tips to make raw life easier

[rawererin]

here are some things that have made my transition into raw food-ing much easier:
prep food the night before- for smoothies i cut up fruit, peel oranges and refrigerate, then all i have to do is pull out the ingredients and blend! chopping veggies for salads or meals the night before is a must too, that way something is always available when the munchies hit...
run the dishwasher- everything will be spanking clean and ready to go
line up appliances- i do this for aesthetic purposes too, my juicer comes first, then blender, and so on
make a drying station- after i juice, blend or whatever and have to rinse things off, i find that having counter space already set up with papertowel or a clear dishdrying rack is really helpful and cuts cleaning time, i hate to clean...
also... it helps to make a menu, i find that knowing what i'm going to prepare and what i'm going to eat takes the stress out of this diet/lifestyle, if i can see what's ahead for me i worry less about what to eat when, and this helps me avoid any backsliding...
happy rawfooding!

[Veganforlife]

I suggest keeping it simple. If you are just starting out raw? Don't go gourmet, keep it simpler. Do fresh fruits and smoothies and dips and E A S Y stuff. Then, once you get the hang of it, go a little gourmet.
Read, read, read. Everything and anything you can about raw. The more you understand, the better you will know what to expect. Alissa's book is THE best by far.
Just enjoy!

[tvillemom]

Just today, I started a list of everything in my fridge that is produce...(I'm tired of things going bad because I forgot it was in there) then I put the list in one of those clear sleeves, and put down a number or a check if it's in there...(ie. 2 apples, 1 orange, almonds, walnuts, etc.) I use a dry erase marker to make the number (or check) on the clear sleeve, and then I can easily erase and change the number as I use up, or buy more. I sure hope this helps someone.
Wendi

[Dj 247]

Hey, those are great ideas! One thing I learned is to buy produce to fit my recipe or taste. I was just buying whatever and a lot was going to waste. I also quit buying so much fresh fruit/veggies at one time and that also saved on waste. I learned to keep juice simple too many flavors in one batch does not mix. Without a recipe I only juice two fruits and add one green.

[StarFire]

Great ideas! My fridge is small with only one veggie drawer - so things tend to get buried in there and I forget what I have and don't have - or I have to dig through everything to find what's in there. So now - with my list -- I'll know at a glance! :D

[rawsurfer]

also i find it helpful to prioritize which foods need to be eaten. and question: i thought when food gets cut up the enzymes start to break down...

[Lay-Lay]

In reference to buying to much and produce going to waste. I used to be really bad about this. Now I have a list of the produce I need every 3 1/2 days and the packaged/dry goods etc... I need once a month. I WILL not visit the produce stand until 90% of the produce has been consumed and I move the remaining 10% to the front to be consumed first and I don't rebuy those items until they are all gone.

[Elizabeth]

I have often let things get buried but, similar to Lay-Lay, I am focusing on not keeping as much in the fridge, and creatively using things up before re-stocking.

Keeping a list on the fridge is a great idea. I will have to try that one...:)

[punkspirit]

I go into the shop and look whats cheap and what looks good and tasty to me...
And then I eat the most ripe things first... I CANT STAND UNRIPE fruits/veggies

Raw is actually easier than anything else... isnt it?:p

[Ashira]

These are great ideas - I love the reusable list - I will make mine tonight!
Yes, raw can be extremely simple if we choose to make it so! Thanks, everyone!:D

[mershwista]

My only problem is that things go bad too quickly and I can't store very much in my stupid little mini-fridge that exists in my dorm room. But I dry thing out, take whole pieces of fruit with me all the time, and freeze what I can.

[Conscious Midwife]

Alissa's Videos
Dehydrate Oniony garlicky one day, sweet stuff on another day, big batches for at least 4-5 days
Slice and dice firm veggies ahead
Don't refridgerate tomatoes
Make up olive oil dressing in large quantity and refridgerate
Shop at different markets every 3-4 days
Internet shop 1-2x/ month
compost
buy rasins and dates in bulk
join a CSA
make nut butters for apples or crackers

[Frog]

- Keep coming on here and other raw sites and forums for help and advice
:)

[belinda]

are you not supposed to put tomatoes in the fridge?

[mershwista]

I think the poster meant that since you don't HAVE to refrigerate tomatoes, if you choose to leave them out, you will then have more room in the fridge for other things. This is a great tip for those of us with small fridges!