Raw food recipes for beginners are my specialty. I call them my simple, satisfying raw food recipes, which are perfect for beginners. But many people who love my recipes are not raw food beginners; they are simply busy people on the go who don't want to bother with too much fuss - just like me. Because of this, some avid rawfooders like to share my simple raw recipes with raw food beginners because my recipes are simple and taste great! But enough tooting my own horn, huh?
Eating raw has become increasingly popular as more people realize the many benefits associated with consuming whole foods in their raw state; but starting out can be daunting! Many recipes call for mysterious ingredients (think nutritional yeast, agave nectar, chia seeds, and on and on!) that most raw food beginners don't have in their pantries. While recipes that include such ingredients are great and I too use them, they are probably not where you want to start if you are searching for raw food recipes as a beginner.
Add more fruits and vegetables to your routine: Useful, but boring
If you are a real raw beginner who is just starting to dabble in raw recipes, think about how you can start adding more raw foods to your regular meals.
Salad is probably one of the easiest items to add, because it’s perfect as a side dish or as a full meal.
Start by adding a small salad to your lunch and dinner. And when it comes to salads please remember, people! The best salads only have a FEW ingredients! So don't put the kitchen sink in there - just be simple, like spinach, tomato and fresh basil, for example.
Similarly, breakfast can be a great opportunity to get some fresh fruit - whether it’s a smoothie or simply crunching down on an apple and some nuts.
For snacks, replace your granola bar or cookies with an orange or a banana. If you’re worried that these might not hold you over until dinner, then add some raw nuts and seeds. The complete proteins in the nuts will bind with the incomplete proteins in the fruit providing you with more protein, which will help you to feel full longer.
However, at this point you'll probably be lacking inspiration - and the only "raw" foods you'll be able to think of will be salads and raw apples. BORING!
Well then friend, you are now ready to try some raw food recipes for beginners.
Raw food recipes for beginners
So, where do you start? First, weed out those recipes that require crazy soaking times or dehydrators. If you are a beginner chances are you might have a crappy blender and a food processor - if you're lucky. So don't make anything too crazy. Start slow, yah?
Creating raw food recipes for beginners is where it gets fun. Why is it fun? Because you get to combine healthy ingredients, like dates, pecans, coconut and cocoa powder and make something amazing! Your friends will be impressed when they taste it and you explain that all that's in your raw recipe is whole, uncooked ingredients - no flour, refined sugar or dairy.
Here are some perfect recipes for raw beginners that are sure to turn out great:
- Raw brownies (most popular recipe ever!)
- Raw chocolate pudding made from avocado
- Raw lemon bars
- Raw chocolate fudge in 1 minute
- Raw chicken salad (raw and vegan - no meat!)
- Raw egg salad (raw and vegan- no dairy!)
- Raw alfredo sauce
- Raw ranch salad dressing recipe
OR CHECK OUT ALL MY FREE RAW RECIPES HERE!
Final tips for beginners
Here are a few more effective ways to keep raw cuisine simple when you're just getting started.
- Make sure your cupboard is stocked with your staple ingredients. This way you won’t discover halfway through a raw recipe that you don’t have everything you need.
- Make a list of the ingredients you use most often. Some of these might include: flax seeds, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, tamari (aka soy sauce), spices, dates (great base for desserts), nuts, seeds etc.
- Also, be sure to always have spinach or lettuce on hand- you can never go wrong with a hearty salad for dinner when you don’t have time to prepare something. And salads can be very exciting too; add hemp hearts, tomatoes, raisins, coconut, cucumber, red pepper, and don’t forget some nutritional yeast- it’ll give it a great cheesy flavour!
- Last, but by no means least, make sure to read the recipe from top to bottom before starting! You will find that many raw food recipes call for long soaking times, dehydration times, or day-before prep. Be aware of any extra prep work and make sure you have everything you need. Discovering that the almonds you need must be soaked over-night will likely mean you’re not eating that lovely concoction that you had planned!
These are just a few tips to help you master the art of making raw food recipes for beginners. Above all, remember to keep it simple!
FAQs
The Final Word
A raw food diet is low in calories, high in fiber, and based on primarily healthy whole-plant foods, so eating this way will lead to weight loss. But the diet is a nutritionally inadequate and highly restrictive plan that will be hard to stay on for the long-term.
What are the side effects of the raw food diet? ›
A study on people who followed strict raw food diets found that 38% of participants were deficient in vitamin B12. This is concerning, especially given vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with a range of problems, including jaundice, mouth ulcers, vision problems, depression and other mood changes.
What happens to your body when you go raw vegan? ›
A raw vegan diet devoid of supplements can be low in vitamin B12, iodine, calcium and vitamin D and may provide too little protein and too few calories, leading to an array of health issues. It may also cause tooth decay and fertility issues.
What is the 50 50 raw food diet for dogs? ›
50/50. This means you will split your pet's diet into 50% of a Big Dog diet and 50% your chosen kibble, and we advise to only feed half the recommended feeding portion for each diet.
What should you avoid in raw food diet? ›
What to avoid: Cooked fruits, vegetables, meats and grains. Refined sugars and flour. Roasted nuts & seeds.
What vegetables should not be eaten raw? ›
These are the 6 vegetables that should never be consumed raw
- Potatoes. Uncooked potatoes not only taste bad but can also lead to digestive problems. ...
- Cruciferous Vegetables. ...
- Red Kidney Beans. ...
- Mushrooms. ...
- Eggplant. ...
- French Beans.
While a raw diet may have some benefits that come from eating more plant-based foods, it is hard to get an adequate intake of certain nutrients, like protein and some vitamins. Eating raw foods can also increase your risk of foodborne illness ( 5 ).
What does raw food do to your stomach? ›
The raw food diet may also help improve digestive health. One study found that participants who switched to a raw food diet had improved digestion, reduced bloating, and increased energy levels.
Why is it not safe to eat raw food? ›
Raw meat and poultry are most likely to cause food poisoning. They can have all sorts of bacteria from E. coli to salmonella, which can make you very sick. To stay safe, be sure meats are properly cooked.
How to start a raw diet? ›
You can also start this new habit by filling your plate with whatever raw food you are interested in at the time like fresh greens, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Instead of doing sugar or maples start playing around with different fruit sugars, you can replace them with fresh fruit and/ or dried fruit.
The following foods are suitable for most raw food diets:
- raw fruits and raw vegetables.
- dried fruits and vegetables.
- freshly made fruit and vegetable juices.
- soaked and sprouted beans, other legumes, and grains.
- raw nuts and seeds.
- raw nut butters, such as peanut butter and almond butter.
- nut milks, including almond milk.
Yes, peanut butter is also vegan. But sometimes, some types will add honey, which makes it not vegan. But this is pretty rare.
What does BARF stand for? ›
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food. This model of feeding is based on the principles of our dog's evolutionary nutrition and is the most common and popular raw diet for dogs.
Can I feed my dog raw meat from the supermarket? ›
Raw meat is likely to contain harmful bacterial like Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and more. Cooking meat to a safe temperature kills off those harmful bacteria. By feeding uncooked meat, there's a higher risk your dog could develop a foodborne illness or other type of bacterial infection.
How to make your own raw dog food? ›
Take any meat (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, whatever) minced or diced. Grate raw vegetables into it (anything but potato) so that it is roughly 2⁄3 meat and 1⁄3 vegetable (if you prefer, you can put the vegetable through a food processor). Get some meaty bones from the butcher and give your dog one every day or two.
How much weight can you lose on raw food diet? ›
One study found that after switching to a raw food diet, men lost an average of 21.8 pounds and women lost an average of 26.4 pounds over 3.7 years. This same study found that 15 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women routinely consuming a raw diet were underweight.
Why are so many vets against raw diet? ›
Raw Food Has Pathogens That Will Make You and Your Pet Sick. For some reason, this criticism of raw feeding always seems like a slam dunk to the accuser. Yes, raw meat can grow pathogenic bacteria if not handled correctly. Yes, some bacteria can be harmful and can be passed along to you.
Why not to feed raw diet? ›
Several studies reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals and product recalls have demonstrated that raw or undercooked animal-sourced protein may be contaminated with a variety of pathogenic organisms, including Salmonella spp, Campylobacter spp, Clostridium spp, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and ...
Can you lose weight from eating raw meat? ›
The foods that many raw food proponents eat may include raw vegetables, fruits and drinks; some opt for raw meats, raw eggs, and raw fish. The raw diet, when implemented appropriately, can lead to significant weight loss, however there are considerations to be made before starting on this diet.
