Getting bored...but need to keep it simple

[lovenmama]

I'm sure this has been posted before...so I'll apologize right off the bat

The fact is, I like to keep it simple with raw...a few oranges for breakfast, more fruits and nuts for lunch, and then a big ol' veggie greeny salad for supper...

I've been eating this way for about 4 months now and I'm just bored with all of those foods..I don't want to eat any more bananas, or apples, or plums, or oranges...

Any thoughts...I know there are big meals that can be prepared raw...but again..I Like to keep it simple

any ideas on how to *juice up my life? hehe...yes I drink smoothies...

[Dj 247]

I was afraid to make any of the recipes. I don't know why I felt this way. I also want to eat simply and really cannot afford all the raw ingredients that some recipes call for esp. since I have to order most things because my local stores do not carry much raw foods, but I tried a few simple receipes like guac, salsa, and taco meat. It really makes a difference in not getting bored and feeling fuller. I did learn that a little goes a long way when eating recipes with nuts. I usually try things that don't need many ingredients like avocado and frozen banana. Very good! I can't believe a former Mcdonalds girl has stuff like fresh cilantro leaves in her refrigerator. lol.

[RowanC]

If you do not have Alissa's book and DVD please save and buy it.
The recipes are VERY easy and if you look on this forum you will find many recipes. They SEEM to be difficult because they often have many ingredients and this puts people off, but honestly, they're easy. And.. one recipe will feed you several days.

Two of my old standbys that I love:

1 apple, shredded
1 turnip, shredded
1 handful parsley
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey

Mix it up and eat it. It will last about 3 days in the fridge.

Another:

1 beet, shredded
1 firm but sweet pear, shredded
Juice from 1 lemon
Handful of chopped walnuts

This is the BEST salad I know of. I just love it!

[hypnocmt]

I make a few different dips at the beginning of the week..then makes lite plates for dinner or snack...sliced veggies and fruits eaten likee chips with a variety of dips

Thai "peanut" sauce:
Couple teaspoon of almond butter
a teaspoon or so of honey or agave
generous dassh of curry powder
dash cayenne or slice of hot pepper
Voila!

Great on carrots sticks, snap peas in the pod, celery, jicama slices
Or mixed into shredded carrots with raisin and walnuts as a salad.

I also make some cashew sour cream (just blended cashews and rejuvelac)

Then a set some asids and add sea salt, scallions, tiny bit of garlic, lotsa pepper...Good Substitute for sour cream and onion dip.

You can use the cashew sour cream as a base for ranch salad dressing too.
Or peppercorn dressing

and so on.


I always have some sunflower seed "hummus" on standby...just ground up soaked sunflower seeds, little lemon, sea salt, and spices which vary with my mood.

A good sauce or dip can change your life..lol.

[blacktulip]

it's funny, but when i first started raw, i was into eating so simply, fruit and sliced veggies, my appetite went way down and i lived on mainly smoothies.

then i got really into researching recipes, and "wowing" my friends and family, and as the weather got colder i found myself in the kitchen all the time, concocting recipes, very heavy on nuts and seeds and dried fruits, and guess what? i felt not so great anymore!

so now as spring is here and it's natural to eat more simply, less and fresher things, I'm full of energy again and feel less "tied down" to the food, even though it has remained raw.

so I completely understand this post and have some ideas. . . maybe we can all bounce our simple "recipes" back and forth. . .

lately i love taking raw nori sheets or huge romaine lettuce leaves and filling them like burritos with fresh veggie slices with avocado for creaminess and maybe a bit of miso or nutritional yeast mixed with apple cider vinegar as a delicous and light spread.
these travel really well for lunches or picincs.

and make great "soup and sandwich combos" with freshly blended soups- my favorite lately is sorrel and spinach bisque, with just spinach, sorrel (or just spinach if you can't find any) with lemon juice, garlic, and miso. You can add nut milk or avocado for creaminess, or just as it is. So delicious and light tasting but fills you up for hours!!

this morning i had a bowl full of sliced mango and strawberries (we found organic ones one sale, so stocked up!!) and it was heaven just as it was, nothing added. now i'm snacking on cucumber, red pepper and sweet potato slices and feel so energized and savoring all the wonderful flavors and textures of simple foods.


yay fresh fruit and veggies!

[Morn]

You could always fast for a week and then you will miss eating those foods ha ha ha! Can you tell I am fasting right now!;)

Seriously take a young coconut, (blend its milk and meat together in the blender, a banana, pineapple and some raw cacoa (put it in a coffee grinder first) or unsweetened cocoa and a sqeeze of agave. Makes an awesome tropical shake. It reminds me of a chocolate sundae with pineapple topping. Or if you don't like the chocolate just the other ingredients are wonderful together too!

[hypnocmt]

Black Tulip,

You just reminded me of how important it is to make meals satisfying to all the senses.

So many gourmet dishes at restaurants are really simple foods presented beautifully.

If you make your dinner a multi-sensory experience with candles, nice seating, beautiful plates or even just serving your smoothie in a beautiful, carved goblet, it can make the meal so much more enoyable.

I like the whole idea of having xxxxx-scented fruit, or pasta, or whatever too, b/c it implies a certain subtlety and acknowledges that food is more than taste and texture for the mouth,

[lovenmama]

Thanks for the ideas....I'm taking notes...*wink*

[blacktulip]

hypnocmt. . . this is the second post of yours that i just loved!!! i think the other one was a response to staying raw. . . anyway it was beautiful and inspiring.

i completely agree with the aesthetic part of eating. i was researching ayurvedic info and found out that for my dosha (vata) it's especially important to eat in a calm, meditative place with soft light, music, energy, etc. but i think it's crucial for everyone. Too many people scarf down their food on the run or while doing other things or in front of the tv (ugh!!) and it's so important to slow down and savor every mouthful. NOw having said that, am i always diligent about doing this? no. but i try to remember it, and always feel better when i do!

another few ideas. . . banana ice cream, a different twist on bananas, perfect for a hot summer day and the variations are endless. all you need is a food processor , a pinch of sea salt, and some water to blend with the frozen bananas and any flavor, extract, fruit, or other possibility you can think of. all my friends clamor for my mint chocolate chip, which is just a bit of spirulina for color and nutrition, mint extract, and raw cacao nibs. Perfect.

today i brought lunch with me. . . a few tomatoes blended with half an avocado, a spoonful of miso, some basil and a few chili pepper flakes with enough water to blend and it's kept very well throughout the afternoon as i keep enjoying it.
So simple and so good.

[Sunshine9]

I think the key to fulfilling desire for variety is trying very small new things. Perhaps a new salad dressing, or making some zucchini hummus or guacamole. Also trying some new veggies to put in your salad, or new fruits to eat. Lettuce wraps are a fun way to eat your salad with a different texture, perhaps with a dip or nut pate wrapped up with them. Or perhaps some zucchini pasta with pesto or tomato sauce. None of those dishes take longer to make than a big salad.

I think the most delicious gourmet recipes are the simplest.

Also I think sometimes we crave variety when we aren't getting the nutrients we need. Perhaps there are some foods you could be eating more of? Greens? Seaweed?

[rawbeliever]

Green smoothies! Fast, simple, nutritious, and can have a variety of flavors.

[chilove]

If I were you I would experiment with some simple raw soups and smoothies. They are still very fast and easy but will give you a wider variety of taste sensations.

Wishing you all the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[tammay]

lovenmama, I'm with you about keeping it simple. I'm a grad student and between teaching and studying and writing, spending too much time in the kitchen will only stress me out more which will drive me to eat junk (since I'm an emotional eater). I do love the therapeutic feeling of chopping veggies/fruit, though, and even the grinding of the blender and food processor is a break for me.

One thing I've found really nice in the evenings is a fruit+veggie salad with a bit of nuts and dry fruit. The combination keeps things interesting and I don't get bored.

Two of my favorites:

1 granny smith apple, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp ACV
1/2 oz walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp raisins

1 fugi or gala apple, chopped
1 big carrot, grated
3 dates, chopped
1/2 oz pecans, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp ACV

You might also try with your salads to have a standard list of ingredients and just play it by ear, mixing and matching combinations. For example, I had for lunch today a salad of lettuce, tomatoe, red onion, sprouts, and parsley with a tehina dressing. Sometimes I'll just have an olive oil/ACV/lime juice dressing with a pinch of honey and chop up some avocado.

Hope that helps!

Tam

[barose]

Black Tulip,


If you make your dinner a multi-sensory experience with candles, nice seating, beautiful plates or even just serving your smoothie in a beautiful, carved goblet, it can make the meal so much more enoyable.



Yup!

I like to put smoothies in large wine glasses. Believe it or not, it does help (even during the morning rush).

[trinity082482]

omg four months? I got bored after the first month! LMAO

[SchoolOfRAWk]

Goddess chips and veggie wraps. Make a slew and keep them in your freezer.

[luvmangos]

I go through so many phases w/ my eating... mono-eating, fasting, cravings, elaborate, simple....right now i am loving just eating so simply. When i get bored w/ it i add herbs and spices and that always helps. Banana, mango and strawberry w/ cinnamon, nutmeg and a little cayenne pepper is a fav right now. Cinnamon, shredded coconut, cayenne, nutmeg, cummin, fresh ginger, lemon, lime and orange are simple staples that add a kick to fruits and veggies

[rawsurfer]

i have always loved food so much. this is just a different way to express my love for it. haha. i love just eating a pineapple, or a bunch of mangos, or anything really... but then again i am a senior in high school and live with two very loving and supportive parents who spoil me and give me blank checks to go the organic place down the road. so i dont get bored but i def have more options than a really budget diet.