On a raw food diet it’s important to get in enough calories and not too many fats so I will show you how I do that here. Feel free to tweak it per your own calorie regimen if you like. A great tool for checking/tracking calories is Cronometer.com. I personally eat until I am satisfied and still I maintain my normal weight. With raw foods it is very easy to melt the pounds so you will notice the majority for the day are simple meals, just fruits and veggies and I will throw in a more gourmet raw vegan meal to add some savory to the pallet for the day. I know my tongue needs it daily so I assume there are others like me out there. Enjoy!
Please feel free to use this site as inspiration or a diet plan or a long term eating plan. I have put all the information I can out there so you can make an educated decision. The shopping plans include all that is in that week’s meal plan, so check your fridge and cupboard’s first to make sure no produce or money is being wasted.
Important to note that if you are following the meal plans exactly and find yourself hungry in between meals or at the end of the day, feel free to eat more fruit, drink more water, or make a smoothie or a juice. The calories from fruit will satisfy your hunger/cravings. Water is important because a lot of times when we think we are hungry, we are really thirsty. So drink half your body weight in oz of good, clean, quality water. If you find yourself in the opposite situation where the food is making you overstuffed and you feel physically uncomfortable from eating this much, don’t eat the full amount. You can share it with a friend or family member or have it as a snack the next day or eat it at a later time that day. No big deal. It is important to get in enough calories and you will know what the right amount is for your body as you go through this process of discovery.
It is a fun journey so enjoy it!
Food Tips
I usually buy a whole case of bananas and freeze them. Some fruits like mango, peaches and berries I buy organic and frozen at Whole Foods. I will have some fresh as well but it is nice to have the frozen fruit already prepped and ready. I also think I should make you aware that I am using a VitaMix. I find using a high speed blender to be of great help in making smoothies fast and easy and making raw soups. It is just easier but I remember when I first started down this plant-based diet path, I was using an Osterizer blender I got from WalMart. It worked really well too. It’s not as good as the VitaMix, but it can do the job in the meantime until you can get a VitaMix. Trust me, it is worth the investment, regardless if you stay raw or not. There really is no end to the uses of a VitaMix.
Some recipes call for pepper and salt. I always use and keep in my kitchen cayenne pepper and Himalayan salt.
Cayenne pepper is a digestive herb and heart tonic with antibacterial and antiviral qualities. It helps control gas, flatulence and upset stomach and helps improve circulation throughout the body. It is great to add in these foods (even smoothies) because it is warming so it will help especially if you are not used to eating cold foods all day or if you live in a cold environment.
Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt available. The high mineral crystals range in color from sheer white, varying shades of pink, to deep reds due to the high mineral and iron content. Stay away from iodized table salt. It is full of chemicals and is heavily processed.
My Technique
My plans always keep the budget in mind. I don’t go crazy on too many different types of produce so I can get produce organic in bulk to keep cost down. I also look for organic deals at a great local grocery store here in Chicago called Stanley’s on the North side. They have organic produce very reasonable. I also don’t have time to make too much of an intense time consuming recipe every day so it is mostly simple which is great for the waistline 😉
So get started now! Just put your e-mail into the box below and I will send you weekly meal plans that are easily printable. [mc4wp_form]
You can also peruse the site in the meal plan category for some of the previous meal plans that I’ve put together. This will give you an idea of what the meal plans are like.