Making Eating Raw Easy
Hi, I’m Laura and I write a blog over at Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish. I’ve been on a bit of an epic journey when it comes to my diet and health!
I had always struggled with my weight from being a child, and a couple of years ago, after many years of trying, I managed to lose a lot of weight by following what I thought was a healthy diet. After discovering healthy living blogs I soon realised that surviving off lifeless cuppa soups and whey protein shakes was not exactly healthy!
Reading healthy living blogs, and eventually starting my own, sparked my interest in nutrition, and after devouring every book I could get on the subject I started to realise that the way I was eating may not be the best for me. I gradually transitioned from being an animal protein junky to a vegetarian and now, almost completely vegan. In learning more about veganism, I also found out more about the power of raw food. What I learned made so much sense to me and was reflected in how I felt when I ate more raw foods – I had so much more energy and felt so full of life!
Enjoying raw foods also helped me to see food in the context of how it nourishes my body rather than just in terms of how many calories it contains. This has lead to a massive shift in my attitude: instead of chasing skinny, I now just want to be as healthy and vibrant as possible.
I did find the whole world of raw foods a little daunting at first, but after discovering websites like Viva Pure that stocked the ingredients I had read about in my raw food recipe books, I was able to start experimenting! I even invested in a dehydrator so I could enjoy more complex dishes.
I’m still fairly new to raw foods, but I see them as an integral part of my diet, and essential to being able to feel my best. I’m nowhere near 100% raw, or think that I would ever want to get to that level, but I have found a balance that works well for me. Here are some of my tips for easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your diet:
Get to know Smoothies and Salads
Smoothies and salads are an easy, convenient and delicious way to add more raw foods to your diet. Smoothies make perfect breakfasts, snacks or even meal replacements when you are short on time. Just blend up some fresh or frozen fruit with water, nut milk (or just add a handful of raw nuts or nut butter) and some of your favourite super food powders such as Hemp Protein Powder, Maca powder or Raw Cacao Powder.
You can even super charge your smoothies by making them green! Try adding some green veggies such as kale, spinach or spring greens and blending them with a frozen banana and a tbsp of raw almond butter for a delicious raw treat. I like to make my smoothies extra thick and eat them like a pudding from a bowl, along with toppings!
Salads make excellent raw lunch and dinner options, and they don’t have to be boring either! Start with a base of leafy greens such as romaine, spinach or watercress and add whatever veggies you fancy then add some interesting flavours and textures using nuts, seeds, crumbled raw crackers and a raw dressing. Try combining raw nut butter or tahini with some lemon juice and water until smooth – it’s delicious! My favourite salad at the moment includes raw beetroot with walnuts, fresh figs, raw honey and sea salt!
Don’t be afraid of making Nut Milk
I used to think that making nut and seed milks would be very complicated and time consuming, however they are so quick, easy and cheap to make. Simply soak 1 cup of nuts or seeds in filtered water overnight then drain and rinse and blend with 4 cups of filtered water and super food powders of your choice (try using a little raw carob for chocolate milk) plus try using a tsp of Viva Pure's Raw Sunflower Lecithin to add creaminess and added nutrition. Strain the mix using a nut milk bag and store in the fridge. Enjoy with a bowl of delicious raw granola or add to a smoothie for extra creaminess.
Try out Chia Seeds
I just adore chia seeds! I make a raw pudding with them using nut milk or water with some Raw Cacao Powder mixed in. Left in the fridge overnight, the chia seeds absorb the liquid and thicken up into a luscious pudding that I like to eat with fresh berries for breakfast, snack or dessert.
Indulge guilt free
I have to say one of the greatest things about raw food is being able to enjoy guilt free desserts! I like to blend nuts and dates to make raw balls that taste better than any processed toffees and raw chocolate mousse by blending ripe avocado with Raw Cacao Powder and Coconut Nectar
Be a dip diva!
Raw dips served with some vegetable crudités and raw crackers make a really easy lunch or snack. For a very simple dip combine ½ cup of raw sunflower seeds that have been soaked at least 4 hours with two chopped carrots, ¼ cup of coconut aminos (or soy sauce for a semi raw version) plus some grated fresh ginger. Blend all ingredients in a food processor adding water until it
reaches a dip like consistency. You can also leave this thicker and use as a spread or pate using it as a filling for some raw nori rolls.
Alongside my staple snacks of fresh fruit, vegetable crudités, raw nuts, seeds and dried fruits I have been able to really increase the amount of raw foods in my diet and I’ve been reaping the benefits. I don’t worry about eating completely raw or even having 100% raw meals as I think the important thing is getting in good quality raw food whenever I can, even if that means eating some raw crackers with my soup instead of bread!
I hope this has given you some useful ways of incorporating raw foods into your diet, come along and check out my blog at www.keepinghealthygettingstylish.com for more ideas!
About the Author
Laura Agar Wilson is a 29 year old healthy living blogger writing at Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish. She blogs about her healthy living journey which has seen her lose almost 6 stone and transition to a vegan diet along with her passion for fashion, healthy tasty food and exercise. She recently decided to follow her passion for nutrition by training as a Diet and Nutrition Advisor. She hopes to combine this with her work current work as a Project Manager working with community organisations to promote the benefits of healthy eating and fitness with communities.
All content and images © Laura Agar Wilson, Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish
