How to organize for meals?!

[harmonyandinner]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me where I can see a sample week menu (high calorie)...or longer if possible.

I'm transitioning to raw, and I don't have the hang of the organizational aspect of it. I'm trying to eat a lot of nuts/seeds, and simple salads really aren't enough fuel (and they take me so long to eat!)

Specifically I'm talking about the parts of meals that need advance prep: soak the nuts, have the avocados the right amount of ripe, dehydrate, flip, wash the trays...how often to shop, etc. I'm afraid I'm not very good at planning ahead (and knowing what I'll feel like eating!)

I'm currently on a high calorie diet (and need to eat frequently). I'm trying to gain weight after a long struggle recovering from a malnourished state (delayed diagnosis for Celiac Diease has left my system pretty messed up). I feel like I'm ALWAYS preparing food, and soon I'll need to do that and go back to work. It's a bit overwhelming.

[Revvell]

The best place I know of is Alissa's first book. Lots and Lots of info; PLUS, get her vids. She shows how easy it is to prepare food.

Another vid that's really good for easy food prep is from Minh of Ronnie and Minh and UBraw.

[Raw Angel Mom]

It is true that Alissa's book is well done and you will find many great suggestion.

Do you eat anything but as long there isn't any gluten?

Tell us what you like (Soup, salty, main dish Asian, Idian, Italien, Japanese, SAD, desert, etc....), there is always something that we can make raw to replace those comfort foods

[Rottie69]

Awesome! I would love to see a menu too. I love food, lol. I have some food alergies, well only if its prepared boxed, bagged or soaked in preservatives or additives.
So I have purchased lentils, chickpeas, nuts seeds, greens, avacados,,,mmmmm made a great carob avocado mousse with that,:woot:,,OMG it was great. Im 3 days in and so far so good,.:excited:

Beck

[DebB]

Here's one really good video that I follow, which has really helped me have things on hand and ready to go! Staple Stash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSCv-39TWvE) by Rene Oswald. I do this *all the time* and I love having these seeds and nuts ready to go to make a recipe in nothing flat. *Ü*

[harmonyandinner]

Some great ideas, thanks! Two of my favorite categories are salty/crispy (tortilla chips & dip) and warm/filling (mashed potatoes, refried beans). I do like soups, too. Salads take a lot of work for me (I have fatigue issues and seriously all that chewing makes me tired!)

I'm a fan of Mexican flavors and Thai... though back when I ate at restaurants (the gluten thing), I loved to be adventurous with any place that served curries or masalas.

In addition to gluten, I can't eat corn or quinoa. I'm fine with buckwheat, most nuts and seeds (though I find I can't eat too many walnuts)

I do have my first attempt at flax crackers in the dehydrator. They should be done any moment now =)

[Aleesha Sattva]

you sooooooooo need to get Alissa's first (http://www.alissacohen.com/shop/livingonlivefood.html) book. Seriously... it has all the info you want and MORE!!!

[Stina]

You're the first person I've heard of with problems with quinoa. That's okay, you can eat lots of fruit for energy. How did you figure out your quinoa allergy? Test or experience?

[laura-jane]

You need to learn to always have a nut pate in the fridge, my friend. They are easy to make and will last for a few days, plus they are hearty and satisfying :) Here's one recipe for nut pate, but there's a thousand recipes out there :)

Ingredients required to make a raw pate:

3 cups walnuts (soak for at least half an hour to soften – rinse and discard water)
1/4 cup raw soy sauce (also called nama shoyu)
1/2 to 3/4 cup white onion
2 medium-sized carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
2 celery stalks
A very small pinch of salt

Instructions for making this raw pate:

Be sure to soak the walnuts for at least half-an-hour. Rinse and discard all walnut water.

Add all ingredients to your food processor. Process well until the mixture resembles cream cheese.

Eat immediately and store leftover raw pate in the refrigerator for up to three days.

[harmonyandinner]

Cool, thanks.

The quinoa issue isn't an allergy... Celiac is a weird disease, and a lot of people have secondary intolerances (from either intestinal permeability or damaged villi). I know of other Celiac folks with the same issue. When I eat it I get a big adrenaline rush followed by nausea. I won't eat more than a bite of it because I'd hate to see what would happen. Maybe I'm extra sensitive to the toxic coating that gets rinsed off. Who knows.

I made some pretty good mock tuna salad out of sunflower seeds yesterday. I need to work on my knife skills so I can dice veggies faster!

Does anyone know if there is a wheat free version of nama shoyu?

[DebB]

Does anyone know if there is a wheat free version of nama shoyu?

I buy wheat free organic Tamari Sauce (http://www.amazon.com/Tamari-Sauce-Wheat-Free-Organic/dp/B0001FI4BQ). I linked you to Amazon, but I'm able to find it at my local health food store and through Azure Standard (I order from them monthly).

For how I do food prep - I often substitute Tamari for Nama Shoyu because of the cost of NM.

There are 2 reviews on Amazon for this and the first one mentions Celiac disease. Hope this helps! *Ü*

[kmik]

Have you tried green smoothies? If you want to get more greens, but aren't up to all that chewing, then this may be an option for you. Mine are pretty high calorie I would guess. I put a couple of dates (make sure you take out the pits!) a bunch of fruit a handful of nuts like cashews (makes it creamy like a milkshake!) and some mild greens, like chard, kale or baby spinach. (I also throw in some water and ice to help it blend and keep it cool.) You've gotta have a good blender of course. I use a vitamix. And it is recommended that you do some chewing motions while consuming, as I've heard that helps release the enzymes in your saliva to help digest these things that are normally chewed a lot.