When I first turned from lacto-ovo-vegetarian to 100% raw vegan one of the biggest challenges I faced was what do from lunch when I'm at work. If things were going smoothly, I could nip out to grab a salad from the Whole Foods salad bar. When things where hectic and I didn't have time to go for lunch I would go without rather than eat the junk food in the kitchen at my work. I would try to keep a stock of dried seaweed and raw food bars in my cubical that I could prepare quickly when I couldn't get out of the office.

After sometime I was able to eliminate most of the hectic aspects of my job and was able to go for lunch most of the time. But the variety offered by the Whole Foods salad bar wasn't that great, also I was spending $10 to $15 a day on lunch. I noticed that in the produce section I could buy more than twice as much with more variety for the same money. So it started, I bought a box of pre-washed lettuce greens, an avocado, a couple of tomatoes, a shallow, a pear and a bunch of basil, all for under $10. I took my haul to work and with a chopping board and knife turned the base ingredients into a salad, with a splash of hemp oil and nama shoyu as the addressing.

I'd made enough salad to feed at least two people, but this wasn't a problem. The aroma of basil combined with the fact my salad looked much more appetizing than anything else that my co-workers where having for lunch meant I didn't have any problems finding people to eat what I couldn't finish.

The next day two people showed up at my cubical around 11:30am asking how much was it to get in on todays salad. Five dollars and some prep-work would get you in on the salad. The better part of a year later and my lunch salads normally have from 3 to 6 participents. I leave any left overs out of people who didn't get a chance to get out of lunch, normally this results in another person "wanting in on tomorrows salad". The extra money and muscle power allows for the creation of bigger more complex and exotic salads.

People started bring in tools to help the salad. Like a larger bowl to make the salad in, or a salad spinner so we could buy and wash whole heads of lettuce. A grater for root vegetables, an olive pitter so we could buy whole olives. Few other useful things that escape me right now, but are much appreciated and very useful.

Some of people who were the most vocally "skeptical" about the raw vegan diet are joining me for salad almost every day. People are telling me how they are keeping raw veggies handy at home and eating more raw foods outside of work.

Every once in a while I bring a desert, normally a pie, which blows their minds and taste buds. Other than the people who know I wouldn't eat anything that wasn't raw, most people have a hard time believing the desert is really 100% raw.

The latest "convert" is the owner/founder of the company. I left the remains of last Thursday's salad out for which ever poor sods didn't get any lunch, later in the day I got an email from the founder saying "Best salad ever.", the next day there was $5 on my desk and a note listed the foods he doesn't like.

Even though most people like to tell me what I should eat (or at least they did, I don't get told what to eat very often these days), I've never told anybody what to eat unless they asked me directly.

The other people who don't join in for salad call it "the salad club", some call it "the salad mafia". I prefer to called it the "salad cabal", but I just tell people "There is no Salad Cabal". The people who join me generally call it "Salading", as in "are you salading today?".

Some days I think the only reason I show up to work it to make the salad.

Peace,
Ian.

Yeah! I hear you.

-The watchword for a raw food person is 'Preparedness' and 'Giving'.

-It's all about BRINGING food to any occasion where you will need it.

-I used to pack a big bag full of pre-cut salad (in a ziploc)...along with fruits, nuts, juice, etc.). I'd just throw the bag in my desk at work....and snack on it as I pleased all day! By the time I came home from work......I had already eaten 66% ALL RAW! Ha! ha!

-Everyone I meet these days is always pretty supportive.

-David Mason

Wow! That's an amazing story....very inspiring!

What a great idea. People at my work eat such garbage that I am amazed you have been able to do this. Fantastic!

Raw Daddy -- livin' raw and lovin' it

What a wonderful idea! I would have loved to be a part of this if I were still working in an office. I love salad! You cannot get any better than fresh!

It's pretty nice the owner left you some money too. I had to laugh when he left you a list of what he didn't like; that was pretty cute. lol Have a good day.

wow i wish i had coworkers at my office for that reason...you are making me hungry!

Thanks peeps! Hey Raw Daddy, if your co-workers are eating junk, they might be easily drawn in.

So you'd think. But they all simply think I am crazy and smile absentmindedly at me while they stuff their mouths full of fried foods. Yuck. I have convinced a couple of people to come out to lunch with me or share in a salad, but they all think it is just nuts. It's okay by me.

Raw Daddy -- livin' raw and lovin' it

Good Job Ian!

nice. i could easily do this. i work with lots of people, we all get an hour for lunch and we are across the street from the local organic co-op. we share food often but it's almost always something sweet and fatty. imagine if i turned them all on to giant salads at lunch? at least we'd all be a little less lethargic in the afternoon, ha ha!