Ive tried going raw before myself. I have a wifeand three kids who are absoultley against the idea. So hereis my dilemna. I gotta think about them first when I shop, but I want this to happen for me as well.
Im Not intrested in any recpies, I dont really need to make anything fun for this diet to work for me. Im doing it for a spiritual and physical improvment, and most of these things Ive done in the past for my spirituality havent been too fun, I dont expect this one to be much more fun than that, until I really begin reaping the benefits and can bring my wife acrossed. What I need is a simple raw foods a day plan. NOT a recipe plan for the days of the week, but a list of what veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds and sprouts I need every day to reap the rewards. Im not interested in any recipes, I just need the number, variety, and amount of what fruits/nuts/veggies/sprouts/seeds to eat daily to maintain my calorie intake and make sure Im getting the full specctrum of nutrients and minerals. Can someone PLEASE help me with this, since its a question I havent seen addressed anywhere.

Hi I also have a husband and 3 kids who still eat SAD. I keep my menu very simple green smoothies and whatever fruit is in season. I stay away from nuts due to my intolerance, try different combinations and see what works for you as long as it is raw and unprocessed it will be good for you.

I have a family to cater for.
I juice. Make smoothies, eat fresh fruit, veggies, salads and nuts occasionally.

I keep it simple. It works for me. Sometimes i get tempted by steamed veggies, but i don't look at the rest of the food that i prepare for them as my food anymore.
My family often share salads and smoothies with me and they eat a lot more fresh fruit these days.
ffx

I don't know which foods to recommend in which amounts.

what foods do YOU like and in what amounts do YOU want to consume them?

ask yourself that

then you will have your answer

la_veronique is spot on, Cappadocius. Just increase your fruit and vegetable consumption to much larger amounts until they're the mainstay of your day's meals. Eat some seeds and nuts for variety until you figure out what volume satisfies. Most of us go by appetite rather than amounts, and we can't tell you exactly how much to eat as we don't know your size, lifestyle, general health conditions, etc. If you are looking for a guide that will help you to calculate set amounts, I strongly advise you to get Doug Graham's 80/10/10. It's less intuitive and more regimented, and relies on mostly whole fruits and vegetables(not recipes, per se). Good luck!

All great advise from prev. posters, as always. Eat a large variety of all the raw foods you enjoy, it will all work out. Juicing & smoothies are a great way to reap added benefits. And above all, it should be FUN!!! I am having a blast with it!

I was, and am still in a similar situation. May I give a few pointers? Do be too hard on yourself, but let your transition happen as naturally as possible. If your family see you struggling with it, or it appears as a chore to them, it will turn them off to it all the more.

"Gently" ease them into thinking this a good way of eating; if you try to hammer them or apply too much pressure, they will resist - I know from personal experience! My wife & son have been won over somewhat from the information that I've shown them on the 'net, particularly some of the sites that show the effects of cooked food on the body, for example.

[www.cleansingorsurgery.com]

This is a good read for cooked eaters -

[www.rawfoodinfo.com]

Hope that is a bit of good info. for you...


Cheers!

Well shouldnt I eat sevral more calories of raw foods with the diet? So that would mean I would need to eat more meals most likely. I am going to search for a list of veggies, fruits, and nuts an seeds and their nurtitional content, I just need to know how many calories I need to make sure I get each day so I know which fresh produce I need to buy more of at a time. As for nuts and seeds I just go with almonds and hemp seeds and sometimes quinoa. And I sprout alfalfa and clover and mustard.

Check out Sunfood diet by David Wolfe. He suggests the following.
Women: 6 pounds (2.7kg) fruit/ 2.5lbs (1.1kg) veg (incl. 1.5lbs greens)/ 0.25lbs nuts, seeds, oils (from fruit)
Men: 7.5lbs (3.6kg) fruit/ 3lbs (1.4kg) veg, (include 2lbs greens)/ 0.33lbs (0.15kg) nuts seeds oils (from fruit).
The women's one works out roughly 2000 calories. I worked this out using Fitday calorie counting website.
Like others say, ease in with things you like, and adjust for activity and goals. I hope this helps you.
Peace

I have to "cook" for my family too, so I know how you feel. It's hard for me too, sometimes, when I smell the wonderful fragrances of their food. But I keep reminding myself that I am only feeding them "DEAD" food, so what's the point? *giggle* I try to remember that MINE is alive and nourishing and so full of life and health. (But trust me, I get tempted too.)

Because I keep such an abundance of fresh produce on hand nowdays, whenever hubby is hungry, I typically make his entire meal out of VEGETABLES and/or fruit and he never complains. He loves it when I stirfry a pan of fresh squash, onions, garlic, and peppers, and serve a HUGE fresh salad on the side (usually a big portion from my own gigantic dinner salad...LOL). And he never complains, or even realizes that he just ate an entirely VEGAN meal. He also likes to finish off my green smoothies in the mornings when I prepare them for the day. I secretly keep making them larger and larger so his portions keep getting larger. *grin* So he ends up with a good size serving of green smoothie for his breakfast and doesn't even realize it. =) (Shhhh..... don't tell him!!!)

I live predominantly on fresh vegetables, fruits, GIGANTIC salads loaded with everything I can possibly find, and lots of green smoothies that vary as my household ingredients vary.

Good luck and hang in there. You'll make it. =)

*****************************
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson

juicerkatz, how in the HECK does someone pee out stones that big? excuse me but OUCH! can that possibly be for real? how awful.

So essentially I need to be eating about 8-9lbs of food a day?

Cappadocius,

Maybe yes, maybe no. What we are all trying to say, I think, is to use your appetite for a guide. You will not starve if you have a deficit of calories for one or two weeks. You won't. One of the most difficult things to understand about the raw regimen is the need to rely on one's own hunger signals for a cue as to what the body actually needs, calorie-wise. We in the West are taught from an early age to eat prescribed volumes at prescribed times, in prescribed ratios. It's stupid and unnatural. You have to trust that your body will not let you starve; it will always signal you to consume what you need when you need it. It's a matter of tuning back into the signal you last had in infancy or toddlerhood, that's all.

Buy enough pounds of fruit and veg to last a few days without spoiling. Eat as much as you want, but don't force yourself. Keep track of what volume that is by weight, if you wish. You'll have to sound it out initially. For instance, you may need to take two trips to the market over three days, because you underbought for your hunger needs. Or maybe you'll have overbought, and your family will have to eat the leftover stuff before it spoils. Eventually, you'll get a handle on your requirements, and it will seem simple. Good luck!