Ok, so im thinking i'll start dehydrating instead of cooking but when i look at all the recipes they seem to all require so long in the dehydrator. So if you were to try to save on electricity (because surely 12 hours uses up a great deal of electricity) and make a whole batch of whatever at once then when you come to eat them they will be cold wont they?! Is that what happens - do you all eat your food cold, or do you have hot food? When refering to living raw, i just thought it meant not cooking at high temperatures, but does it actually mean eating cold?! Brrrr - doesnt sound very cosy!

Ive heard you can make cereal bars and burgers etc - can you make this without a deydrator? Or is this an esential feature in all the cookbooks. Just seems so much electricity - cant get my head around it! Im not interested really in making snacks and banana chips, i just wanted to replace my oven with a dehydrator for obvious health reasons, but i want it to do the job - so if i was to make a vegan casserole, id expect it to warm at least and not cold!

Um - just confused as confused can be - must take you guys days to prepare one meal doesnt it? I just dont know if id want to spend so long in the kitchen.....

I eat raw vegan and I don't own a dehydrator. I might get one someday. Many raw vegans don't believe in eating dehydrated food as they believe the water in fruits and veggies is the best source of water there is and we are meant to eat them with the water intact.

The reason I might get a dehydrator someday is to make the occasional treat. Raw onion bread sure sounds good. You definitely don't want to make a meal out of dehydrated foods alone. I did buy some raw flax cracker online and I eat them on occasion for a treat. Some people make them in their dehydrator.

Yes, they are eaten at room temperature usually and store for a long time once they are dehydrated.

if i ever get a dehydrator i will make some tasty raw food bars to take on hiking trips

Veganicity, when I first started raw I ate my room temperature food with hot tea, just to give that sensation of warmth. After awhile I no longer cared though, it was only strange at first.

You tell me! Ha! ha! Are fresh fruits and vegetables eaten hot or cold.....room temperature? Eating simple, fresh, raw plant foods (specifically fruit) are my personal goals. What are yours? There are no raw food police. The is no 'diet' to adhere to. If YOU think dehydrated things are good for....or you need them....then I encourage you to bite the bullet and make them! Ha! ha! Tip: you can buy 4 of those cheap paper air-conditioner filters, put your stuff in the slats.......and bungee the whole thing to a cheap box fan.........turn it on and air-dry for 24 hours.....or when done.....with NO HEAT AT ALL (and not much electricity)! LOL. (good idea from Good Eats.....love that guy.)

-Eating raw CAN be as simple as just stuffing your face with the fresh fruits and vegetables that you love. I eat mine fresh from the market.....or freshly picked....or chilled in the refrigerator. Just my preference. Some people go for room temperature....or heat/dehydrate items........and that's their preference.

-There is only confusion....if you think there is ONE holy grail standard that you are not sure about. I'm not aware of any raw food review panel....other than LaV (you're awesome babe!).

-What do you think?

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

all that fancy prep is terrific for transition, for when you're trying to make a raw version of your regular cooked meals. after a while a lot of people just lose interest in such complicated dishes and revert to eating things in their natural, whole state. i don't love cold food, generally i leave things out until they're room temperature. then again, after years of waitressing and only being able to grab a bite on the run i was eating everything at room temperature way before going raw!

Thanks guys - that's helped alot x x