OK, Green Monsters. Temperatures are heating up now all around the country and summer is in full swing. This means a whole slew of fun activities for most of us, but for all of you out there trying to take your healthy eating to the next level, this also means it’s the perfect time to amp up your raw eating game.

Put simply, raw foods are a gold medal winner when it comes to healthy eating. Raw foods deliver fresh nutrients in “live” form to your body. Plus, they taste amazing in the warmer months! Who wants to eat hot foods when they’re sweating, anyway?

If you’re looking to transition your diet to raw foods even more than you have been, check out these ideas for how to transition to more raw foods this summer:

1. Two Words: Farmer’s Markets!

Farmer’s markets are abundant in the summer, and this is your chance to be around beautiful, fresh produce that will inspire you to make raw dishes with all your new finds. Make farmer’s markets a regular weekly (or several times weekly if you can swing it) thing this summer, and you’ll be fixing more raw foods in no time! Plus, farmer’s markets can be a great place to meet like-minded people who might have some great recipes to share with you. Always ask the farmers themselves, too, i.e., “Do you have any great raw recipes for these beautiful heirloom tomatoes?” You may just leave with a great new farmer-fresh raw tomato soup idea!

2. Attend Food Festivals

As is the case with farmer’s markets, summer is a prime time for food festivals of all kinds. While you may now be able to find a fully raw food festival, going to a few veg-friendly or full-on veg festivals will more than likely have you face-to-face with some great raw foods and raw cooking ideas. Make sure to search your local area for some veggie food festivals and get inspired! Also, similar to farmer’s markets, you will likely meet people on the same quest as you that may have some great ideas!

3. Have Raw Food Dinners

Summer is the best time to get together with friends, isn’t it? Long, warm nights spent on a porch or rooftop with cold drinks in hand is one of the best ways to spend summer nights! Why not make it a chance to delve into raw eating by hosting an outdoor raw foods get-together? Full-on raw or not, your friends will likely still love the idea of getting together around food, and this can be your chance to try out any raw recipe you want! You could also make up big pitchers of fresh green juice for a change-up — you may find everyone is much more energized and even more fun after all the raw deliciousness!

4. Plan Your Raw Meals Well

Summer, for many, is the season of “no plans, no problems” — it’s the best season to go with the flow of things and go wherever life takes you! But if you’re aiming to transition to more raw food eating this season, I’d advise that you be a little more planned, at least with your foods, so that you don’t opt for store-bought, grab-and-go foods, and snacks on your way to that beach party. When I say plan, I mean to have your goodies on hand. Think big bowls of fresh fruit — always stocked and ready to go for you to grab to take with you or munch on at home. Consider prepping large mason jars of green juice during your evenings so that you have a raw breakfast to go if you need it the next day. Buy BIG tubs or bunches of raw staples, like spinach, kale, tomatoes, carrots, and the like. Be sure not to waste these, but oftentimes, you’ll grab from the big lot more often if it’s there waiting for you! Consider making small salads (with the dressing on the side) at night to grab and go the next day. Put these in mason jars for a great reusable and eco-friendly, on-the-go snack.

5. Always Keep A Snack on Hand

Yes, packing foods for on the go in the summer can be a bit challenging, what with all the heat and movement we all encounter. But if you equip yourself with some essentials, like reusable produce bags to keep fresh fruit, mason jars to keep green juices, snacks, and salads, and, my favorite portable fruit — the banana (it’s a food and a container in one!) — you’ll be just fine. If you’re headed to the beach or onto a boat, pack a cooler and load that baby up with carrot sticks, raw salsas, salads, and jars of green juice. You’ll be the healthiest Green Monster of the summer!

It’s obviously OK if you don’t eat 100 percent raw throughout the summer months, but if you keep yourself well-stocked, plan ahead of time, host some raw food dinners, and attend some fun food festivals and farmer’s markets, you may just find yourself eating more raw foods than ever! And be sure to check out all of our other great articles about the rawsome life here.

What are your favorite tips for eating more raw foods in the summertime? Let us know in the comments!

Related Content:

• 3 Raw Food Recipes With Nutritional Yeast [Vegan]
• 15 Raw Food Recipes for Your Post-Thanksgiving Cleanse
• Top Mistakes Raw Food Newbies Make and What to Do Instead
• 20 Kitchen Essentials to Bring Out the Raw Foodie in You
• Should You Try a Raw Food Diet? Here are 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

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