It's been a long journey (too long to tell) but I've finally restored my home and kitchen (from loss due to Hurricane Katrina) to working order. I have closed that chapter, and am ready to embrace life. I had dabbled in living foods prep shortly before flooding and want to start anew.

Would anyone kindly share their weekly menu for me to get started? I know that planning ahead insures success and I really need this jump start. The "evacuee diet" has taken its toll on me and it's time to rebuild it.

It's citrus season, so lots of fresh manual-pressed juice, whenever I am at home.

Huge lettuce-based salad with walnuts and olive oil, lots of other vegetables for lunch. The vegetables vary from day to day.

Big fruit-based salad, different fruits daily, with ground flax, sometimes almonds and brazil nuts or hazelnuts.

I still use soy milk and soy yogurt, occasional cooked beans and steamed vegetables.

I haven't had any dehydrated foods or exotic raw recipes in years now.

-Smoothie _ orange juice,spinach,banana
-Tabouleh _ parsley,tomatoes,red pepper,onion,lemon juice,olive oil
-Hummus- soaked chick pea,sesame seeds,water,lemon juice,salt or bragg aminos,olive oil
-cabbage salad_ cabbage,olive oil,apple cider vinegar,salt
-5 apples in the blender to make a apple sauce

green juice- orange juice,cabbage,collard greens,kale,celery

I'm having a lot of cabbage and fermented food lately because it is good for the colon.

Right now I like to start my day with fresh squeezed citrus juice. Then I eat a variety of fruits in whole food form sometimes using a knife and cutting board and sometimes as finger foods like grapes. After that I like to have a young coconut (juice and pulp) with some greens blended in. Last I have meals of veggies, greens, and/or avocado. Most of my meals are eaten as simple fresh raw vegan mono meals. I am a grazer eating small meals using my inner coach as my guide. Roughly about 70% of my fresh raw foods are fruits and about 30% veggies, greens, seeds, and coconut (by volume - I don't count calories). The menu format is similar day to day with the variety coming from the fruits and veggies I buy on a day to day basis and a season to season basis. The exception to the above is a summer juice fast, followed by a water only fast, and followed by another juice fast (a package). I like to keep it simple and easy with my only steadfast rule being that what I eat has to be fresh, raw, and vegan.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2009 10:55PM by EZ rider.

Thank you for the inspiration. You reminded me of the simplicity, variety and abundant flavors I was missing! I just finished my first raw meal in a long time. I didn't even have to go to the market. I had already purchased things like organic raw maple syrup, flax seeds, veges and I guess I just needed the acknowledgment...Thank you!

I told my household members I was going raw and invited them to let me know if they wanted to join me so that I could increase servings to include them. They declined. They will have to cook for themselves....I suspect they'll be eating a lot of raw foods ;-)

Hurricane Katrina? Are you in New Orleans? I am near Lake Charles.

We have been buying organic bananas by the box. 40 lbs. every couple weeks. So we always have bananas on hand for a snack or recipe.

I buy tomamtoes and avocados at various stages of ripeness so they will last. I make lots of soup with tomatoes, avos and greens. I add bell peppers, cukes, celery and sprouts. Different combos make completely different soups.

I like cabbage. I make different salads with different kinds of cabbage. I mix oil, avo and cajun seasoning (Tony's) and pour it on bok choy. It is so simple and good.

I love making pies. Since they are raw, they make a healthy dinner. Yesterday I made apple cobbler for lunch. I made a cold, vanilla and chai spice shake to go with it. They family loved it!!!

It is funny how people will gravitate to health when it is around them. I have three members of my house jogging with me on our nightly "walk". I know there are some raw pot lucks around. Maybe you can meetup with some locals too. I am planning to go to one in Lafayette soon.

Wow Pakd4fun I am really inspired now! I live in "The Dell" (Slidell) and it is rumored that we have a farmers market at 4-6am on Saturdays. I don't know what I'd do with a case of bananas but would certainly be interested in meeting up with others for a pot luck dinner. Think I may need some time getting creative with the endless combination s of food available on a raw diet before I subject anyone to my creations. Thank you for showing interest in my post. I hope that we could meet for dinner sometime. Or just share recipes!



Peace

Hi gocycle,

I would love to get together sometime.

We have been on a high percent raw diet for over two years. It would be great to get together for a mea. I would love to share recipes. I will PM you with my email address.

I am glad you are back on track after Katrina.

Here are some more simple menu ideas --

Every morning my husband and I have a fruit and greens smoothie (about 1-1/2 qt each) made up of various combinations of greens -- kale, collards, parsley, etc., and two or three fruits -- apples, pears, bananas, mango, berries, etc. Yum!

I also frequently make nut smoothies -- my husband does not process cacao well so I make one without for him, and then add some cacao nibs in for mine. I make them with:

dates, almonds, walnuts, maca powder, coconut butter (cacao nibs optional). Very yummy and sustaining!

I also keep a supply of flax crackers on hand, which I make with soaked flax seeds, soaked sun-dried tomatoes, chopped parsley, garlic and onion.

We like to use a sunflower seed cheezy spread on the flax crackers, along with some kind of sprouts. The cheezy spread we make with sunflower seeds, lemon, garlic and a small bit of salt or nama shoyu.

I generally also keep some kind of nut/seed pate on hand, one of our favorites is made with sunflower seeds, lemon, garlic, dill and water to the consistency you like.

The pates we eat with green salads, or rolled up in collard leaves or nori sheets with sliced or grated carrots and other veggies and sprouts.

I often go to the gym in the early evening and don't want to eat much after that, so usually make a savory green smoothie in the evening made up of a combination of greens per above, celery, cucumber, tomato, garlic, lemon, and some avocado added at the very end.

I'll be happy to send you proportions or other menu ideas if you are interested.

Blessings on your journey, and enjoy!

Kim in Colorado

Thank you Kim. I will be heading out on Sunday with my grocery list to stock up on high quality nuts,seeds, etc and will try some of the items you suggested. I'm not hungry during the day but I do hit a wall around 3:pm. It's not hunger though so I take my b12 and it seems to do the trick. no more headaches!