Menu suggestions: for my first week

[kinsey1000]

:confused: Hello everyone,

I am starting raw tomorrow..yes very new.:) :o

I need to know what some of you did in your first week. I have been trying to go raw for over four years. This time I want to succeed and change my lifestlye completely. I plan to eat a green smoothie in the morning and salads the rest of the day with olive oil, lemon dressing, walnuts, and snack on soybeans for protein and helping curve my appetite throughout the day. Is there any thing alse I should be doing? I have like three raw food book for recipes but they are all gourmet and seem so overwhelming. I don't want to fail and dont have a lot of time for preparing food.
I have a 4-tray dehydrator, magic bullet mini blender, and jack lalanne juicer.


Help if you can. thanks so much...I appreciate any advice.

[les]

I would also eat some fruit throughout the day.

Today I had a really good smoothie

Coconut
Coconut water
Banana
Stevia
Raw Carob powder

Wow.......

Good Luck

[Sugar Snap Pea]

I always really miss sweets, so I keep medjool dates around! A couple of those and you are set! :D

[kinsey1000]

Thank you both so much. that really helps me out. I will try to dates because it sounds quick and easy. And the smoothie is a definate for the weekend and mornings.

you guys rock :)

[Morn]

I just made this chili for dinner and it is really good. You may want to include it for dinner this week. However, the main thing is you need to look in your free time though those uncook books for foods that will appeal to you. I read through my books before I go to bed at night looking for new recipes that look good and aren't too time consuming. You can make this meal in less than 1/2 hour and it is filling. http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?p=440411#post440411

IF you are on the go a lot you may also want to pick up some lara bars. I use them when I am short on time (or for an emergency when I am out somewhere and can't get to good food but am hungry). You can get a box at Costco and they are about $1.00 a bar.

[JEN]

It all depends on what you are used to eating. If you were eating SAD, what kinds of things did you eat that you might need similar only raw. If you are used to heavier meals then salads might not be enough. I eat fruits and drink smoothies the first half of my day. I try to eat 1 salad daily and I vary my dressings so they dont get boring. I add tons of veggies. Sometimes I have a nut/seed pate on my salad instead of dressing or I will have wraps instead of salad. Most big leafy greens make great wraps. I like romaine leafs, collards, cabbages, or iceberg for wraps. Nut/seed pates make good fillings, or veggies with avocado, or veggies with nut cheese. I also like sprouts in my wraps. I occasionaly make recipes like cheesecake, fruit tarts, zucchini pasta dishes. Remember that even the desserts are healthy and can be eaten anytime of day. Best of luck!!!

[Hygeia]

When I first started I made it simple so I wouldn't get overwhelmed and fall off the wagon.

I did a LOT of mono meals and started learning some easier recipes and took it from there.

Basically I'd have plenty of bananas on hand for breakfast and for smoothies. I'd also keep several kinds of apples and oranges to snack on during the day. And for lunch I'd start with salads and then started learning simple meals like spaghetti and marinara and then more detailed meals.

I don't know if any of this helps at all but I basically kept is simple but had plenty of fruits and veggies to "pick at" at any point during the day when I was hungry.

If you try starting off with gourmet type meals you will get frustrated and worwry about cost.

I wish you the best on your raw journey!

[Hygeia]

Oh, and remember it's all healthy so eat whenever you're hungry. This is why I kept a good supply of fruits on my deks at work and nuts got me through the first week or so as well.

If I was hungry I'd grab an apple. If I was hungry an hour or so later, grab another apple or banana. I just ate when hungry so I wouldn't feel like I was starving myself, there is no need for that with this lifestyle.

[EZ rider]

When I started eating raw I decided to keep it simple and easy so I just ate fresh raw fruits and vegetables when I got hungry. After completing the 30 day "rawgust" I liked this simple and easy way of eating so I continued on with it and now I am still loving this way of doing raw and I eat this way everyday and its been almost a year now (since August 1, 07). :) I am looking forward to many more years of simple, easy, and healthy raw eating.

[kinsey1000]

thanks again for the suggestions. I'm seeing the main pont is to have fruits handy for snacks and eat when I'm hungry b/c it's all healthy. That makes perfect sense. I have to get it out of my head that eating raw means eating less, it doesn't. I not a big fruit eater in general but there are some fruits I like..strawberries, blueberries, nectarine, etc.. so this is my challenge.

I also wanted to know what "SAD" means? I've seen that phrase throughout the discussion post. What is that?

[Riiiya]

SAD= STANDARD AMERICAN DIET

i just go crazy over mock salmon pate from Alissa's book! and it SO SUPER EASY

it's like soaked walnuts, celery, green onions, and red bell pepper plus sea salt to saste... all in a processor and YUM YUM YUM ( i also add some dill mmm)

P.S. i just like to put it on greens and tomatoes, onions.. yum! picture HERE (http://images.mariiiya.multiply.com/image/2/photos/61/600x600/9/DSC00075.JPG?et=9bxcDkdx49%2CRK8VgLS9Sbw&nmid=98810164)

[Apasaraw]

When I went raw at the beginning I did fresh juice and fruits for the first couple of days and then added veggiess and nuts and ate them without prep.

I highly recommend eggless egg salad for a start. It's yummy and familiar in flavour. You can add veggies chopped for texture and eat it with raw bread/crackers or as a veggie dip/salad addition. Great for a to go lunch...

[Thick]

I highly recommend--
1.walnut taco meat-
walnuts
salt
cumin
chile powder
fresh garlic

process until it looks like taco meat, and it does=)

2. chocolate milkshake
cocoa
honey
the powder from 2 maca capsules
raw almond butter

3.guacamole
it can be simple or more complicated, up to you

simple-
mash avacadoes w/ salt

more complicated-
add lime juice
pico de gallo (diced tomato, onion, jalapenos,cilantro, lime juice, salt)

4.brownie bites
pecans or walnuts
cocoa
honey or agave
teeny bit vanilla
salt
process together, eat out of processor bowl, or chill and roll or press into balls or brownie shapes

5. zucchini noodles w/marinara or pesto or indian spinach dip sauce

6. bowl of sliced bananas w/ walnuts or pecans--very cereal like and so-o yummy

7. green smoothies-there are 1000's of course but I like-
peach /parsley
pineapple/parsley
pear/ romaine
avacado/lime/cilantro/garlic/salt
apple/cinnamon/romaine
banana/spinach

I add water to all of these and blend them.

8. a fresh date stuffed with a pecan or 2--wow this is so good, you won't believe it. It really does taste just like pecan pie (without the corn syrup craziness)

9. When you are ready to start dehydrating--the "Ritz crackers" from this site are incredible.

10. also dehydrated-roasted nuts

soak nut of choice (pistachio is my current favorite) in salted water
add spices of choice like garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon etc
dehydrate until crispy

The main thing is, when making recipes, don't make a whole recipe unless you are certain you will love it.=)>

[smoothiegirl]

I got the juicer too and I really like mine-Juice, Juice, Juice! I juice just about anyting I can. Carrots, tomatoes, celery, leafy greens-cucumbers, green apples, grapes Some of these suggestions on this thread look good- easy to make w/things already on hand. There is also an easy cheese recipe under the recipe forum that sounds yummy! Oh I made some heavenly whipped cream for my fruits-blueberries and strawberries- just a handful of soaked cahews,handful of grapes juiced and a little water in the blender. AWESOME!

[ViolinCyndee]

When I went raw at the beginning I did fresh juice and fruits for the first couple of days and then added veggiess and nuts and ate them without prep.

I highly recommend eggless egg salad for a start. It's yummy and familiar in flavour. You can add veggies chopped for texture and eat it with raw bread/crackers or as a veggie dip/salad addition. Great for a to go lunch...

Totally agree.. I made the eggless egg salad from RAWvolution. MMMMM! So good! I also chopped up some cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh dill and put it all in a collard green wrap. (btw.. today's my first offical 'raw' day).

A few hours later, I had some fresh cantalope.

I just put some bananas in the freezer for banana ice cream tonight, and also made the Cinnamon Girls from RAWvolution last night.. so good, and easy!

I will have a salad later with the creamy Italian dressing from RAWvolution, too.

I have some onion bread in the dehydrator now, which smells SO good! Looking forward to making pizza and tostadas with it. Next thing I will put in the dehyrator is the berry/nut breakfast bars from RAWvolution.

I can tell I am going to really be using this book ALOT!!!!

[kinsey1000]

wow thank you all for your ideas. they are all so helpful. :D

So far I've had a salad today and a lara bar. those are sooo good. thank you for that suggestion. Morn.
I don't feel hungry and I have two fruits with me as well to curve that late afternoon sugar craving.
A special thank you to "Thick" for the great list of variety recipes as well. I will use that and get the mock salmon pate and other pate recipes off the site. It;s givign me a lot more confidence that I really need this week. There is so much great info to start with.

[annavon]

When I first went raw, I really liked Alissa's stuffed tomatoes (stuffed with avocado and tomato). I still love them. I spice mine up a bit with raw salsa like pico de gallo. I also like the "spaghetti" with marinara sauce. A spiral slicer is very helpful to own.

When I am lazy I just fill the hole in the avocado with pico de gallo and eat!

[ViolinCyndee]

Tried the soft tacos from RAWvolution tonight: OMG so yummy! The salsa is amazing!

[beckx]

my staples for the first month were fruit pies with date/nut crusts. i ate other fresh lighter stuff too of course but those were key for me for staying with it when i got SAD cravings.

[rusmiley99]

hi-just wanted to say good luck :)

[kinsey1000]

Well two days in and I am doing well. The lara bars are a god sent really. and I keep fruti handy and I'm eating my salads. I 'm not feelign hungry but when I do I grab a fruit. I have really bad sinus problems and feel that going away, as well, gradually. And I feel lighter.

I have a question though I am not constipated but I have not had a bowl movemenet in two days. Is this normal?

Also when should I start adding light excercise?

thanks again :)