How can I make adding more RAW food into mine and my families life easier and less time consuming?!

That is a question I get asked often. You know more raw food is good but it seems to take up a lot of time we do not have. But, yes there is a but, preparation is everything and it will make a big difference!

So here are my 10 tips to get you whipping up great ( high ) raw food in minutes!

1. Plan your main meals, select a day to make a meal plan for the week and come up with at least 4 or 5 main meals you would enjoy and fill the other days with leftovers.
2. Wash your veggies all at once for a few days. Fill the sink with water, add a half a cup of  vinegar and throw in all your leafy greens, veggies and fruit. Let it soak for 10 minutes, rinse and dry and you are set for  juicing, blending, snacking, and preparing food in a flash!
3. Salad dressing and dips are quick and easy to prepare and to store for a few days ahead in glass jars. Make 2 or 3 of your favorite dressings and/or dips and you will be enjoying salads and greens more often.
4. Energy bars are easy to store, they also can be frozen or stored in the fridge. Individually wrapped in foil ready to take with you to work, gym, or school.
5. If you have a dehydrator soak all your nuts and seeds at once to make them better digestible and alive, then dry them and store them in airtight jars. Great for nut milks, nut butters, dressings, vegan cheeses, and snacks.
6. Wash, cut, and freeze fruit like bananas, pineapple, berries, strawberries for quick smoothies.
7. Make nut milks for 3 to 4 days ahead to replace dairy or store bought milks on your morning cereal, smoothie, or frappuccino.
8. With a slowjuicer you can make juices for up to 3 days. Of course, it is better to drink it fresh but it sure beats coffee, store bought fruit juices, or no juice!
9. Fill up your dehydrator with raw goodies! It really does not take long to mix up a few batches of raw crackers, kale chips, dried fruit, cookies, and granola, the dehydrator does the rest. It does make a world of difference if you have pots filled with crunchy raw  crackers and crispy almond gluten-free cookies one can freely enjoy and take along.
10. Cut  and grate a bunch of veggies for a few days. It goes fast when using a food-processor or spiralizer and you only have to do the washing up once! They can be kept in special airtight containers to keep them fresh and crunchy for a couple of days.

It does take some organization, but what doesn’t? I take a few hours per week to prepare a lot of ingredients and food and that makes the actual “cooking”  when I’m home from work with hungry kids a 10 minute job. So I spend some time to save a lot of time when hunger hits and most importantly, I know I have good food on hand ready to be enjoyed.

Image Source: Lablascovegmenu/Flickr