In exploring the world of raw vegan cuisine, you may find yourself besieged with information, such as why you should eat this way, and the “rules” according to various gurus, associated pros and cons, etc. Some of this information is science-based, but much of what you will come across is questionable, even downright incorrect. These FAQs are designed to offer some healthy clarification. With a more balanced picture, you can decide what feels right for you.
What is a raw plant-based/vegan diet?
If you have been vegan or interested in plant-based eating for long, you may have a sense of the raw foods movement. While it may sound revolutionary, eating primarily raw food is really an age-old concept, with early advocates from Pythagoras and Leonardo de Vinci to Max Gerson and Ann Wigmore paving the way for many contemporary experts, such as Dr. Gabriel Cousins, David Wolfe, and Renée Loux, among others.
Definitions vary, but for our purposes here, going raw means building your diet around fresh, whole, unprocessed plant foods such as fresh fruits and veggies, raw juices and smoothies, raw nuts and seeds, fresh nut and/or seed milk, as well as sprouted, cultured and fermented plant foods. From these incredibly nutritious, highly versatile basics you can create countless entrées, salads, meals, snacks, beverages, desserts, and more. Raw or “living” foods may make up to 100 percent of one’s diet, though a consumption of closer to 80 percent raw foods, often referred to as “high raw,” is generally more common.
How will more raw foods benefit me?
If you think about it, the concept of eating primarily raw plant foods is really just an expansion on what we are told every day by mainstream health advocates, which is to eat more fruits and vegetables for optimal health and disease prevention. More Americans are transitioning to a diet centered on fresh produce now than ever before, largely due to the overwhelming evidence that has proliferated in recent decades on the many health benefits plant foods deliver.
Raw plant foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and important digestive enzymes, many of which are damaged when food is processed at high temperatures. Proper raw food preparations involve cleverly crafting food items without cooking them, which protects against nutrient loss. This means that with every bite, you receive a bounty of highly efficacious nutrients that your cells need to function at peak levels. This can benefit you in many ways, such as helping you to look and feel better overall, with more energy and mental clarity in many cases. It’s also an effective way to release unwanted fat enabling you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, as well as reducing your risk of illness and disease over time.
Are all raw plant-based diets alike?
Indeed, they are not, which is fortunate in that people are not all alike, and we all have unique physical, emotional and cultural responses to food. For example, a menu of primarily fresh fruit is not sustainable for everyone over time, though many individuals thrive on it. Others rely on a mix of raw fruits and veggies, sprouted foods, raw juices, and smoothies.
The addition of fresh nuts and seeds to this foundation opens up vast new possibilities. These nutrition powerhouses—which are incredibly versatile in meals, snacks, sauces, dressings, dips, and milks—also have great satiety value, helping you stay full and satisfied for hours. The most viable raw foods approach, that large numbers of people can comply with, enjoy, and thrive on over time, is arguably one that incorporates the broadest array of vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy whole food fats in moderation.
Do you have to be 100% raw?
Many people commit to going raw with gusto, striving to ensure that all food, drinks and condiments they consume are fully raw—never heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the widely accepted cut off temperature for keeping food officially raw. Others prefer the “high raw” path, a term for those that eat mostly raw, but periodically include cooked items too. Their menu may be 80 percent raw, for example, with 20 percent cooked items, such as beans and legumes (which can only be eaten raw when sprouted).
By no means must you be 100 percent raw to reap the benefits from a diet based in fresh produce, nuts, seeds, sprouts, etc. You may choose to be fully raw for periods of time, especially in warm weather, while adding soups and broths in winter, for example. The key is making this approach work for you, so adjust your menu as needed seasonally.
How can whole raw plant foods aid weight loss?
Nutrition experts tend to agree that fresh fruits and vegetables are our greatest allies in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. With few exceptions, fresh produce is naturally low in calories and brimming with nutrients and fiber. Other plant foods, such as raw nuts, seeds, beans and legumes—which can be enjoyed sprouted in a “living” foods approach—are rich in well-absorbed protein. And bean and legume sprouts are typically easier to digest than cooked versions, due to live enzyme density. Nutrition-packed sprouts of all varieties help you to feel full while supporting balanced blood sugar levels for balanced moods and stable energy.
Additionally, because fresh plant foods are high in fiber, plus nutritious liquid volume, or “structured water,” they fill you up without filling you out. Nuts and seeds are more calorie-dense than produce, but a little goes a long way, and they are highly satiating, so you feel well-nourished and satisfied for hours. To this end, nuts and seeds play an important role in balanced raw food nutrition you can thrive on for the long haul.
As you focus on highly beneficial foods and phase out processed/refined/ commercial “food artifacts”, a term coined by renowned orthomolecular physician and author Dr. Abram Hoffer, as well as refined sugar and animal-based items, you are likely to naturally release unwanted extra fat, especially if you are also exercising moderately on a regular basis. The key message here is that plant-based cuisine is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.
Is a balanced, mostly raw, plant-based menu realistic over time?
Yes. In fact, it’s more than realistic, it is also an extremely logical approach to food if you place a premium on optimal health and longevity, a trim body, vibrant, natural energy, and a radiant glow. There is arguably no essential nutrient or amino acid in animal products that is not also available in fruits, vegetables, sea produce, nuts, and seeds, and in a form that is often easier to digest and absorb, especially in the case of calcium. That said, no matter what your diet type, most of us fall short on vital nutrients, so it makes sense to take a full-spectrum, high-quality, multi-vitamin/mineral formula daily.
The colorful world of fresh plant foods overflows with gorgeous variety, flavor, satiety value, protein, nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals and more. It is the very pinnacle of enlightened cuisine. The trick for many individuals in transition is simply to re-sensitize their taste buds to more fully appreciate natural, authentic food flavors, enhanced with herbs, spices, and raw, mineral-rich Pink Himalayan or Celtic salt, as desired. The more you focus on beautiful, living food, the more you will appreciate it.
How long will it take to benefit from eating a raw plant-based diet?
This will obviously vary for everyone. The healthier you have been eating prior to your menu upgrade, the smoother the transition will tend to be, and the faster you are likely to experience improvements in your energy, appearance, and overall well-being. If high-quality nutrition has not been a high priority for you in recent years, it is best to be patient with this process, implementing change in proportion to past habits. That means, for example, easing more gradually into raw juices, smoothies, and large daily salads if you are not accustomed to them. If you are, you can simply increase them in your daily fare, crowding out less nutritious choices.
When implementing raw foods, choosing the right pace for your own body system helps to minimize any discomfort you might otherwise experience from extreme, “cold turkey” diet changes. A comfortable transition will also typically help with compliance, meaning you are more likely to stick with it over time so you obtain the results you seek and deserve—vibrant, radiant wellness! Rest assured that you are on the right path, and that you will soon manifest the positive changes you desire.
Does a true raw food menu feature only fruits and veggies?
While some raw vegans rely almost exclusively on fresh produce, particularly fruitarians, this approach is not for everyone—nor is it required, given the plethora of deliciously satisfying, healthy items that still qualify as raw. This generous food array includes nuts, seeds, nut/seed milks and butters, raw hummus and dips, sprouted grains and legumes, sea vegetables, gently warmed soups and entrées, fermented items like sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso, crispy dehydrated munchies including crackers, flat breads and crusts for dipping, stacking and layering, kale chips, energy bars, cookies, and more. How about raw chocolate truffles? Pizza? Cheesecake? Your options are virtually limitless.
Do you have to adhere to 80/10/10?
As you explore the raw food world, you will soon hear about the 80/10/10 diet, developed by Dr. Doug Graham, a chiropractor and athlete, who also authored the book and is considered by many as the guru of the raw food movement. His plan advises followers to consume most of their calories from raw fruit—80 percent—with only 10 percent from protein and the remaining 10 percent from raw fat. Despite its often zealous following, by no means is anyone required to follow the 80/10/10 diet to eat healthy and raw, nor does it make sense for everyone.
For example, eating mainly fruit is not ideal for those sensitive to high levels of sugar, even in a natural form. 80/10/10 is also ill-advised for those who thrive with more protein-rich foods. You may simply do better overall with a more evenly balanced ratio of carbs to protein to fat. The most nutritionally sound raw food menu will offer a comprehensive array of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids, meet basic protein needs, and include at least a modest amount of healthy, raw fat daily for optimal wellness.
Is it expensive to eat as a raw vegan?
While creating healthy, organic raw meals can be pricy, it’s also potentially very cost-effective, depending on your approach. For example, if you invest in a wide array of exotic superfoods, organic produce out of season, high-end supplements, and other specialty items, you can expect a fairly high grocery bill on a daily basis. Conversely, a healthy raw menu can also be one of the most cost-effective way to dine.
A more economical approach, for example, is to purchase locally grown organic produce in season with a focus on “Dirty Dozen” items, a term coined by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) referring to their famous list of twelve fruits and vegetables that have been found to have exceptionally high levels of pesticide residues. The “Dirty Dozen” are peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, imported grapes, peas, sweet bell peppers, celery, kale, lettuce and carrots. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), we can reduce our pesticide intake by 80 percent simply by choosing organic with these twelve items.
If you are unable to purchase organic produce due to availability or cost, perhaps you can at least focus on the “Clean Fifteen,” another EWG resource listing 15 fruits and vegetables with the least amount of chemical contamination. The Clean Fifteen consists of onions, corn, pineapple, avocado, asparagus, peas, mango, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit and mushrooms. Additionally, cucumbers, tomatoes, bananas, broccoli and winter squash also rank among the least contaminated options.
Will you still need nutritional supplements?
While a comprehensive raw vegan menu—rich in colorful produce and raw protein sources like flax, hemp, and chia seeds—provides you with all 9 essential amino acids, there may still be key nutrients you may fall short on, which is why a high-quality multi-vitamin-mineral formula is a good idea. But that’s not just for raw vegans; it’s difficult to claim that any diet style covers all your bases for optimal nutrition through food alone, especially given depletions caused by the stresses of modern life, pollution, daily chemical exposure, caffeine, alcohol, and many other factors. To that end, most Americans, regardless of diet, could benefit from a comprehensive, full spectrum multi-vitamin/mineral formula as well as EPA and DHA essential fatty acids. Happily, you can easily find high-quality vegan supplements—even “raw” formulations.
