Simple raw foods

[Barbie2]

I prepared some of the raw food recipes in Alissa's Living on Live Food book and they turned out well. Yet, today, I was thinking how it would be great just to grab an apple, or other fruit, salads, juices and smoothies, instead of preparing food, trying to resemble something that looks like a burger.

Don't get me wrong, I love Alissa's book, but isn't living on raw food suppose to be simple? The recipes are great for times I want something special for dinner guests or if I get in a mood to make something yummy in the kitchen.

But the simpler you can make your life the better it can be. Right? Plus an apple, grapes, spinach, etc is real food, not processed in any way.

Some of the items are foreign to me, like agave srup. What is an agave? Isn't Hemp used for making ropes? See what I mean. I guess I feel the raw food diet should be that real, pure food, simple food. I'm tired of SAD processed food, so I guess I plan to stay away from foods I have not ever used before. Plus they are so expensive. I'm open to any opinions.
Am I being impossible?

[Rawkinlocs]

Of course it is and she even says so in her book. However, not everyone can handle eating simply...for some it's too restrictive, too boring and too difficult. Alissa's approach (what the basis of this forum is) is not about HAVING to eat recipes all the time...it's about exercising the option to do so and not limiting one's self to JUST simple foods if that's not what one wants.

There are some raw approaches that do do that...tell you that you "can't" or "shouldn't" have anything other than the freshest possible foods. But Alissa makes us realize that we can eat as simple as we want to BUT...when we get a hankering for pie or ice cream or a calzone or _______..we don't have to reach for the SAD version...we can have the RAW version!

Also, there will definitely be items/foods that you won't be familiar with because they come from other parts of the world and are not common here in the states.

But when you get a chance, review Alissa's book...the section where she shares a bit of her diet over a week or so and see that yeah, she eats simply too BUT...she doesn't restrict herself...if she wants some Date-Nut Torte, she has it! :)

[Madeleine.Blythe]

I'm the same way, I keep things very simple.
The most complicated thing I get, is a raw energy bar.. aside from that, it's just fruits, vegetables and nuts.

[EZ rider]

I also keep it very simple, easy, and fresh. I have been eating this way since Aug 1st.

[halikatak]

The first few days I was super simple.
Then I started researching recipes and bought a few items that seemed to be in a lot of them (ie. organic raw agave, which I can get at the local grocery store.)

The more I looked up recipes the more I realized that I had all of the ingredients on hand!

[RawSweetie]

I go back and forth, according to how I'm feeling. I'm trying to listen to my body and just go with it. I've had a couple of fun days of making delicious recipes and enjoying eating them. Suddenly, tonight I feel finished with that for the moment, and tomorrow I'm sticking to green smoothies, fruit and salad. That feels like what I want. Lighter and simpler. I absolutely love approaching raw in this kind of free way. It's really working for me psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can envision a time when I'll prefer simpler foods most of the time. Right now, it is alot of fun to make things, to stock my pantry, etc. :)

[GlimR]

I find I eat more prepared, denser foods in the winter months and lighter in the warmer seasons...makes perfect sense to me and seems to work. The beauty of raw is that you can eat what your body calls for...lighter or heavier...and it all serves to nourish and build health...how cool is that!!?:D

[JennaBoBenna]

I'm the type who loves the prepare food, experiment with recipes, come up with my own recipes, etc, so I love the raw food recipes--I have so many books! I'm going to be a natural foods chef someday :) (I start schooling next fall! :D )

[EZ rider]

When I think of simple raw foods I think of the foods as they are when they are grown in the earth. I think simple raw foods are the healing foods. When people take the simple foods and mess with them using recipes and processing they lose many of the healing qualities of the raw foods.

[livenraw]

I am a simple person by nature so simplicity has always been the key with me when it comes to being raw.

But I have also enjoyed making some of the raw food recipes & proving to myself that I can do it (I was never much of a cook)

So I usually keep it as simple as possible over the week and I'll make a heavier dessert (like my favorite-the date nut torte) for a Saturday evening.

I also don't like making the kitchen too messy. So to me, it's easier to grab an apple or a banana to eat than to make recipes all the time. that's why I limit them to Saturdays.

[RawHeaven]

In my SAD days I loved to cook and bake! I love experimenting with foods, recipes and I was always in the kitchen, and eating! hahaa.

When I went raw what was surprising to me considering my history is I kept it very simple from day one. I was very content just eating fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I thought even sprouting would be too much! I purchased sprouts in my co-op. And I was also blessed being close to Alive! & Cafe Gratitude in SF. So when I felt like I needed more, I could head over to a raw restaurant and let them do all of the work!

Now I'm getting back into my creative food prep roots and I've been making desserts and main courses, experimenting with flavor. My next venture is to head to Living Light in Ft Bragg to take some classes. Woo-hoo! Very excited about this!!!

I fluctuate from simple to complex, but I do love keeping my raw lifestyle simple and it's spreading to other areas of my life as well. I'm not sweating the small stuff as much.

[Barbie2]

Jenna, where are you going to school for the raw chef training?

[portiz]

There are some raw approaches that do do that...tell you that you "can't" or "shouldn't" have anything other than the freshest possible foods. But Alissa makes us realize that we can eat as simple as we want to BUT...when we get a hankering for pie or ice cream or a calzone or _______..we don't have to reach for the SAD version...we can have the RAW version!


I agree with this. I think it helps ease the transition from SAD to RAW. Eventually though, you will find it easier to do what you said...reach for fruit or make a smoothie or salad.

[garden granny]

I just love grabbing an apple, having a simple salad, grapes, or a big green smoothie. When I first started eating raw I had to try tons of recipes and dehydrated foods, but now that I've experienced that, (which was all very good), I'm just as happy with just simple fresh foods.

[StarFire]

I eat simple - and on occasion - I love to eat somthing fabulous and treat myself to enchiladas or a calzone... but the longer I am raw --- the more simple my foods get!

At first - I was eating something dehydrated or 'prepared' several times a week - now it might be once or twice a month! that's the beauty of this lifestyle -- the changes we make as the journey goes on...!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/naked.jpg

[EZ rider]

just to grab an apple, or other fruit, salads, juices and smoothiesThis is how I eat everyday. I don't eat nuts. I use Hemp oil from the HFS on my salads. The rest is as Barbie2 mentioned in the OP along with young coconuts and avocados and raw sproutable seeds. Is there anyone here on RFT that eats FRESH raw foods similar to the way I do or am I the lone ranger here ?