My name is Laura-Jane The Rawtarian, and I first went raw in August 2009 and it changed my life. As a result, I created this website, www.therawtarian.com, to share the easiest, most delicious raw vegan recipes with the word.
Since then I've had the privilege of teaching classes, creating two recipe apps, being interviewed on national radio, being featured in Vegan Life magazine, curating one of the most popular raw vegan recipe websites, hosting The Raw Food Podcast, and speaking at national food blogging conferences across North America--from Miami to Vancouver. It is an honor to spend my days changing the way the world eats, and I am humbled every day by you.
My "before" story
Although I was a long-time vegetarian, my diet was not healthy. I knew it, and my weight fluctuated up and up.
I was often snacking on pizza, chips, and lots of processed fruit juices. I didn't feel good. I was often moody and depressed.
I wasn't much of a cook and the foods that we ate were simple and unhealthy. For example, pasta with pesto sauce--with no salad or veggies. Breakfast was sweetened soy milk with mini wheats or another processed cereal.
I barely bought or ate any unprocessed vegetables.
Every year I gained five more pounds.
In the back of my mind I realized that if this five-pound-a-year-weight-gain continued, by the time I was forty I'd be at least fifty pounds overweight. I looked around. Many women at forty seemed to be fifty pounds overweight, so I accepted that this was the way it would be for me, too.
But enter raw food...

After the first two months of being a 100% raw vegan I had released ten to fifteen pounds. I looked great and I felt even better.
I've found preparing delicious raw foods to be so simple. Inspirationally simple.
Before I began my raw food journey, I was not comfortable in the kitchen. I had absolutely no confidence and no idea how to cook. I just made pasta and sandwiches and ate frozen pizza.
Learning how to prepare raw food has been an amazing and empowering experience for me. I started very rigidly following raw recipes, but after just two months I was creating some of my own recipes. With a limited number of ingredients--fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds--I find that I now understand more about how to combine food. I experiment so much more than I ever did before.
Will I be raw forever? I have no idea. All I can say is that right now I am still excited about the raw food lifestyle and being 100% raw.
Only time will tell where this journey takes me.
The purpose of this website is to inspire others to try and love this amazing lifestyle. Check out my best raw vegan recipes right here and make your first raw recipe.
Comments
Top voted
Ronni
Aug 23, 2013
The Rawtarian
Sep 16, 2013
erin
Sep 14, 2013
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Michelle
Jan 31, 2018
I started raw vegan very recently, I’m also a runner. How do you know if your eating enough to fuel for exercise? Do you suggest counting all calories consumed?
The Rawtarian
Jan 31, 2018
Hi Michelle,
That's awesome that you're a runner! It would probably be good for you to count a sample day of calories for you - and also your protein content, to make sure you're getting enough. FYI: https://www.therawtarian.com/how-get-protein-raw-food-diet
To count calorie and nutritional content of what you're eating for a couple of days, I like the MyFitnessPal app - (it's free and very useful).
Lastly, if you're really only eating raw food, you must take Vitamin B12! It's the most important vitamin for raw vegans: https://www.therawtarian.com/todays-hot-topic-vitamin-b12
Julie Cuppy
Jul 03, 2014
Hi Laura-Jane,
Let me first say you are absolutely adorable! I am so blessed to have found you through a computer search. I have gone through much this last couple of years and my body has been taxed. I am now ready to get back to my raw food passion and I thank you for giving me the motivation and tools to accomplish this goal. The raw food world can be very lonely and misunderstood, understandably. It is comforting to be able to connect with people who embrace this concept. Keep up the good work and thank you for all of your efforts.
The Rawtarian
Jul 03, 2014
Hello Julie. Thank you for your lovely words. Here's to rejoining the raw world with a passion!
Carol McKenzie
Dec 21, 2013
Hi Laura-Jane,
I've been poking around your site a bit and I'm having so much fun. I'm very new to the raw world...and for the short time I've been eating raw, I feel amazing. Your site takes everything up a notch for me, makes me realize it's not all bananas and carrot sticks. I'm looking forward to trying your recipes and enjoying the abundance a raw food lifestyle affords. Blessings to you and thanks for the work you do in maintaining this site.
Blissfully raw in Kentucky :)
The Rawtarian
Dec 26, 2013
Love it Carol!! Welcome to the dark side :) Or the light side. Or whichever one is the good one lol
erin
Sep 14, 2013
The Rawtarian
Sep 16, 2013
Amber Simmons
Sep 11, 2013
The Rawtarian
Sep 16, 2013
Ronni
Aug 23, 2013
Berné Boyd
May 29, 2019
Hair loss happens as a result of detox, and the higher the carbohydrates the better.
Audrey
Aug 28, 2014
There is a ton of research showing a diet high in healthy fats is really good for you and helps you lose weight. I'm not a raw food person, although I thoroughly enjoy many of these recipes. But even with my diet being completely different in that I consume raw milk and healthy animals raised on pasture, we believe in the high fat diet. Never felt better in my life! Listen to your body! The raw diet sounds like it complemented you beautifully.
The Rawtarian
Aug 29, 2014
Thanks, Audrey. I think it is so important for people to find what works best for them individually. As you said, "Listen to your body!" :)
Christine
Nov 14, 2013
For whatever reason, if you are talking about an 80/10/10 diet which is the 10 bananas in one sitting diet, I had the same experience when I was eating raw without any fats. I need the nuts for whatever reason but I am still concerned with portion control so I stay within my daily calories. There is nothing wrong with fat, 1/4 cup of nuts is the serving I have at every meal and that is only 200 calories with 17-20g of fat. Another meal, I eat coconut meat, again a HIGH FAT NUT. These fats are all healthy fats so nothing to be alarmed about. Since I have been eating nuts consistently at every meal, my hair has also stopped falling out. A diet strictly based on lettuce and fruits without a high fat/high protein source is asking for disaster since a raw vegan diet is already restricting a lot of other food groups.
The Rawtarian
Nov 16, 2013
Great comments Christine. I agree wholeheartedly :)
The Rawtarian
Sep 23, 2013
Fivel
Jan 27, 2013
The Rawtarian
Jan 27, 2013
Annette
Jan 06, 2013
The Rawtarian
Jan 07, 2013
Richard Nelson
Dec 12, 2012
The Rawtarian
Dec 16, 2012
Richard Nelson
Dec 16, 2012
The Rawtarian
Dec 16, 2012
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