It seems of lately that more and more we’ve been hearing about raw foods. Which leads me to say that adding more of them into your diet is absolutely a great way to boost your health. Incorporating raw foods into your everyday eating means focusing on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. With these foods as the foundation of your diet, you will have more energy, lose weight and feel fantastic, as they’re loaded with enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients.
But it’s not about becoming 100% raw and following strict guidelines – it’s just about eating better and getting some pure, clean, and fresh foods into your body. Even if half of your meals each day consist of raw food, you’re on the right track. Your entire meal doesn’t have to be raw; simply enjoy a cooked meal along with a salad or a fresh juice.
My advice: don’t get too caught up with the details. Just start simply by adding more “raw” foods into your meals.
Here are a few ways to get started + a delicious recipe!
- Have at least a serving or more of fresh fruit everyday. This can include an apple, pear, orange, berries or a fresh fruit smoothie
- Have multiple servings of fresh vegetables everyday – cut up carrots, celery, peppers, a large dark leafy green salad or a fresh pressed green juice
- Enjoy a handful (or two) of raw organic nuts and seeds. Put them into a trail mix with raisins, goji berries, apricots – and you can even add some pure raw dark chocolate (cacao) into the mix
- Grab a bag of fresh sunflower or pea sprouts from your local health food store or farmers market. These make a great addition to salads, sandwiches, soups, stir fry’s and smoothies
- Get creative and try to prepare a few new raw recipes each week including smoothies, raw nori rolls, cookies and nut based spreads
Almond Basil Pesto
A delicious spread to enjoy with raw bread, flatbread, and crackers or served with crunchy raw veggies, kelp noodles or shredded zucchini!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp torn fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup whole almonds, soaked overnight or for 8 hours
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
¼ cup olive oil (or more) for a creamier consistency
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth
- Place in a small bowl and refrigerate
- Serve with cucumber slices, zucchini noodles, carrots, whole grain or raw crackers or brown rice pasta/kelp noodles or steamed vegetables