Raw Food Diet And Grocery List

                                 (Photo credit: Healthmagazine.ae)

I've always wanted to try the raw food diet but was scared that it would be hard to follow and too restrictive. It was a trendsetter many years ago when Demi Moore came out endorsing the diet and is making a comeback in 2021. The idea behind the raw food diet is that foods lose their nutrients and natural enzymes when cooked, processed, genetically engineered, and microwaved. Loyal followers of the raw food diet claim weight loss, an increase in overall energy, and improvement of certain chronic diseases. 

How Does The Raw Food Diet Work?

So the big question is, what is considered raw? Foods are considered raw if they haven't been heated over 104-118 degrees Fahrenheit. The food must also never be processed, pasteurized, or genetically treated in any way. You can prepare your raw food by juicing, dehydrating, soaking, blending, or sprouting. People lose weight on the raw food diet because you're typically consuming 1/2 the calories you would on a cooked diet.

Getting Started On The Raw Food Diet 

Start by clearing out your pantry of anything junk or processed. It's easier to stick to a diet if you get rid of any temptations. You'll want to replace these items with almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, organic legumes, extra virgin olive oil, and almond butter. You can't go wrong with foods that are marked raw at your grocery store. Throughout the day, you can drink freshly-squeezed vegetable juice (with no additives), and herbal teas. I use my Nuwave oven to dehydrate vegetables such as zucchini or sweet potatoes. I hit them with sea salt and snack on them like I would chips. 

                                           (Photo credit: 5restaurante.com)

The downside to the raw food diet is finding options when going out to eat. Finding a restaurant that serves a variety of raw dishes is next to impossible. If you know of any comment below. Meal prepping on a raw food diet can also be cumbersome. Dehydrating can take hours, and germinating takes days. 

Raw Food Diet Grocery List

Here is a list to get started on the raw food diet. The complete beginner's shopping list can be found at The Best of Raw Food HERE.

Produce:

Avocado, apples, bananas, grapefruit, cucumber, garlic, lemons, seasonal fruits, fresh herbs.

Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds, flax seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

Meat and Fish:

Alaskan salmon (cold smoked)

Condiments:

Dried tomatoes, raw black olives, freshly-made pesto, freshly-made raw salsa.

Grains and Pasta:

Wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat.

Oils:

Virgin olive oil, cold-pressed sesame oil, extra-virgin coconut oil. 

Bread:

Sprouted Ezekiel bread, sprouted bagels, sprouted tortillas.