10 Tips Every Raw Foodie Oughta Know

Are you looking for some tips to make raw food preparation quicker and easier? Are you looking to start eating raw? Or, are you wondering what raw food is really all about? Whatever your reason, I congratulate you for your interest in raw food! Why? Because raw food provides you with heaps of energy, essential enzymes for digesting all of those nutritious qualities properly, and raw food retains vast amounts of vitamins that may be lost through high temperatures when cooking. A lot of benefits, don’t you think?

Additionally, eating raw food saves the environment. Did you know that for every pound of fruit and vegetables, it ONLY takes around 20-50 gallons of water to grow them? That is REMARKABLE in comparison to the 2,400+ gallons of water that is used to raise JUST one pound of meat. Are you convinced of raw food goodness yet? If so, follow these tips to making your raw food diet even more at ease!

1. Become Best Friends With Your Food Processor

You will find that raw food preparation involves a lot of grinding, so a food processor will be very handy. But, if you like doing things by hand, then invest in a pestle and mortar. A food processor will come in handy for making raw dishes like Raw Yam Burgers and Daikon Fries with Ketchup or Raw Chocolate-Fudge Cake. 

2. Cashew Nuts Can Be Used in Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + Dessert

If you are going to buy one thing in bulk, then it has to be cashew nuts! You can use them at all meal times and in a range of different ways. Add cashews to salads, breakfast cereal, smoothies, make your own cashew butter, cashew coconut cream cheese, creamy cheese, gingerbread cake + raw carrot cake! Don’t these look amazing?

3. Keep it Simple

You may get a little overwhelmed when you look at the ingredients list for some raw dishes – the list appears to go on and on and on! Don’t be daunted; start small and master the flavor combinations of quick and easy raw dishes!

4. Cauliflower Makes Amazing Rice!

Wanna ditch rice or pasta? Whizz cauliflower in a blender to whip yourself up some raw rice. For extra flavor, add a spoonful or two of cumin, lemon juice and cilantro.

5. Spread Avocado on to Your Dehydrated Breads + Raw Pizza Crusts

Sometimes dehydrated breads can be a little dry, so add a bit of moisture by spreading on some avocado. 

6. Sprouted Beans + Seeds Will Add Texture to Your Salads

Sprouts will make your raw food tasty and burst with nutritious qualities! Sprouting is a healthy choice, as it increases the amount of b-vitamins, keeps your digestive system healthy and, alkalizes the body. See this article on How to Sprout Your Own Healthy Grains. 

7. Use Lemon Juice to Thicken Sauces

Lemon juice packs a punch in raw dishes and also thickens sauces and creamy dips! Use lemon for this Creamy Lemon Herb Dressing, this Raw Vegan Lemon Meltaway Balls and this Raw Lemon Meringue Pie. 

8. Always Soak Those Nuts + Seeds!

As well as making nuts and seeds easier to blend and use in your raw food dishes, soaking nuts also enhances their nutritional value. Soaking will increase the amount of enzymes, the availability of vitamins, and help promote healthy digestion!

9. Use Dates + Raisins to Bind Ingredients Together

Instead of using dairy in dessert and snack recipes, you can bind ingredients together with raisins and dates! Simply combine the ingredients in a food processor and once the dates or raisins have binded with the nutty ingredients – it will be hard to touch! Also, the natural sweetness of the raisins and dates also diminishes the need to add sugar too. Take a peak at how gorgeous this Raw Orange and Blueberry Cheesecake looks!

10. Use the Leftover Pulp from Your Homemade Nut Milk

Cut costs and simplify your raw cooking is by using leftovers in other dishes. Combine the pulp to thicken your smoothies, make raw pizza, summer berry vanilla cream tarts + blackberry breakfast chocolate cake.  Also, take a look at how easy it is to make cashew milk, peanut milk, hazelnut and cashew nut milk, sprouted sunflower seed milk +  almond milk!

Lead image source: Vegan Ginger Chocolate Cups With Sesame Cashew Butter and Caramel