hi everyone,

i am new here and i want to switch to raw/living food. i have not tried anything like this before but i really love the idea of it (not hurting animals, etc), and all of the health benifits. i think that it is going to be a longer process for me since i am not even vegetarian to start with! i was just wondering if anyone has an idea for a recipe for a meal to start with? my husband is really skeptical of all of this and feels that he would never feel "full" eating this way. any recipes for hearty meals would be greatly appreciated. i have a raw food "cook"book that i love to browse through and pick out recipes but i have not tried anything yet. i am looking forward to any suggestions you make!
take you for your time!!
mindy

You may want to consider just getting Dr. Grahams 80-10-10 book which will answer more than enough questions and get you started. You can piece things together on your own, but it sounds like you are at square one and skeptical on top of that.

I'd suggest reading a book like this(or similar well documented book) to put your mind at rest more and give you some solid reasoning behind many concepts. Start with some solid education to help.

A good way to start might be by having a salad along with whatever you would normally have for dinner. Or adding a piece of fresh fruit to your breakfast.

It takes a while for you to adjust, so just jumping in with a full raw meal might not be the best idea for your husband. Just take it slowly, adding more raw items to your meals over time.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

-You can try the classic vegetable wraps: Take a Clean romaine lettuce leaf...julienne your favorite veggies into thin sticks. Shred remaining lettuce (or iceberg). Lay your veggies in the leaf, top with sprouts and fresh sunflower seeds. Top the works with fresh guacamole....and/or fresh salsa that you made (lime juice, roma tomatoes, fresh basil, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic). Wrap the whole thing up and eat like a burrito! Makes a great main dish for a party.....or smaller roll-ups held together with toothpicks.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

after a long period (a lifetime) eating cooked foods, your tastebuds and set preferences might not be up for a full raw meal - but then again, maybe YOU are so go for it!

I would add loads of fruit and veg in any raw way you can manage.
Raw fruit for breakfast, fruit as snacks in the day. A HUUUUUMMMUUNGOUS green salad as a starter followed by a cooked meal, followed by a raw dessert.

And read read read about RAW - it will blow your mind when you discover all the benefits of eating this way.

One book I would HIGHLY recommend is LESLIE KENTON's THE NEW RAW ENERGY.
Such a interesting facinating book about raw food.

Also - on the meat front, try reading THE CHINA STUDY by T. COLIN CAMPBELL - that should give you some interesting facts that may sway you and your husbands decision about eating meat!

good luck and read read read! : DDD

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[www.azurastorch.blogspot.com]

When I first started raw, I leaned heavily on seed/nut pates and avocado to get that "full" feeling. It was definitely a high percentage of raw fat which is not ideal, but for me, it helped me over the hump... and it was still 100% better than what I was eating before... and i still felt wonderful. One staple for me during my initial transition was raw nori rolls... i would use a basic nut pate in place of the rice and then I'd load them up with cukes, tomatoes, red peppers, asparagus, sunflower sprouts etc. very, very filling for me. So much about your appetite and relationship with food will change as you transition to raw. I agree with all of the posts above... read everything you can, try to add more and more fresh raw fruits and veggies to your meals, find things that work for you and just try to do a little better each day. One approach that has worked wonderful for me is to treat this process like a really fun new hobby, not a chore. Like learning a new language or musical instrument versus cleaning the house... each new meal is like practicing a new song instead of something you should be doing only because it's good for you. This approach has taken the "should" out of eating habits...it makes it fun. Even if a meal didn't turn out perfectly it was a creative learning experience. Practice, practice, practice!

good luck and have fun, Greg

thank you all for your ideas. i already have matt amsden's book rawvolution and i am researching more. i already know that i want the benifits of eating healthy and i do already eat some raw things like guacamole and toms of nuts and seeds. i love to prepare food so the idea of trying new recipes and feeling better about it is great. i have stomach issues so i think that this will really help. i am not in the least bit skeptical of eating this way and i know that i will feel great after i get over the addictions that i have to sugar and everything else. my husband is coming around to the idea, he actually took me dehydrator shopping today!

thanks again for your help. i will keep researching and keep adding raw food to my meals.

mindy

A good First Meal everyday would be the most nutritious meal you can put together. I start each day with Wheatgrass Juice, then Carrot Juice, then a Fruit or Green Smoothie. You might start each day with a Fruit Meal (no cooked food allowed). Later in the day eat cooked if your Diet is now Cooked. But make that first meal of the day Raw and stick with it. Eventually you'll make the second meal Raw and then; well you get the picture.....WY

thank you! we have been trying to do fruit and yogurt for breakfast. i know that the yogurt is not part of the vegan diet but we are just starting! my husband actually loves just the fruit so i think it is good baby steps. we usually blend frozen berries into the yogurt, and we love the idea of smoothies so i think that your plan is great! fruit smoothies for breakfast, yum! thanks!