– by Linda Douglas, Ph.D., R.D.
Considering doing a detoxification program like the next 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox?
Are you a transitioning raw food enthusiast or high raw eater? Do you ever find your best intentions of eating mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds going down the tubes because you crave more savory food? Have your raw resolutions sometimes burst into flame-broiled madness? If this sounds familiar, you may be interested in a few easy strategies to keep your actions and intentions grooving together.
We all know that we should keep fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds stocked at all times. However, just filling the fridge won’t get the food on the table or in the lunchbox. Try this easy approach to move your raw dreams into reality. The plan involves making yummy, mostly savory foods in advance of when you need them, keeping things simple and fresh, and having food with you at all times.
- When you first get your food home from the farmstand, co-op, or grocery store, wash and pre-prep your produce. This sets you up for quick, fresh meals at a moment’s notice.
- Over the weekend or when you have free time, make a nut or seed-based pate or two that you really love. This alone will keep you in yummy dips, salads, wraps, and sandwiches for the week. A great pate can even be thinned and blended as a soup base.
- Use collards, kale, and lettuce for those wraps and sandwiches. Dehydrating raw breads and crackers can be great. But fresh leafy greens are better nutrition-wise, especially if the filling is nut or avocado-based, and are important time savers. If you need something more substantial, go ahead and use a sprouted whole grain tortilla and wrap away!
- Likewise, use cucumbers, celery, carrots, and squash, etc. for dippers. Kids and adults are much more open to eating vegetables when they are fresh, crisp, and dipped. A whole grain cracker is also good option that will keep you high-raw.
- Discover raw soup. I have to say that raw soups have been the most delightful surprise and I have introduced raw food to several people through a delicious, nutritious soup! Soups can be nearly instant, keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, can be varied endlessly by chopped garnishes, and are very satisfying.
- Make enough of a tasty salad dressing to last for the week. Unless you are a black-belt raw foodist, dressing can make the difference between a gratifying salad meal and feeling deprived.
- In general, put a little more effort into the savory side of fresh, raw foods. Raw desserts tend to be easy. Fruit is delightful without any work at all, and smoothies are a cinch. But, a lot of the satisfaction in any cuisine, as a whole, comes from the main dishes.
Use spices to jazz up your burgers, pates, soups, and salad dressings. A few dashes of curry or chili powder or other seasonings can completely transform a meal and keep you on the raw path. If you are into savory, this tip alone can keep you going.- Dehydrated foods are the bells and whistles of a raw food diet, in my opinion. For the most part, stick to water-rich veggies, fruits, and non-dried pates and burgers. These options are fast, simple, and satisfying. If you want to use a dehydrator, plan to make those recipes when you have a lot of time and plenty of other food around. It’s no fun being hungry and smelling a dehydrating goodie that still has a few hours to go before you can eat it.
- Finally, pack all these good foods for your lunch and snacks! Fresh raw recipes are very portable and will last for about 4 hours without refrigeration. Add an ice pack or refrigerate and you can have food for a day with no worries. Never go anywhere without a good raw food option. Even if you grab a cucumber and some celery or an avocado while running out the door, don’t be unprepared, especially if you are transitioning.
Setting yourself up for success with a couple of easy recipes and a little pre-preparation will go a long way toward helping you live a raw or high-raw, healthy lifestyle. Just look for the simple options and get in the habit of having a little food with you at all times and flame-broiled madness will be a thing of the past.
HOLIDAY SAVINGS!! – You can give the Full Support 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox program as a gift to someone you love! All January participants will receive a free guest pass to put under the tree for a friend or family member. Give the gift of vibrant energy and great health this year!