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I am new and feel overwhelmed

Hello all,

I am new to the raw food world. I started eating more fruits and veggies last year, and have slowly transitioned into no meat, less cooking, but I would like to take the plunge into raw. I need help to do it. I look at recipes and feel so overwhelmed. Do you all need to schedule your soaking, sprouting, dehydrating? I would like to hear what you all do for shortcuts, or if you do things in batches. Right now it seems I need to be starting Wednesday's dinner, today. help!

Susan

Comments

  • cupcakes revengecupcakes revenge Raw Newbie

    i'm super lazy and absolutely terrible at planning ahead for things, especially because what i think i want to eat tomorrow today, well tomorrow i may want something different!

    1. I don't always eat dehydrated food items. In fact, I mostly don't. And when I do dehydrate, I definitely try to make a bunch of things at once and use up all my dehydrator real estate. I don't dehydrate anything that takes longer than over night either.

    2. become one with your food processor. It will make your life so much easier with raw fooding.

    3. While i'm not great at planning ahead, I have been trying to do so a little bit. Or at least have a handful of go to recipes that I can easily make when i don't feel like thinking about stuff. i have a whiteboard in my apartment that i have written some key easy recipes on. Lately I've been feeling uninspired and super lazy when it comes to thinking about food, so i just glance at the board and have something to fall back on.

    4. i would try to do some sort of sprouting rotation schedule so you always have sprouts on hand. it's not difficult or time consuming to do, and will make your life easier and healthier.

    5. stay well stocked on the basics. nuts, oils, cacao powder, agave, dates, that type of stuff

    6. use your freezer where you can. I've found banana hemp ice cream is awesomely convenient and tasty for snack and breakfasts. So I keep sliced bananas in my freezer at all times.

    i have put some meal plans at veganlicious (http://kellysfacesmells.blogspot.com). they're all very easy, few ingredient recipes. hopefully they'll be of some use!

  • I'm living in South Korea this year, and I've had the hardest time finding just about every ingredient here that would make eating raw a bit more interesting...so, I've been eating fruits and veggies (with the odd sad food here and there...but rarely) for a long while now. honestly, it's easier. I detest cooking, or the act of food prep, with a passion, and so pulling open a few bananas is for me about the amount of work I like to do. I blend spinach with water and maybe some chia seeds and (about 2 bunches) that'll do me for the day, and then when I get home I'll eat a pineapple and some grapes....just no prep excepting cutting off the pineapple skins, or rinsing. it's great:)

    I envy people who've got access to supplies...unfortunately south Korea is NOT home to many vegetarians, never mind raw vegans.

    I do think there's nothing wrong with sprouting and dehydrating and whatnot...it just seems like work I don't want to do. I'm happy eating a tomato like an apple, and that's my laziness shining right through:)

  • I am going to look more into the sprouting. I haven't tried it yet, and am afraid I will be making more fungus than sprouts, but will give it a go.

    What are your favourite resources for info and recipes?

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    Some great advice above but thought I'd throw in my 2 pence worth.

    On a Sunday evening, I sit down and come up with a few meal ideas for the week. I don't always plan an exact schedule, but at least a rough idea on a few things I'm going to prepare.

    This helps save time and also money, because I don't but a load of produce I don't end up using. If I've planned to have something which requires saoking/sprouting, I'll start this at the beginning of the week so I've got what I need ready.

    I don't make many dehdrated meals but like to make up batches of things like crackers, kale chips, buckwheaties, etc every one in a while. I'll have these over a week, then freeze any crackers/bread left over.

    I try to keep things simple and will often have a meal of either fruit or veggies with a dip/sauce to go with them.

    It actually isn't as hard as you may first thing, it's just getting into a routine and finding things you like which are quick and easy to prepare. Like cupcakes, I always have banana chunks in the freezer so I can whip up some icecream then throw in other things to keep it interesting. Chia seeds are great for blending with fruit/water to make a lovely pudding.

    Green smoothies are amazing and good for a meal or a snack.

    Hope this helps, good luck!

  • What kind of nuts and oils should I stock up on?

    I have agave nectar, is that ok?

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    You may have just hit a minefield asking about agave nectar!

    My best advice is to do a search on other threads that cover this topic as it's been widely and heatedly discussed on this site.

    You may also want to read this article which has recently been written: http://fresh-network.typepad.com/fresh_network_blog/2010/05/as-of-now-were-no-longer-selling-agave-syrup-heres-why-1.html

    (Personally, I use it even now and again but I'm not 100% raw and don't split hairs on this kind of thing.)

    Be aware that most nuts you see in shops aren't really raw, even if they say they are.

    With oils, make sure it states cold pressed on the bottle.

    This site may help you: http://www.purelyraw.com/deadfoodlist.htm

  • ooh, yes, agave nectar...I'm scared to ask about that too:) I don't happen to enjoy the taste, so that cuts it out for me, if for no other reason. I feel like it's just too sweet? but, then again, when I first went raw, everything seemed too VEGGIE in taste....now I just am used to it I guess.

  • Hi Susan!

    Fellow new raw foodists here! We are doing a 100 day raw food challenge and are documenting it every day on youtube. We are doing a video next week on sprouting. Come check us out www.youtube.com/100daysraw

    :) Beryl lynn

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