How to Incorporate Raw Foods in to Your Life

You can get the benefit of optimal health from raw foods without becoming a 100% stringent raw foodist. Here are some simple ways to incorporate more raw foods into your diet without any drastic life changes!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Raw nuts and dried fruit

1. 
   MMBArts Photography

   Re-vamp breakfast. Start your morning off right with fresh fruit. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a heavy breakfast to get through your morning, it actually depletes your energy! Eating fresh fruit for breakfast is a great way to fit more raw food in to your diet. Eat as much fruit as you would like until about 30 minutes before lunch time. If you still want your normal breakfast fare, try having some fresh fruit as the first thing you consume in the morning for now then have your usual breakfast 30 minutes later.

2. 
   One of my own big salads.

   Simplify your Salads. Lunch is a great time to benefit from an all raw meal thanks to the multitude of salads and salad bars out there. Heed caution, however, with all of your add-ons! A salad should be comprised of at least 80% raw vegetables. Get creative with your combinations but keep it simple. If you add nuts don't add cheese, if you add avocado don't add nuts. Try to avoid croutons and commercial dressings that usually have hydrogenated oils and refined sugars. Try using guacamole and salsa instead of dressing or lemon juice and olive oil or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Just remember to keep it simple and have at least 80% raw veggies!

3. Start Raw. Why not start each meal with something raw? So you're having pizza for dinner, eat a nice simple all raw salad first! Eat raw veggies of some sort to start off each meal, this way you will start to fill up with the good stuff. Its also an easy way to get some of those awesome nutrients and enzymes that make eating raw so beneficial.

4. Snack smart. We all know that commercial snack foods are no good for us. It really is not difficult to snack smart. Buy baby carrots, sugar snap peas, or cherry tomatoes as great easy raw veggie snacks. Pack some guacamole to dip raw veggies in for a heartier snack. You can also make your own trail mixes. Buy tons of different raw nuts, dried (unsweetened) fruit, and raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.) and mix together your own trail mix. You can even add cacao nibs for a chocolate-y twist. Or add seasonings if you need some more excitement! One of my favorite snacks is raw almond butter mixed with raisins, yum!

Resources

• Recipes to help you easily add raw food to your life!

[hollywin]

on 9/22/2009 Yes to guac! 5 #

[leemarcusmusic]

on 9/22/2009 I love raw food! Sushi... ;) 5*

[djackman]

on 7/29/2009 I recommended this article, because more people need to introduce raw foods to their diets 5*

[writersmark]

on 5/20/2009 Thank you for all of your ideas on adding raw foods into your diet! I love having a banana in the morning it gives me loads of energy!

[EarthMother]

on 5/14/2009 I have seen the need to Incorporate Raw Foods in to My Life. Salad has been an integrial part of doing so as well as fruit for breakfast with yogurt. I really like your other ideas. Almond, butter and Raisins sound wonderful!