disgusting raw food...HELP!

[honeydew]

I have been reading this board for months now and finally tried going raw for a month...

Three weeks in I could not do it anymore because the food for the most part was INEDIBLE. I mean absolutely unbelievably laughably bad. It's not that I prepared the food incorrectly, I followed the directions precisely. Nor is the problem a bad choice in food, because I prepared only the foods that received the most rave reviews both from board members and Alissa herself. And while the food LOOKED good, at best it tasted like what rotten old room temperature mushy pet food must taste like.

After reading Alissa's book repeatedly and visiting the boards religiously, please understand how I feel completely lied to. Some of the dishes I prepared were so bad (falafel balls, vegetable crackers, pizza and lasagna-yeah right, stuffed mushrooms, potato chips, etc) I wondered if people proclaiming "this is absolutely delicious...tastes just like the real thing!" were lying not only to themselves, but to everyone with whom they shared a review with.

And it's not like I'm a junk food aficiando either, I've been a vegan for 4 years so I have acquired a taste for so called "health foods". If anything, the only thing I was able to enjoy on the raw food diet were fresh fruits and mushrooms, salads, fruit drinks and guacamole(not even with corn chips because those were disgusting too)...I could not survive on those alone, I need variety.

This whole raw food disillusionment has been saddening because I loved the way I felt and looked 100% raw. But "eating-to-live-not-living-to-eat" aside, I do derive pleasure from food that tastes good (not SAD food neccessarily, just good food).

I guess I'm wondering if any seasoned raw fooders out there felt this way before. Has anyone else experienced difficulty sticking with the diet simply because the food is gross? Will my taste buds change eventually? Are there any tried and true recipes I should try before giving up completely??

Sorry this post is so long, but any encouragement and/or tips would be greatly appreciated as I know this is the best diet for the human body

[Rawkinlocs]

Wow...tell us how you REALLY feel about it! I think your post is definitely a bit harsh, but I can understand your frustration.

Lied to? Nah...at this point it sounds more like you probably just have different tastes than others. I mean, if you search around you will also note that some foods that one person (or group of people) loves, another loathes...so no, you won't love every single thing that you try that is raw. And yes, to a person who has not had (cooked) pizza or lasagna or other items, it will taste like or remind them of those foods and I think that is what often times happens with raw food recipe creators. It was probably months to years after having stopped eating cooked food that these recipes come into fruition.

However, I've even had SAD eaters or people who were very new to raw who loved raw recipes that I'm like, "You really LIKE this stuff?" So, it all boils down to everyone's tastes being different. But from what you described...rotten and old... it sounds like you may also be having dehydrator temp issues. See, what I've learned and what many of us have discovered since the conception of Living on Live Food is that not all climates can utilize the same temps and drying times. So, following those to the letter isn't always the best idea. I have found that foods that are thicker or take longer to dry (as it is stated on Excalibur's website) should be turned up to a higher temp. the first couple of hours (the food will not reach that temp in the first 2 hours) to avoid fermentation and rancidity.

So, my advice to you? Eat the foods you DO like. Start introducing yourself to other raw, fresh foods and allow your tastebuds to do some changing (yes, they do change...I started liking some recipes and raw foods period that I didn't like at first) and then slowly and gradually start introducing raw recipes into your repertoire...and always make only half of a recipe (quarter if ya can) when first trying something out in the event that you don't like it there won't be as much waste.

And if you have ANY cooking experience, use that in the sense that you learn to flavor your foods to YOUR liking. If you eyeball a recipe and it calls for 4-5 cloves of garlic and you know you do not like garlic all that much, cut back on it or omit it! If you see something that calls for 1/8th tsp. of sea salt but you like your food a little more salted, add more! Don't be afraid to tweak recipes to satisfy your tastes.

But no one here or where ever has any reason to lie about whether or not they like/love a raw recipe or if (to THEM) it tastes just like or very close to _____. Everyone is different and yeah, you will see some recipes getting all kinds of rave reviews and find that you (and perhaps one or a few others) will simply detest it and then...one day you're gonna find something you absolutely love and think everyone else would be crazy not to love it too and BAM...they're gonna look at you and say, "What are ya tryin' to do...POISON me?!?"

So, eat what you do like and allow room for trial and error with the recipes - again, why I say to try only half or quarter of it first before you make the full recipe.

[Carlsbad]

Yikes! I can definitely understand your frustration if you don't like the taste of the food you've been making! One of the best things about this way of eating is that the food is so delicious, and that's coming from an ex-junk food addict.

I have made a few recipes that I really thought were gross (the pizza bread was heart breakingly bad), but most have been really good. Some of my favorites are:
1. Alissa's marinara sauce (I cut the garlic in half) on zucchini "pasta." Even my mom loves this, and she is not raw or even vegetarian.
2. Guacamole. I make it with avocado, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and fresh corn. Sprinkle with salt and lime juice. I throw it all in the food processor, so it's easy to make (though it takes a while to get the corn off the cob). I love this stuff and eat it on romaine leaves, onion bread, or just by the spoonful.
3. Eggless egg salad. This stuff is awesome. You can banana search on here for the recipe. I add celery and avocado to the recipe.
4. Onion bread. I love this stuff. It kind of stinks while it's in the dehydrator (I don't like waking up to the smell of onions), but it is so good. A meat and potatoes friend of mine tried it last night and loved it. I like to spread the marinara sauce on top and then put on sliced avocado and salt. It's filling and delicious.
5. Alissa's Date Nut Torte. I top it with berries and it is heaven. I don't make a lot of desserts because I get enough sweet from all the fruit I eat, but this stuff is decadent and delicious. Just check your teeth when you're done--I always have raisin bits everywhere! :p
6. Kale Chips. The recipe is on here somewhere as goddess chips. They sound completely bizarre, but they taste really good. I also use the goo you soak them in as a salad dressing.

There are others, but I can't think of them right now. I usually eat fairly simply, but eat one or two "recipes" each week. It does take a while to get the hang of raw "cooking," but you will learn what flavors you like and which ones you don't.

Also, I actually buy a lot of my raw food staples. Foods Alive makes awesome flax crackers (especially their onion/garlic ones), Matter of Flax makes amazing raw hummus mixes. You just add water and eat. Their spinach one is my favorite. UliManna makes out of this world chocolate treats. I also buy the Better than Roasted nut butters, and those are really tasty and versatile in terms of putting meals together.

I hope that helps. Stick with it and try a bunch of different things to find out what you like. It will be worth it!

[theresaann]

good advice, Rawinlocks.

That post surprised me too! But today I made a raw luncheon for my colleagues in a new alternative medical clinic that I'm a part of. I made Alissa's lasagne, kale salad and pineapple cake recipes. They are pretty much SAD eaters (yes, even holistic practitioners are addicted...geesh..) and they LOVED the lasagne and the kale salad, but when the pineapple cake came out, and they tried it, the jokes were flying! My good friend said about the frosting (I added a macademia nut frosting to it) "what's on top? Hummus?" and then they all started roaring with laughter, one saying about his small piece, "pineapple cake: feeds 50," because no one would want to eat it. It was actually very funny and I told them it also is a great face mask-if they wanted me to demonstrate on them.

My point is that their taste buds could do the lasagne and the kale salad, but to them, with no refined sugar, the pineapple cake wasn't tasty enough. But to ME it was really good, but I've been raw 100% raw.

Just sharing. I guess everyone's tastes are different. I say maybe you just have to detox more and eat simply for awhile longer. I just don't believe someone's tastes can't change on 100%....keep at it, it's so worth it...

[RawHeaven]

----------

[Isadora]

I completely understand what you're talking about. I've been raw for a week and a half. Have been following Alissa's "4 week plan" from the book and have come across more stuff that I dislike then like. First thing I ever had was the Alfredo and it really grossed me out. Same with the Mock Salmon Pate (good first day huh?). But I've just started tweaking recipes to my taste.. well except the Alfredo. Really didn't like that haha

I pretty much look at a recipe now and know what to keep in and what to take out. For example, anything I'm making with nuts, unless it's crust for a pie or something, I tend to cut the recipe in half cause I've discovered that I don't like having the nuts mixed with vegetables. I just eat them as is to keep them in the diet. Tend to to add more garlic to things as well as cut out a lot of the sweater stuff. Like recipes that call for lots of dates, I'll put 1/4 of the amount in it. I also try keeping things as basic as possible. Not too much mixing.

My advice is when looking at a recipe, don't do exactly to the book. Change what you need to suit your tastes! Add, subtract, etc. That's what I'm doing and it's working famously!

-Gabrielle

[Betsy]

It takes time to adjust. Raw food is different from cooked in so many ways.

Everyone's taste is different and it may take you a few days longer to make the change. Change can be hard for us, we are creatures of habit.

It's better then eating the cooked versions for the body's sake, the taste buds may just have to adjust.

Give yourself time, and don't expect things to taste perfect. Life just isn't like that.

[Dimond]

You might want to consider either eating at a gourmet raw restaurant or ordering delivery so you can really experience how the food is suppose to taste to really decide if it's just the stuff you're making that doesn't work or you really don't like any of it. I'd be surprised if it's the latter. Really good gourmet raw is usually so good that SAD eaters like it as well (most of it).

Few restaurants near you:
http://tinyurl.com/2lj48y

[RawkStar]

Being a Vegan for 4 years is not synonymous with health or healthy eating. I was a vegan in college for four years and subsisted on french fries, bread sticks, and soy cheese quesadillas. Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's healthy.

That said, your tastes buds will change. For now, if you enjoy fruit and mushrooms so much, eat them! Don't try to fit into what you perceive to be the "raw food mold." I have failed every time I have tried to do raw and follow what other people believe to be delicious recipes. Or do raw the way "this really cool and seemingly successful raw fooder" has. Finally, this time around, it hit me. Why the heck am I making all these nut recipes? I. Don't. Like. Them. For two days I ate (gagging the entire time) TBS of nut recipes. All I could handle was a couple of TBS, if that! I was tired, dizzy, and ticked. Then it hit me. EAT SPINACH. So, that's what I've had today and it was so good....so satisfying...so absolutely delicious that I almost called my husband at work to tell him I had just finished the best bowl of spinach in my life.

Keep trying. Stick to what you like and make it as raw. We are humans--individuals with a unique genetic blueprint--so what one person adores you may revile. AND, just because a bunch of people love a recipe doesn't mean you will. Case in point? You want to know what SAD food I hate the most? I mean, absolutely-can't-stand-will-never-eat? Lasagna. I think it's disgusting, and can't understand why anyone would want to eat it. So, I'm pretty sure if you gave me YOUR recipe for lasagna I would think it was laughably bad and similar to rotten, old, room temperature, mushy pet food. ;)

[bananafana]

Honeydew I completely understand how frustrated you are. I have made countless recepies and for every 10 I made I found 1 I liked. I have discovered that I just prefer simpler foods. Maybe this is how you are too. It's ok to have smoothies, puddings, salads and dips and keep the more in depth recepies to a minimum. I make guacamole and use it as a dip with veggies instead of dehydrated crackers or chips. It really helps for that salty,crunchy craving. For my chocolate craving I make the chocolate pudding recepie for therawtable.com. Keeping it simple may be the key for you. In fact, if you look at what veteren raw foodies eat, i.e. Allissa, Angela Stokes etc... they for the most part eat simply. Don't give up. You will start to feel amazing (if you havn't already) and you will get an awsome buzzy high if you keep at it. Good Luck :)

[agumble]

Here's a few suggestions from me :)

1) I agree with everyone who's been saying to try out different recipes. There have been a few that I've made and immediately threw out because I just couldn't stand them. Everyone's tastes are so different. I have a friend who just tried going raw, and some of the recipes I absolutely loved and recommended she couldn't stand. So please don't give up yet!

2) I think one of the hardest parts is recognizing that even though a raw recipe is titled "chicken" or "pizza" doesn't mean that it's going to taste like the SAD version. Even though I love the raw recipes, you've gotta go into it realizing it's not going to be the same. Maybe try out some of the simpler raw recipes. One of my favorite breakfasts is banana ice cream with either cacoa nibs or raisins mixed in. For a snack, dates with almonds tucked inside. For another meal, avocado, tomato, and onion wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. Be as simple or complex as you want!

3) My friend who just tried going 100% raw cut back to about 50% raw because she realized that she's an emotional eater, and she just wasn't happy being 100% because she felt too deprived. She wasn't at the point where she was willing to give up certain foods. This may not be your situation, but if it strikes a chord for you, maybe it would be good to do a little soul searching.

4) At times I go through periods where I'm craving a cooked food and I start to get angry over not being able to eat it. What I've found out is that I need to find some kind of raw food that satisifies that craving, which is sometimes difficult to find. This chart has helped me with that: http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php.

Good luck with your journey, and keep us posted......I hope to see a post from you later raving about some raw food recipe! :)

[Bananna]

I would say that around half the recipes I try I end up hating. It's a sorry excuse for a mock recipe. But half I do like! Love! ...and the half I hate, honestly, if I did try and tweak and play with the ingredients or process...I bet I would get them to where I liked them.

It Is a Huge learning curve that way....a weekend investment for a lot of us. But it's fun...living on the edge, albeit very domestically ;)

[Bananna]

agumble. Love your chart!

[Aleesha Sattva]

there are so many recipes that i find inedible myself. many of them actually. i tried the onion bread everyone raves about... yuck. burgers... really bad. nut balls... oh pleeeeeeeeeese don't make me eat them again. the goddess chips... thought i was going to vomit when i ate them.

i personally find that i enjoy more natural things. like kale salad for example. i eat a lot of kale salad with some fresh veggies on top. i also find that drinking green smoothies everyday is another great way to bring more greens and health into my day.

i add chia seeds to my kale salad and my fruit salads as well.

i use my dehydrator to create something here and there... finding what i like and don't like along the way. simple flax seed crackers are a favourite on mine. i like to have them once a month.

i hope you are able to find your way to your raw palate. it is in there, it's just hidden under years of processed foods, white sugar and flours. take it simple... i think you'll find that may be the key to "eating-to-live-not-living-to-eat"

[Betsy]

Yes, I agree. The onion bread is very nauseating.

[ShelShel]

First let me say, this post and all the posts that followed just made me laugh and laugh, so hard my kids came in to find out what was so funny. :p

Yes, some of the recipes just don't work. I'm not a fan of cauliflower mashed potatoes at all. And it gets very depressing to make things that just don't work with your taste buds. And it gets very expensive and for such a waste of food if you don't like it.

However, that said, when I am 100% there is nothing like it in the whole world.

So, I tried simple stuff. Simple fruits, veggies, salads and such. I just love fruit smoothies made with young thai coconut water. This made me go YUM! Even though I don't enjoy dehydrated recipes, I do like simple and it just works for me.

Most of the time I PREFER raw. I feel better, I look better, it is the best! Just keep trying. It will become easier and easier.

[juliebove]

I haven't tried a lot of raw recipes but luckily of the ones I tried, more came out good than didn't. I liked the onion bread, the nut cheese, some recipe by Rawkinlocks for "Cheezy Bread" or something like that, and a few desserts.

I did not like any of the chips I tried or one hummus recipe.

I've found for the most part I just like simple foods. Like salad or cut up raw veggies, plain sprouts, plain nuts, seeds, etc. I do like purchased pumpkin seed bars and I like a few nut mixes.

[tvillemom]

This is so true. I heard someone once say that, "you don't like every cooked food you eat, so why should you like every raw recipe?"

I redo just about every recipe I try. I don't like complicated stuff. A few ingredients, that's about for me! I like things simple....but full of flavor. For instance, if I am going to make a marinara, I like it with sundried tom. because they have more flavor, but of course lots of juicy tom. too!!

Hmm... everyone gave such great advice. I make RAWvolutions hummus, but 1/2 the lemon, because I don't like THAT much lemon, the same with the garlic!
I think you just have to know what you DO like, and take it from there. So what if FOR AWHILE you just eat mushrooms, salads, etc.??? Who cares? Your taste buds will change. I'm coming from the same place you basically are...for years I've been a vegetarian, and then vegan.....but toooooo much junk food! Give it some time. You will find what YOU like, and then you will make recipes just using those items!!

Hang in there, it only gets better!

[walnutty]

I do like purchased pumpkin seed bars and I like a few nut mixes.

Juliebove,

Where do you get your pumpkin seed bars and what is the brand, please?

Thanks!

[smalltownraw]

Thank you for being soooooo honest Honeydew! I am new to Raw and I was starting to think that it was just me that thinks that a lot of raw recipes are horrible!

I was really feeling down after trying recipe after recipe. I was starting to think that I was never going to be able to keep this up, but now after reading all this I don't feel so bad. I am encouraged that I may always prefer the simple raw foods, and that’s O.K.

It is very odd, I love to cook and I make a lot of healthy elaborate meals with layers of flavor to them, but when it comes to raw it is looking like I am a happy little salad eater!

So the question for me is, how can I keep it simple but still get all of my nutritional needs met?

[Aleesha Sattva]

chia seeds!!!

[asil]

I'm not crazy about a lot of recipes I try either. How different all our tastes are! I agree with the other poster who likes a few very intense ingredients rather than lots and lots of different ingredients. And I loathe all pate recipes, cake recipes, nut crust recipes, cheese-ish recipes I've ever tried. But almost all cracker recipes are yummy to me, even the corn chips so many people dislike.

Just make small batches when you try a new recipe and keep lots of simple food on hand for back-up! Also try recipes from different books -- each chef has their own take. I've ended up with a dozen books, 3-4 of which I refer to often and others, never any more.

[juliebove]

Juliebove,

Where do you get your pumpkin seed bars and what is the brand, please?

Thanks!

They are the Goraw brand. You can get them online at their website, but I get them at my health food store.

[GlimR]

honeydew~
It's a crappy place to be in to be so frustrated...but at least you are recognizing how great raw makes you feel. I have made so many things that
I really hated and tossed out after the first bite. I've been playing around with raw for a good couple of years now and have found a dozen recipes that I love. It is a learning curve and believe me, if you find what works for you and eat that for now, your tastes will change. Not that you will like everything even then, or even most things...but you will come to the place where you like enough to make it pleasurable and not an ordeal to remain raw.
Don't eat what you don't like and celebrate what you do. Stick to simple raw for now, if that's what works for you, salads, fruit, ice creams, smoothies, juices...
When I started I couldn't stand avocados...grossness personified. Now I love them. Your tastes do change over time and also your skill with raw "uncooking" will improve...your techniques will get better. Wishing you the best~

[belleadonna]

I for one don't go in for the gourmet stuff. I prefer just plain old fruit and salads. Nothing tastes better than a lucious piece of juicy fruit!! That's just my personal preference though. I have never tried the gourmet stuff and I might like it if offered it but I just prefer to keep it simple. :D

[Bingo24]

I agree - some of this stuff is just plain BOGUE! I find that even those recipes that people RAVE and think are RAWsome are gross.

I'll try something once - like Raw Cheezit - but about puked it out. I still have them in the cupboard, and every once in a while I'll slap some avocado on a piece. Just because it was expensive and time consuming to make.

Eat what YOU like - who cares how much everyone else raves. I'm guessing most people won't post a negative response to a recipe because they don't want to be a down-er.

As far as the Alfredo, I think it taste better the next day. I mix it up and then put it in the fridge until then.

Hang in there!

[tvillemom]

Here are a couple "recipes" that DH LOVES...and he is a TOTALLY SAD MEAT AND POTATOES MAN!

Flax crackers
soak some seeds
spread out on texflex
sprinkle with some sea salt
sprinkle heavily with nutritional yeast

Zuchini chips
peel and slice about 1/4 inch thick
put in bowl and drizzle alittle evoo and coat all the slices
lay out on texflex
sprinkle the same way you did the flax crackers

DH will fight me for the last of these everytime! I'm not lying....he even asks WHEN will I make them again!!!

Hope you like them.

Also, if you don't like the "feel" of flax as it dissolves, change my recipe and grind some sunflower seeds. Add just alittle ground, soaked flax to hold the seed mixture together....that may be better if you don't like flax.

Good luck.

[tvillemom]

By the way, in both of my recipes, you can try just alittle to see if you like it!! No real measuring, and if you don't like nutritional yeast, try a different spice or flavoring!!

[Hygeia]

There is a lot of great advice here but it doesn't look like Honeydew has come back, or at least hasn't responded. I hope she (he?) didn't bail already.

I understand where you're coming from but it does take a lot of trial and error to find what YOU like and what works for YOU. You can read these forums day and night for weeks but what everyone else raves about doesn't mean you'll like it.

There have been several things I've tried that others raved about that I couldn't stand. The cauliflower mashed potatos for example......yuck! And the Jicamba potato salad? double yuck! LOL But I'm sure others like it.

I tend to be more of a simple raw fooder. I pretty much eat basic fruits througout the day but at lunch I'll have a prepared dish of some sort and the same at dinner. I experiment a lot though......find those things you like and stick with it.

I love the 'pasta' with marinara sauce and especially like the alfredo sauce. I absolutely LOVE pesto filled mushrooms and onion rings.

Has there been anything that you've liked? I can't imagine that you haven't enjoyed a single meal during that entire time.

I'm not sure what other advice I can offer, if you don't like it then you don't like it and I suppose you can't change that.

But if you find things that you do like then you should stick with it. It really is the healthiest way of living.

[river]

Hi Honeydew, I'm totally amazed that you managed to do 3 weeks of the raw food diet, if you hated the taste of most it!!! I'd have quit after a few days from lack of food... You must have some serious resolve.

Anyway, I can relate to some of the tastes, which are acquired. For example, I HATE peppers, seriously could not touch them. Then the other day, 2 days into 100% raw, I accidently ate some moxed into a salad, and it was really nice. So I ate lots more of them, and now actually add them to my recipes. I cannot explain why my taste for this changed, it's most odd!?!

Yenyway, good luck.

[jacsam]

I never try to substitue my favorite foods with a raw recipe because they don't tast the same. Raw pizza isn't going to taste like pepperoni and cheese pizza.....but I still can enjoy a raw pizza, I just don't expect it to taste the same as the cooked version. I have found that the more simple something is the more I tend to enjoy it.

[Aleesha Sattva]

There is a lot of great advice here but it doesn't look like Honeydew has come back, or at least hasn't responded.


I was just going to post the same thing. I figure... if you are going to make a thread about it... at least have the fortitude to come back and say "thank you" or "no thanks" or whatever. It's a little pet peeve of mine... when people do stuff like this.

Was her thread onto created to stir the pot? Doesn't she realize we are here to help... not to crucify?

(although I do like reading what everyone has to say... so regardless... her thread has assisted US)

[GypsiAnsara]

Ah, well, it's only been a day. When I was new to the board, I didn't know you could set your preferences to subscribe to the threads automatically. It would usually take me a day or two to find my way back, and sometimes longer!
But in any case, I've enjoyed reading the feedback.
I think we've all been there with recipes that don't taste they way we think they should. Happens to me on a weekly basis at least!

[raweater]

I wanted to say I have a lot of SAD friends that try some of the raw recipes I make and they honestly say "these are the best _____ in the world!" where _____ is whatever raw recipe they are trying, like ice cream, cookies, pie, etc., OK maybe mostly raw desserts fall into "these are the best in the world category", but there are still things like pizza, pasta, tacos, etc that SAD friends have all loved. In fact, more and more of my friends are going raw themselves after seeing how good it is!

Of course there have been recipes I took a bite of and threw out, but that must happen even more with SAD recipes, I think I like at least 90% of the recipes I make (maybe because I can usually tell if I'll like it by reading the recipe and avoid making those I know, or think, I won't like).

[tvillemom]

We're all talking, but I think honeydew left??? I hope honeydew will come back and see that there is soooo much support here. People really care, and ANYTIME I've had trouble with raw, all I have to do is post, and people immediately come to my rescue!! I'll be checking in, hoping honeydew will come back and ask more question if he/she needs to.

I mean, there are 3 pages of tips, advice, and supportive responses here!!

[Barbie2]

Well, if Honeydew hasn't read the wonderful advice, I'm sure all of us have benefitted from it. I know I have. Honeydew where are you? Please come back.

[Isadora]

Wow. I'm new here and don't really come on every single day. Which is why I'm finding it HILARIOUS that everyone is freaking out that HoneyDew has yet to respond to any helpful posts since posting this thread.

Some people don't come here everyday. It's been 2 days! Calm down. I'm sure she'll come back when in fabulous internet beckons :P

-Gabrielle

[VeganGypsie]

HoneyDew - do you live near a raw restaurant? Not all of them are amazing, but Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco and Berkeley inspired me, even when the food I make wasn't so great, tasting what they came up with made me a believer. Especially the deserts.

I def don't think that things taste that much like what they are called. Especially pizza. My fiance jokes that raw fooders think that if it looks like the food it is the food. He was telling me this last night as I was preparing the following "refried beans" saying that it will taste nothing like them. Then when I served it to him, he was like "this tastes just like refried beans!" I still don't think its really like refried beans, but I like it more, you can think of it as a tasty pate. we wrapped this and spinach in big leaves of green leaf lettuce.

Here's the original recipe, but I halved it for the two of us, just because i only had 2 cups sunflower seeds already soaking, it filled us both, so i guess it was made to serve 4 or more.
4 cups soaked sunflower seeds (from 2.5 cups dry - soak overnight)
2Tbs Raw Almond Butter
2tsp chili powder
2.5tsp cumin
1/4 white or yellow onion
3/4 cups water
sea salt to taste
you can add olive oil if you like, i didn't last night.

Blend or food processor them all together

[doodlebug]

I am just starting and having the exact opposite experience! I can't believe how good it is - the fettucine in particular (i added extra garlic)

for me its just too much food so i cut the recipes in half.

I WAS a true omnivore - prime rib, junk food, sushi - you name it. I had low expectations of "healthy" food, much less raw - but it has so far been a pleasant surprise!
:D

[Aleesha Sattva]

something i've found for myself. somethings i loved when i first went raw don't really resonate with me now and visa versa. my tastes are always changing. it's so important for us to not get stuck in a rut.. we need to mix it up!!!

i think we should toss a party waiting for honeydew to return... i'll bring some goji berry truffles...

[tvillemom]

bumping this up, hoping honydew will come back and see it!!

[raven]

I'm sorry you're not enjoying your food. Fortunately, I love well-prepared raw food, which doesn't always include my own creations. Some of the recipes I find a bit heavy-handed and I agree that the substitutes don't resemble the real thing. I love simple foods and I love gourmet raw. I like raw ice cream but it's a bit heavy for frequent consumption and also costly. I'm not totally thrilled with raw desserts, which really don't taste like baked goods. There are some brilliant chefs who turn out very creative dishes but I'm not there yet and also don't have so much time to devote to food prep. I do manage to keep myself very well fed. One of my favorite easy recipes is to throw the juice of a young coconut and the meat in a blender, add some vanilla flavoring and agave and blend. I also drink veggies juices and make green smoothies and eat tons of salad. Zucchini pasta with marinara, pesto or alfredo sauce is another favorite. The zucchini doesn't taste like traditional pasta but it's light and fresh and the marinara tastes better to me than some heavy, cooked sauce.

If you don't enjoy the food, you're not going to stick with it. Maybe you have access to some good raw restaurants or you can attend potlucks and try some dishes you may prefer.

I offered some dehydrated nuts and chia pudding to some friends recently and they seem terrified and really didn't like either item. I thought they were great and was a bit offended. We also went to a macrobiotic restaurant, where I had a nice salad and they had cooked dishes, and they were afraid of the unfamiliar cooked food too.

I'm kind of fussy but there's a lot of things I like and I love experimenting with new dishes when I have some free time.

I hope discover foods and dishes you'll enjoy.

Suzy

[Rawkinlocs]

Honeydew's email is enabled...so you can just email her.

[IamLoved]

Rawkinlocks....You are SO hilarious!

[cara4art]

I must say I have to agree with a bunch of folks here - it might work out better for you to find a few SIMPLE recipes you like, and keep trying small batches of things so you don't feel too bad when you don't like something. I'm new to this too, and what I'm working on is just finding some basic dehydrator staples that I can include along with my green smoothies, and fresh meals(salads, wraps and the like). Also, you are coming off of regular diet, so all this is new and takes time to get used to new flavors. It's so easy to get carried away and jump into complicated recipes with a lot of ingredients, etc. Save that for when you can enjoy some gourmet raw food out at a good restaurant, and focus on staple foods at home. In my case, I have made several successful batches of dehydrator energy cookies(sprouted grain, bananas, dates, and nut combos), and a few batches of "breads", trying a different variation each time. Even my non-raw, but health-conscious husband loves my energy cookies! So my dehydrator is going once per week for something. There will be something you like out there - Good luck!

[elfinbaby]

I understand Honeydew's frustration. Sometimes, when I go all out, buy a bunch of (expensive) groceries and get down to uncook - then 1/2 or more turns out to be inedible, it's frustrating! That's okay. I rarely bother uncooking anymore. I just eat whole foods not recipes. And everybody's tastes buds are different. That's not a lie;)

What I always find particularly helpful when I give myself another 100% raw attempt is a cleanse. I might do Master Cleanse, green smoothie or whatever. It gives me a jump and my taste buds a realignment.

HTH

[ssandee]

[QUOTE=agumble;394262]Here's a few suggestions from me :

4) At times I go through periods where I'm craving a cooked food and I start to get angry over not being able to eat it. What I've found out is that I need to find some kind of raw food that satisifies that craving, which is sometimes difficult to find. This chart has helped me with that: http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php.


Thank you for the link to this chart! I've never seen anything like it. I've
already printed it out and will consult it next time the ol' cravings hit.
I'm going to have to 'white out' a couple of the solutions tho-they look like part of the problem for me~sigh~ neat chart,thanks!

ssandee

[klomasius]

LOL, looks like honeydew never came back. This is such an old post! :D

[Rose J.]

Oh, well, even if Honeydew never came back, I just read through this entire thread and it helped me a lot!

[ssandee]

I agree, RoseJ., as a newbie this thread helped me a lot,

and I also agree, klomasius, this thread is old...

which brings me to this question:

I am a newbie, and I have spent many many hours (lol! too many hours?? anyone can relate? ) getting thru links, blogs, posts, bio, threads, etc., trying to assimilate all the info on this comprehensive and sometimes overwhelming (tho I am getting better at getting around, yeahhh!!) website. I am grateful to all who are so willing to pass on their expertise and experiences! But all this stuff in new news to me, so...
if I want to respond to a particular someone about something, maybe somewhere... what is the preferred method? Responding via Reply to Thread, which I am beginning to realize 'bumps up' what might be considered 'old news'' old topics to you "leafs and trees" ( lol, I love it). I don't want to create brewing storms to ruffle the leafs, trees and forests (and moderators :), so what is the preferred method? Is it even ok?
Do you long-time members mind being asked questions or receiving comments on something you might have posted a while back?

Thoughts? Input? :)

ssandee

[EZ rider]

I also read through this thread because it caught my attention and I'm glad I did as it shows how necessary an open mind is and how sometimes a person needs to keep looking and trying different things to find what works the best for them. Honeydew may have thrown his/her juicer, dehydrator, processor and blender into the trash on the way to McDonalds to get a supersize order of fries.

ssandee -- I don't think anyone minds someone posting a question here on the forum as it gives us all a chance to participate and learn.

[margoss]

thanks for the chart.
THere are some things I don't like. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't like if b4, I won't like it now but I will make a small amt to try. THanks for the onion bread comments...I can't eat onions bc of the nitrates but will def leave off of my list:). I do not like pesto or heavy marinara. Actually, I ate pasta w/garlic, butter then coconut oil.
I look at what it is then decide. I'm pretty sure that many things are not going to taste like SAD..some better others not but I don't say "ooh, I'm making brownies." THese, imo, do not taste anythng like brownies. Now,I'm trying a new food with dates/nuts/avacado.
Interesting to me..I love chocolate. I made some raw brownies for a meet up tonight since most were bringing salads. I tasted it & didn't like the taste of the cocoa in it. This is a first but I'm glad!

[xPIXIEx]

I have to agree with most of this. Pretty much everything I make, desserts aside, is horrible. Chicken fingers, spaghetti, different types of breads (excluding onion bread-YUM!), pizzas, etc. That's why I just stick to the simple foods. They taste MUCH better. Eating them alone or making salads.

[LotsaRaw]

Experimentation is key. A few recipes I tried from Alissa's book will not be tried again (she uses lots of Braggs and salt) - so I have modified some of these to my taste. However, after visiting Pure Food & Wine (LOVED EVERYTHING WE ATE THERE), I ordered her book - and have had great success with everything I have made so far. Sometimes, the creator of the "recipe" has similar taste buds to you...that has been my secret...just keep trying recipes that sound interesting, and when you find a source uncook away!!

[margoss]

I looove the zucchini pasta, just add my own 'sauce'.

[klomasius]

Ssandee, dont worry about dredging up old posts, I dont think there's anyone who is going to object to this. Besides, lots of people have indicated that it has been helpful, so.... win!

Just ask, this isn't a board where people get too cranky, and if they do, we'll give em virtual hugs!

You ask any and all questions you feel you need to, and that goes for anyone. There's almost always people who can help you!

:D

[rawrawks]

I was happy to see this because I have made some stuff and wondered what one earth people were talking about.

Kale chips are horrible tasting to me. Other stuff too.

I love simple raw. Been making banana, coconut, cacao chips with coconut oil and hemp seed stirred in,,for breakfast...oh my..delish, simple yum.

[ab_raw]

I like it when old threads resurface becuase I'm either reminded of something I've forgotten or I learn something totally new.
In this case I have never seen that chart and so that was very interesting. Also my Mom gave me 2 huge zuchinnis and I am so making those zuchinni chips!
Thanks!
Anita

[katacykls]

I love that you started this thread Honeydew because it is great to see another side of Raw where people are willing to divulge their feelings on all of the tried and tested horrible and yucky recipes out their.
I am not a fan of Alissa Coconut Soup or Juliano's Falayucyels.