Planning your meals

[beckyh]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone plans their meals that they are going to eat, or do they just wing it? Also do you find it easier to eat more raw when you have a dehydrator? I am getting one for Christmas, so I am very excited. Also I am not sure how to cut the recipes in half, since it is just myself eating the meals. Thanks for your help!

[Maintime]

Raw meals tend to be more time consuming so that combined with a rather quick shelf life tends to make planning essential. More so with a dehydrator.

The way my wife and I do it, is we designate certain days of the week (where we have the time) uncooking days. This is when we will make the meals found in books. The rest of the week is mostly salads and quick cut veggies/fruit/nuts. I have found that this mixture keeps the food exciting, without taking a million years every night when you get home.

A side note, as you uncook "meals" you will learn tricks and recipes that you can whip up on nights where you don't have a lot of time. This can be helpful.

As far as the dehydrator, I would not say it allows you to eat more raw, however it allows you a much greater selection of foods to make/try/eat. Say you are fiending potato chips, well a dehydrator allows you to make them. Fruit roll ups, breads, pizza, all are open to you when you have a dehydrator.

One thing I was pre-raw was a cookie MONSTER! loved them to death. I figured after my conversion I would never have a "real" cookie again. ( I love the really crispy ones). Well, some almond flour and my dehydrator makes that possible for me again. that makes me happy.

The only advice I would give you for the dehydrator is don't skimp on it. Buy the big excalibur. You won't be sorry. So many stories about people under buying the dehydrator and blender and regretting it later.

As for the cutting the meals in half, that is tough to do. Most things keep for at least a day though so dinner tonight is lunch tomorrow! :)

Hope that helps.

[SmartyPants]

I do the keep it simple version of raw (i.e. I don't own a blender, a food processor, or a dehydrator). If it takes anything more than a knife or a vegetable peeler to eat--I don't eat it. This is more due to poverty (I am currently unemployed) more than anything else.

That said, I still have to prepare ahead of time to avoid eating cooked food. It's just me and my mom and she thinks raw vegan is a crock. I think she actually eats MORE meat when I am closest to 100% raw out of rebellion. Anyway, because of my mom there is always cooked food in the house. So, I have to make my salads ahead of time and cut up my fruit ahead of time. If I don't, when I get hungry I will grab something cooked because it's right there.

[klomasius]

Plan? I'm not even sure of the meaning of the word!

I even wing it in my classes! Lol!

[mommyliz]

... I figured after my conversion I would never have a "real" cookie again. ( I love the really crispy ones). Well, some almond flour and my dehydrator makes that possible for me again. that makes me happy.

Recipe please????