Have you ever heard about raw veganism? Such philosophy originates from a combination of both uncooked food diet and veganism. Moreover, it comprises consuming edibles that are 100% vegetable origin and 0% processed food items. The cooking process of most of these comestibles takes place under 107.6 F. Additionally, one of the many benefits of following a raw vegan diet is that it preserves many vitamins and minerals that otherwise will disappear with heat. That is why we ingest a higher number of micronutrients, and vegetables that enter our body keep their enzymes. Furthermore, these carry out chemical processes in our organism.
Debunking myths of raw veganism
Among many myths about raw veganism, one indicates that it is not possible to eat any heated up meal, and you can only ingest uncooked fruits and vegetables. However, you can consume cooked food, but you should limit its amount to 30% of the whole diet. On the other hand, there is no place for fried or processed food, gluten, and soy —except for some particular occasions—. Regarding the remaining 70% of the nutrition plan, you can consume either uncooked or cooked products. Nevertheless, you have to be careful with potatoes and eggplants. It is not possible to have them raw.
Although the most critical items of a raw vegan diet are fruits and vegetables, seeds are indispensable as well. Moreover, superfoods such as maca and spirulina, sprouted grains, dry fruits, seaweed, and whole cereals are also crucial.
Substitute traditional products for vegan products
In this dietary plan, substituting traditional edibles for vegan options is another relevant factor. For example, if you want to replace whole wheat bread, the right choice would be making one out of spelt or non-refined sourdough. Moreover, it is also possible to opt for rye or rice.
As regards pasta, not everything is wheat. There are great alternatives such as pasta made of corn, rice, quinoa, rye, buckwheat, or even legumes. Besides, you can also elaborate pasta with vegetables like carrot and zucchini with a spiral vegetable slicer. Use broccoli or cauliflower to substitute couscous, as these cruciferous vegetables have plenty of properties. And you can even use raw cauliflower to replace rice when making raw vegan sushi.
Concerning sugar, try using stevia or date syrup. If you want, you can also use dates only to give your recipes a touch of sweetness.
What kitchen utensils do I need to prepare raw vegan recipes?
When following a raw vegan diet, you should add a wide variety of food items and mix them properly. What is more, four gadgets will be your allies in the kitchen. These kitchen utensils will give you a high hand at the time of making raw vegan recipes!
In the first place, a spiral vegetable slicer will allow you to make pasta out of plants. Such a thing does not mean that you will not consume cooked pasta ever again, but as this is limited, a slicer like this can be amazingly fruitful. On the other hand, a blender is perfect for juices and shakes. You can make some drinks with fruits and combine them with seeds or superfoods. Plus, it is also possible to elaborate great milkshakes with vegetable milk.
Secondly, a good food processor is also a must. In raw vegan diets, it can be precious. When making desserts, most people use chopped nuts as a basis, for example. Additionally, such a tool can be perfect for elaborating uncooked vegan cheeses, like the one made of carrot and almonds.
In raw vegan plans, sprouted food is essential. With a good sprouter, you can make your own sprouted edibles at home like lentils, chickpeas, alfalfa, etc. These contain plenty of nutrients, and you can include them in your salads or any other vegan preps you can imagine.
Food dehydrator: another best friend in vegan cooking
We had to add a fifth kitchen utensil that can be of good use for our raw vegan preps. And that is a food dehydrator. Dehydrated edibles have more flavor, texture, are in a better state of conservation, and suffer almost no nutritional losses. Besides, such nourishment can be the perfect healthy snack to counter traditional fries. Plus, there are plenty of recipes, including dehydrated comestibles, that you can include in your nutritional plan. For example, if you want to make sausages for pasta or a delicious sobrassada, pick some dry tomatoes. These contain high levels of calcium!
Some tremendous raw vegan ideas for your meals
Have a glance at these awesome ideas for preparing some uncooked vegan dishes and expand your alternatives. Of course, they are fun and effortless! What is more, you can serve these preps with cooked items such as stews with legumes, rice, or creams.
For breakfast, you can make some toasts with raw vegan bread, shakes, and even supplement them with seeds or dry fruits. This kind of non-cooked food can be the perfect alternative if we still want to consume toasts. Also, you can make them of tomato, guacamole, and more.
Regarding lunch, a delicious raw zucchini lasagna can be a fantastic choice. You can add variations to this delicacy by including sausages. Also, if you want to cook it, you can use some eggplants, but in this case, it would not be in the raw scope of meals.
Raw vegan dinner, the last meal of the day
Finally, if you want to have a healthy dinner, you can prepare some dehydrated burgers. There is a wide range of vegetable burgers that you can make with legumes. However, the only thing that changes in comparison with traditional vegan burgers is the dehydration process. Another classic is pizza, and of course, you can make a raw vegan pizza with spinach and more vegetables. So tasty.
As you can see, raw veganism is not as restrictive as you thought!
If you still have more curiosity about raw veganism, you can click here for additional information: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-vegan-diet