Concerned about my health and trying to give raw foods a try.

[thorax232]

So I'm currently in the U.S. Army, going to be getting out in June and starting college. And because of reasons that I'll explain below I've been a little concerned about my health lately and I love the idea of the raw foods diet. I've scratched the surface of the 80/10/10 book and it just makes sense. But I've been having trouble getting started. I see videos of people showing what their weekly shopping looks like and they've got like big boxes full of oranges, 14 watermelons and plenty of other stuff which looks delicious but I just don't have the room or possibly the money for all that.

*This paragraph is small details not necessarily important.* The barracks I live in is tiny, it has no real kitchen. It's got a cramped area with a refrigerator and a sink but that's about it. Then of course a bathroom and a bed area that barely fits a bed.. It's pathetic I know. But my diet as a single soldier depends entirely on the DFAC (dining facility) which is ok but it's rarely open where I am. Over the weekends and holidays it'll close down and I'm left ordering pizza and making trips to burger king. Over long breaks I lose weight become depressed and have trouble sleeping less than 10 hours. But that's not the issue here (I'll be out and in college soon). Of course it's also worth mentioning I've never shopped for myself before, I joined at 18 am now 21 and I always tend to gravitate towards microwavable meals. >.> But I do want to get away from that.

The issue is in a very limited space with hardly a kitchen and possibly limited money how possible is a raw food diet.

[Shaeliya]

Hi, thorax. You only need a counter about 2X4 ft. and a refrigerator. You need three appliances on that counter - a dehydrator, a blender, and a food processor, plus enough space to put a cutting board so you can cut up fruits and veggies before throwing them in the various appliances. But, about the most important "tool" you'll use is a book about how to prepare the food. Alyssa Cohen's book is huge and just chock full of information about how to do it. Once you get into the rhythm of how to do it, you'll find it's easier and faster to prepare food the raw way.

[MysticTree]

I rarely use machines for prepping food. A good knife and a cutting board is essential.

You save money on electricity and gas when you don't cook foods. Buy dry raw goods in bulk so that you get maximum saving and fresh food almost daily to minimise having to fridge things.

Sprout seeds yourself; it costs just pennies and look out for seasonal foods which will be cheaper.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Welcome!

We can't assist you with 80-10-10 as this board is specifically set up to assist people who are following Alissa Cohen's philosophy of eating raw foods but we can assist otherwise.

In light
Aleesha
Ps all you really need is a few good knives and a fridge. Everything else is just add-ons

[RawDad]

Awesome that you are drawn to raw foods. The military is slowly starting to make small moves towards healthier mess halls for you guys but they are a long way from where they could be, and should be. And college, unfortunately, seems to have very poor options often. Here are my suggestions for making raw possible in those settings.

Buying by the case can be a huge cost savings, and it last more then a day. In a college space I'd imagine a blender and a dehydrator would be great to have, blend up mixes for crackers, cookies, and breads and then dehydrate them for easy snack, sandwich, and pizza options in addition to being able to make quick smoothie meals in a short amount of time, comparable to microwaving something and letting the food cool. Sprouts are also gonna be easy, cheap, compact, nutritious, and filling. Just get a jar or a bowl with a lid to make your sprouts in and get some under $2 a pound beans or seeds. I love buckwheat groats sprouted, can eat a bowl of them like cereal and when I use 1 c of groats it ends up being 2-3 servings.

I'm comfortable just eating vegetables or fruits right as they are, and I recommend that to minimize space and prep needed to eat your food, in that case all it is is a mini fridge. Of course, to make it as cheap per serving as ramen your gonna have to buy by the case, buy discounted produce, or get free produce which is possible if you inquire with the produce associates at stores. It still feels weird to me after months when I just buy a bunch of carrots or a cucumber and just start eating it, no prep required. Thats keeping it simple, cheap, and realistic in the barracks or the dorm.