You could also do raw cheeses or eggs if you are not completely against animal products. And finally, my favorite cooked food cook book is George Mateljan's "The worlds healthiest foods". The good news is that basically all the information is also on his website, whfoods.com. Good luck!

  • rawmamanibblesrawmamanibbles Raw Newbie

    you can make your own tempeh with chickpeas. i do and they taste so much better! gemculture.com is where u get the starter for tempeh.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    hi vegankid! potatoes, squashes, and veggies are the next best thing. low or no salt and low-fat will make it even better. you can make a lot of great dishes out of them. i think your doctor is just finding excuses to take you off a raw diet because they know nothing about it (which is really sad that conventional "health" care providers know nothing about actually building great health). unless you aren't eating enough calories, it is really, really hard to not get enough protein. i don't use any protein supplements and i eat a fruitarian diet with the exception of some greens and veggies and i get plenty of protein everyday. the most important thing is to make sure your getting sufficient calories.

    i know how hard it is living with people that aren't supportive of your lifestyle choices. in the end, it is your body, not theirs and they'll eventually have to come to terms with that.

    wish you all the best :)

  • too bad. you can still be super healthy eating some cooked foods. even living cuisine raw cookbook author Renee Loux Underkoffler includes steamed veggies in some of her recipes. i agree with most of the suggestions above, but i'd like to add that quinoa is particularly delicious and nutritious and lentils make a delicious, cheap, and easily digestible nourishing meal.

    and for your own edification, check out this video of tim van orden dispelling the protein myth. he is an award winning athlete and living proof that you do not need protein to be healthy or build muscle:

    i'm not sure everyone can do what he does, but i think there's something to the idea that it's about the amino acids more than the protein.

    good luck! keep as much raw in your diet as possible, stay away from fried foods, and you'll be fine. you'll be on your own before you know it!

  • wichtenwichten Raw Newbie

    hey rawmamanibbles- can you post how you make tempeh with chickpeas??!! that sounds awesome! i love tempeh but i kinda fear the soy.

    and vegankid- i recommend hemp too for protein or even add some ground flax to your smoothies. take care of yourself kid.

  • L E N T I L S

    nuff said :)

  • rawmamanibbles,

    I'd love you have your recipe for tempeh with chickpeas, PLEASE!! I just sprouted my first cup of chickpeas and they are fantastic! I made a chana masala recipe and my non-raw co-workers were drooling over my lunch :)

  • LilEarthMuffinLilEarthMuffin Raw Newbie

    I would include lentils, quinoa, chickpeas - really any legume. Sweet potatos, various grains and even some oils.

    Also you can still it a lot of raw foods. You can also make stir-frys and delicious soups. Dont worry a bout being 100% raw right now if your health is in danger. You dont want to be raw and unhealthy. You can include more servings of nuts and seeds in your diet, and eat as much fresh fruit as you like.

    You need to do what is best for your body. Also do you take a multi-vitamin?

     

  • Vegankid: I'm sooo sorry, I've been through similar experiences (though nothing as extreme) being the only raw vegan in my family and 15. One thing is that I stopped using shampoo (see to shampoo or not to shampoo thread) I tell my parents the money that they're saving in that area can be used to buy better organic raw food, so that has helped. If they're testing your blood make sure that your omega 6-3 balance is good (threes can be obtained from avacadoes--i eat about one a day, and walnuts--which you can get raw, and eggs; sixes are most vegetable fats). Although it sounds wierd, raw egg yolks are EXTREMELY good for you--espescially if you're protien deficient--and can be gotten from an organic, cruelty-free souce (several of my friends raise chickens, so when i decide to eat eggs it's easy for me, although you may have to look a little further) .

  • Wheatgrass is also EXCELLENT. Humans could live on it alone for there entire life--it has ALL necessary nutrients and is 70% chlorrophyl. Spinach and broccoli by weight have twice the protein of steak and their jucies have the same protien ratio found in breast milk.

  • geniusrawmodel23geniusrawmodel23 Raw Newbie

    I am so sorry, vegankid. I actually had to stop the diet too last year for close to a year. I am also young, 17. I am back on it now, but I must say, it was awful eating cooked food again. I went completely off the wagon and ate all kinds og junk. if I could do it again, I would try to eat more plant-based foods, and avoid dairy. It is perfectly possible for you to get all the nutrients you need on this diet(greens, nuts,seeds are good sources of protien as well as numerous other nutrients), but if you must go off it, I would suggest still eating alot of raw produce, and eating whole grains, sweet potatoes, unprocessed soy products, and stuff like that. I wish you luck.:)

  • geniusrawmodel23 (love the user btw, not afraid to toot your own horn, huh?;) ): soy products should be eaten raw but not unprocessed--they need the fermentation process to alter the estrogen-like chemical that can cause problems similar to the growth-hormones they give to cows. Really the only soy products that should be eaten are shama noyu, tempeh, and natta. Not sure about the raw status of those, beside that i'm pretty sure shama noyu is "alomost raw". Also, try to get products made from organic soy beans NOT grown in the U.S., as all U.S. soybeans are sub-par and/or GMO's--even the organic ones.

  • geniusrawmodel23geniusrawmodel23 Raw Newbie

    yeah i guess i just meant like not the products(sausage and imitation meat and all that). thanks for the clarification.:)

  • kuritekurite Raw Newbie

    Just a thought, since your not a raw vegan anymore how about being a raw vegetarian and getting some raw milk. This solves both problems. You will get your calcium and protein.

    Good Luck

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