A Guide for Raw Food Lovers
March 19, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Le Cordon Bleu
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A Guide for Raw Food Lovers
Upon first hearing about a raw food diet, most people have some doubts. They wonder how a person can live on a diet that consists primarily or completely of raw foods. Upon further thought, however, they notice that most of us already eat quite a bit of raw food in our diets. Think about the amount of raw food that you consume in a week: raw fruits, nuts, seeds, raw vegetables in salads, etc. Add them up and you can see that it’s more than you first thought. A raw diet simply takes what you are already doing and builds on it. It’s even possible to take classes in cooking raw food. Well, you may not be cooking, but you will still learn recipes and how to match flavors.
Reasons to Go Raw
Like the reasons for going vegetarian or vegan, the reasons for going raw are as varied as the people doing it. The biggest reason, however, is to reduce the amount of artificial ingredients and potentially harmful chemicals that are ingested. It doesn’t take a culinary school graduate to know that ingesting chemicals instead of nutrients is not the best way to eat.
Most raw dieters also follow a strict organic plan, but it isn’t necessary. One of the rallying points of the raw food movement is “If you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it.”
Tips for a Raw Food Lifestyle
You may be newbie, or you may be an old pro at eating raw foods. Either way, these tips will help you eat a healthier and more sustainable diet.
- Start slow
Don’t try to go to completely raw diet over night. Start with one meal or day a week and then move to one meal a day. Any progress is good progress.
- Try New Foods
Whether raw or cooked most people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, and the reason is usually variety. Break out of your rut and try something new. Your grocery and farmer’s market are filled with many things you’ve never tried.
- Join or Create a Community
Finding like-minded raw food eaters will help you adapt to raw foods and stay diligent with your new lifestyle. You can share tips, recipes, the best places to source foods, strategies, and everything else you need. The biggest benefit, however, may be new friends.
- Raw Doesn’t Just Mean Uncooked
Most foods contain more nutrients when consumed raw than when cooked. But the bigger issue is avoiding additives, artificial ingredients, preservatives, and other non-food elements in your diet. When going raw you should also start going without coffee, soda, and other highly processed beverages and foods.
- Yes, You Can Still Eat Meat
Most, but not all, raw foodists are vegetarian or vegan. You don’t have to be, however, if you don’t want to. Many proteins including grass fed beef and fresh seafood can be safely consumed raw. If you are already a fan of sashimi then you know this to be true. Other excellent raw proteins include eggs, nuts, and seeds.
With these tips, we’d also like to leave you with one caveat: if you experience headaches, tiredness, or other health complaints it is probably more than just detox from chemicals, caffeine, and whatever else. You are most likely not eating enough. If you experience these issues, you should try eating more. While raw food is an excellent means of nutrition, it is a poor source of calories. It takes more raw food, especially vegetables, to meet healthy caloric intake levels.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu. Le Cordon Bleu offers culinary arts, pâtisserie and baking, hospitality and restaurant management training programs across the United States. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu for more information.
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