When I started with raw food 30 years ago, I found myself modeling my raw food portion sizes after my standard western meals. Imagine a standard sized plate with a piece of meat, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and some type of cooked vegetable like peas, corn, or carrots.
My first few raw food salads took up the same amount of room on my plate, but I learned very quickly that this amount of salad still left me for hungry and wanting to eat more.
Why? The answer is simple: high water content fruits and vegetables do not contain as many calories per pound as more dense cooked foods. What it came down to, was that I needed to eat more food to feel satisfied, so my fruit and vegetable meals grew in size and I felt satisfied.
People would comment about the amount of food I was eating, but I was happy the results I was getting. I even lost a little bit of weight without even trying.
This is the principle of calorie density in action. Calorie density is the number of calories per weight of a particular food, such as calories per pound. The greatest determinants of calorie density are water, fat, and fiber content, and of these, water is most important.
The more water a food contains, the lower the calorie density of that food. The higher the fiber content of a food, the lower the calorie density. The higher the fat content of a food, the higher the calorie density.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fiber, low in fat, and are water rich in comparison to foods that contain less water, such as nuts and seeds, grains, and meat products.
Raw vegetables are around 100 calories per pound while fruits range from 200 to 300 calories per pound. Cooked legumes and grains range from 400 â 500 calories per pound, meat/meat products range from 500 to 2500 calories per pound, and nuts and seeds range from 2500 to 2750 calories per pound.
As you can see, centering your diet around fruits and vegetables is much lower in calorie density than centering oneâs diet around meat, denser cooked foods, or nuts and seeds. This is why when someone shifts over to a raw food diet focused on fruits and vegetables, it is essential to increase portion sizes to feel full and get important nutrients.
And this is why those of us on the path for a long time eat large salads! Weâve been teaching this topic for over 15 years, since we see it as an essential-to-understand foundational topic for raw food and plant-based diet success and is one of the many important topics we cover in our Mastering Raw Food Nutrition course.
When I became interested in raw food 30 years ago, as I was in my early 20s my parents were, not surprisingly, concerned when they saw me making changes to my diet. They thought that my transition from a standard western dietary approach to vegetarian and then vegan were one thing, but then raw food was in a whole new universe. My parents were looking for reassurance that my dietary changes were in my best interest. However, when they saw the benefits I was experiencing they started to become more open minded. I assured them that I wanted to give this fruit and vegetable-based approach a try to see how well it would support my health and that I was open to change if the need presented itself â this put their minds to ease. I think they thought it was a phase and that I would âgrow out of itâ, which of course never happened. 30 years later Iâm still on the path and experiencing the benefits!
The bottom line is that the way that I answered my parentsâ concerns back then created opportunities for conscious discussion and would set the stage for how I would explain this lifestyle for years to come to people who might not be familiar with it, might be skeptical, etc. In my experience, building bridges and fostering clear relatable conversation has almost always led to curiosity and thoughtful dialog.
How do you explain or share your raw, vegan, or plant-based lifestyle to loved ones, friends, and other people in your life?
You can find the recipe for this tomato dressing, along with smoothies, salads, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
One of the many wonderful properties about raw fruits and vegetables is the synergistic symphony of phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain. For example, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in antioxidant carotenoids and xanthophylls, like beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, etc.
Berries with red, purple, or blue coloring tend to be rich in antioxidant anthocyanins. In addition to anthocyanins, red raspberries additionally contain ellagic acid (also found in pomegranates), quercetin, and a variety of other phytonutrients.
Leafy greens are well-known for their chlorophyll and folate content. They also contain carotenoids and xanthophylls that we do not see because the chlorophyll is covering them when the leaf is photosynthetically active. Leafy greens need chlorophyll in order to create energy from sunlight through a process called photosynthesis. As the leaf approaches the end of its life, the chlorophyll breaks down revealing the yellow and/or orange carotenoids underneath. Much like what happens with foliage in the fall.
Blueberries in addition to being a source of anthocyanins, also have a number of phytochemicals currently under research. It will be exciting to see what the researchers find! This is one of the many things I love about research, itâs constantly evolving and we get to learn more about nutrition and health on an ongoing basis!
The bottom line is that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables offers a variety of different phytonutrients to our body in addition to the important vitamins and minerals they provide. I do my best to include rainbow of fruits and vegetables in my daily diet.
You can find the recipes for a variety of smoothies along with salads, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list here: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
What are some of your favorite brightly colored fruits and vegetables?
It goes without saying that sleep is an important part of our daily routine since so many body functions rely upon the restoration that sleep brings for proper functioning of our various organ systems, including our immune system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, endocrine (hormonal) system, and more. Mood, memory, and cognitive function are also affected by the amount and quality of sleep we experience.
In regard to amount, sleeping 8 hours per night is ideal for me â on most days, I allow myself to spontaneously awaken without an alarm clock and I do not feel the need to drink any type of caffeine containing beverage to get myself going in the morning. In fact, I have only had 3 cups of coffee in my entire life, all before I became interested in raw food 30 years ago. Rick and I also sleep in a fully dark bedroom, which can help with melatonin production. Fortunately, we live in an area where there isnât much ambient light and we have a dark shade to block out any moonlight that may be present.
To help feel well-rested and refreshed upon rising in the morning, I also stop eating 4 or more hours before going to bed the night before so that Iâm not actively digesting food in my stomach while sleeping. Iâve noticed a huge difference in how I feel this way versus eating closer to bed time, which leads to me feeling groggy and not as well-slept the next day. This being said, some people have shared that eating before bed helps them actually sleep better.
Which way works best for you?
Exercise earlier in the day, also helps me experience restful sleep as does several minutes of mediation periodically throughout the day.
Photo: Presenting at the 2019 UK Fruitfest. Often when Iâm traveling, my sleep is not as sound as when Iâm home, but at this festival my sleep was great! Mustâve been the awesome food and company! Cheers to organizer Ronnie, his impressive team, and to everyone I had the joy of meeting there!
What strategies have helped you experience restorative sleep?
This can sometimes be a challenging one for me, since like so many people, I spend a lot of time working. This being said, I love my work and because of my passion for what I do, I find myself spending 10 or sometimes more hours per day working on a variety of projects to bring science and research-based health and nutrition information to people. Very often, I find that the work I do can be relaxing in and of itself since I experience so much satisfaction from what I do!
Nonetheless, taking breaks from even enjoyable activities can be beneficial and necessary. Since I spend a lot of time sitting at my computer, I find exercise and movement to be an essential relaxation activity. I know this may sound a little counter-intuitive, but I see going for a run or lifting weights as a welcome reward for my productivity whether itâs writing an article like this one, answering emails, doing some research, etc. Taking screen breaks at least once per hour allows me to move around, stretch, relax my mind, and come back to my work with a fresh perspective. During these periods of relaxation, I also give myself a âbreakâ from stress I may be feeling around a deadline, or otherwise.
Interestingly enough, sometimes the best ideas Iâve had have come to me while relaxing, such as while Iâm out running or walking or just not focusing so intently on a task.
Have you ever noticed this?
I love it when this happens!
Itâs these times when I find my mind integrating what Iâve been focusing on recently, which creates space for ideas to emerge and allows for me to feel more grounded and centered.
So, for these and so many other reasons, I find relaxation to be valuable and essential.
You can find the recipe for this salad, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
What do you enjoy doing, or not doing, for relaxation?
Day 16 of my top 30 for 30: The Many Ways you can Hydrate
Youâve likely heard people say that we need 8 cups of water per day for good hydration (or something similar). The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine has set guidelines, known as the daily âadequate intakes,â or AIs, for water consumption. These AIs are for people living in temperate climates, and do not take into account exercise, perspiration, sodium intake, humidity, etc., all of which may alter the amount of water needed to be âadequately hydrated.â Nevertheless, the AIs do give us reasonable guidelines.
The water AI for women is 2.7 liters (91 oz. or 11.4 8-oz. glasses) and for men is 3.7 liters (125 oz. or 15.6 8-oz. glasses). The recommendations take into account not only what we consume from drinking water directly, but also from beverages and food.
As we know, a raw food diet or raw food-focused diet is generally a high-water content diet, so what do these recommendations mean for a person eating a lot of high-water content foods? To get a clearer picture, I created some menu plans for various raw food approaches â the water content in them ranged from around 1.9 liters to more than 3.5 liters per day for 2,000 calorie menu plans. The more nuts, seeds, and dehydrated foods on these menus, the less water they contained.
For comparison, we also evaluated a sample standard western menu and found 1.5 liters of water for almost 3,000 calories. For a 2,000 calorie menu plan, the water content would be even lower.
The bottom line is that generally the greater the content of fruits and vegetables (and their juices) in oneâs diet, the higher the water content. As we can see here, a diet based on fruits and vegetables can make a significant contribution to oneâs daily water needs.
If you are interested in evaluating your own diet or doing your own set of comparisons, an online nutrient analysis program can be helpful â many of our students like Cronometer. Full transparency â we do not receive any remuneration from Cronometer. If you have any similar suggestions, please feel free to let us know which one you like!
Iâve been drinking green juice sporadically for years, however it wasnât until a few months ago that I actually started incorporating it into my daily diet. I was having a conversation with a raw food friend who said that he had been drinking celery juice daily and noticed a positive change in his overall well-being. I tend to be somewhat skeptical of trends, but nonetheless I was curious, so I added 32 ounces of celery juice per day to my daily diet for a month. I was surprised to see that I noticed a difference within a couple of days â I guess the best way to describe how I felt was an even greater sense of clarity and not surprisingly, hydration. After the month was over, I added cucumber to the juice and I felt similarly to how I felt with the straight celery juice. Iâm so happy that I gave this a try, since this experience has brought my health experience to an even higher level!
Nutritionally, I see green juice as added value to my daily diet. For example, my favorite green juice is composed of 10 stalks of celery (12â in length) and 2 medium cucumbers (8â in length). Even though this is a very simple light green juice, the nutrient content of the ingredients used to make this juice is significant: 352 mg of calcium, 2.97 mg of iron, 2.03 mg of zinc, etc. Please note that these numbers are for the ingredients used to make the juice, not the actual amounts in the juice, which has yet to be fully studied. Iâve found this particular recipe for light green juice to be a great way to introduce green juice to family members who are new to healthy eating, since the flavor is not as strong as it tends to be with the inclusion of darker leafy greens. The addition of the juice of one lemon can help as well.
There are juice recipes in in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook and our New Yearâs Juicing Reboot Guide which you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.
Before I became interested in raw food 30 years ago, I thought of fruit as a dessert, a condiment, or a decoration on top of my cereal. Honestly, I did not particularly like fruit growing up because invariably I would get an upset stomach almost every time I ate it. When I learned about raw food, my initial thought was that eating this way is not possible for me. At the time, I was looking for a solution to a health challenge, so I was willing to explore my options. I reluctantly gave eating more fruit a try and was surprised at how well I felt.
What was the difference? Placebo? Was I just so desperate to feel better that I just wished myself into feeling better after eating fruit? Well, not really. Honestly, I was hoping that raw food would not make a difference in my health because it seemed so complicated and different than the norm, or more specifically my norm. Raw food eating may seem a bit eccentric to most people now, but imagine how it was perceived in 1990 when I was getting started. Much to my chagrin, raw food did make a big difference for me health-wise and my perception of it was radically changed. My attitude changed to gratitude with the health results I experienced.
So, why did fruit work for me digestion-wise when previously it had not? I'm sure many of you can guess the answer. The fact is, before going raw I was eating fruit with or right after other foods which did not work for my digestion. The food combining principle of eating fruits away from other foods was really a game-changer for me, since I was actually able to start enjoying fruit without digestive distress for really the first time in my life! If you're not familiar with the principles of food combining for digestive purposes, they're definitely worth a look. In our class, Mastering Raw Food Nutrition, we examine food combining principles from a modern scientific perspective.
For many years now, fruit has played an important role in my diet. To see if I could further refine my approach to fruit combining, I did some experimenting. As a result, I've found that fruit blended with certain leafy greens in smoothies works just fine for my digestion. Melons are best eaten on their own for me. I've made raw desserts for special occasions that have contained both fruit and chis seeds without digestive challenges, while recipes containing both nuts and fruit generally do not work for me. These are some of my experiences with fruit combining. Naturally, what works for you is most important.
What principles of food combining have worked for you?
Back when we started our health journeys over 30 years ago, there werenât nearly as many resources available for connecting with other raw food enthusiasts as there are today. For that matter there werenât nearly as many raw foodists back then, or even vegans or vegetarians! We knew a small number of people on this path, but even that handful of enthusiasts made all the difference.
We shared our ideas, had get-togethers and potlucks, celebrated our progress, and enjoyed our experience! This was much different than connecting today, given that back then, none of us had computers. The internet was in its infancy and most people, ourselves included, had never even heard of it. There were no websites, smartphones, social media, etc. There were resources, but not nearly as many as are available today.
Nowadays, itâs easier to connect with like-minded people from all over the globe and it has been a joy to witness the blossoming of the raw food, vegan, and plant-based communities into full-fledged movements!
Without a doubt and from our point of view, the value of having a community of people with a similar mindset cannot be overestimated. Our experience of support, friendship, personal development, sharing of personal experience, and so much more has made all the difference for us!
The juice in this photo is straight pomegranate juice that we often enjoy in smaller amounts in smoothies or mixed with orange juice. Recipes for these and lots of other delicious raw foods can be found in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
How important has connection and community been in your success on your health journey?
When I started my raw food journey, I experienced a number of health improvements, including a significant improvement in the fatigue I was experiencing, clearing of my constant nasal congestion, a greater sense of well-being, a greater sense of clarity, etc. The sharp contrast I experienced between how I felt before making my transition to raw and how I felt afterwards painted a very clear picture in my mind that is just as clear today as it was 30 years ago.
Having this clear picture of the reasons why I started my health journey is one of the many reasons why I have stayed on the raw food vegan path over the long term.
The reason why Iâm covering this here is that, when the challenges come up, if you have a strong picture in your mind or have a strong connection to why you started on this path, this can help to inspire you to continue on your path. On a related note, Dr. Rick can remember back to his early days of making positive healthful changes and working away from the unhealthful ones, which at times seemed difficult, he kept one major theme in mind that was a constant source of inspiration for him: âThe bigger the challenge, the greater the reward!â
This photo is of some fresh-squeezed orange juice ready to be mixed with pomegranate juice. You can find the instructions for creating straight pomegranate juice or orange pomegranate juice along with salads, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
Over the past 30 years of being on the raw food path, Iâve heard many personal stories from people about the reaction of friends or loved ones to the changes theyâve made to their diet. Most of the time when they moved toward a plant-based, vegan, or raw food approach there was questioning, concern, skepticism, etc. Even a shift away from processed foods toward a diet based more on whole foods was often met with similar questioning.
So, what do you do when you are so excited about your lifestyle that you want to share it with others who may not be familiar with it? Sure, you can spend some time explaining the ins and outs of the nutritional benefits or the benefits for the planet and animals, but one approach has worked really well for us â providing an experience of the food.
For example, at past family and other types of gatherings, we just present the food without talking about how raw food is âmore healthyâ or making comparisons between a raw food diet and any other way of eating. Weâve found that If people think that the food is different or âspecial,â they may be less interested in trying it. This way they donât see the food as different. They just eat and enjoy it. Most of the time, the recipes we make are composed of foods they are already familiar with â fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc.
In our experience, tasty raw food dishes are often the first to disappear from the table and people may even ask if there is more. Weâve found that raw desserts are a great way to introduce raw plant foods to anyone, because they taste great and are often prepared in ways that are familiar. Our raw pies have been a hit at family holiday parties.
BTW, you can find the recipes for two of our pies in our holiday recipes eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322
During the month of October 2020, I am counting down the top 30 mindset and practical strategies that have made all the difference in my success for 30 years as a raw food plant-based enthusiast to help you on your path!
How have you introduced friends and family members to your lifestyle and how did it work?
When I started my raw food journey 30 years ago, I was ready. Ready to let go of my fatigue and step into a new way of being in the world. This being said, my skeptical mind was casting doubt on whether or not this new lifestyle would actually âworkâ and I found myself somewhat overwhelmed with all the new foods, where to keep them all, making sure that I was eating them before they would start to senesce, how to prepare them, how to eat enough to feel full, the food combining parameters to consider, and more.
Does this sound familiar?
It was a lot to consider all at once, but one major shift that helped me to organize all of this new information and lifestyle changes was my mindset.
I really wanted to give this lifestyle a solid chance, and it was that motivation that kept me going at first. I saw all of the changes I was making and my new experiences with them as an adventure! And when I really started to see results, my enthusiasm skyrocketed! Eventually, the day-to-day considerations became second nature and all of the transition challenges started to melt away into a sea of improved health and a greater sense of wellbeing.
The bottom line is my mindset of growth and enjoyment helped to move me through the initial adjustment period and in the end all the changes I made were well worth all the effort.
BTW, you can find the recipe for this salad, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.
Was there any particular mindset or practical strategy that helped you in your transition to a more health-promoting lifestyle? What role has enjoyment played in your success?
Given how busy we all are these days, I know this can be easier said than done. Creating time for exercise is similar to dietary change in that when you make it a priority, then you get to reap the benefits. Over the years, Iâve been asked what type of exercise I think is âbestâ and I know there are a lot of different points of view out there on this topic, so Iâll leave the specifics up to the experts and researchers. Itâs my thought that whichever type of exercise one enjoys and will regularly engage in is a good choice. Of course, deciding on what form of exercise one chooses depends on a number of factors such as oneâs current fitness level, their fitness goals, past injuries if any, and other considerations.
I first transitioned to a raw plant-based diet 30 years ago, I had more energy than I knew what to do with and for the first time in my life, I was actually feeling strongly drawn to exercise. Throughout high school, I ran track and cross-country, so I had a history of being physically active, but I didnât really enjoy it that much. After becoming raw during my college years, my exercise recovery times were improved, I felt more energetic while running, I could run faster and longer, and my experience of health and well-being rose to a level I never could have imagined! The combination of exercise and dietary change for me was powerful in so many ways!
What are your favorite forms of movement and exercise?
For any change Iâve made in my life, including shifting my diet to whole natural plant foods, Iâve found is that there has been a period of adjustment.
For me, it seemed that the bigger the change the more significant the adjustment, as stretching into a new experience can be simultaneously exciting and unsettling.
Apparently, thereâs been research done on how long it actually takes to form a new positive habit, which is really interesting. But what it comes down to for me is that practice, regardless of time frame, has been my best ally in creating lasting change. In addition to getting my new health-supporting practices into my mindset and daily routine, I also had some very compelling reasons for shifting my diet and lifestyle including my health, the animals, the environment, etc.
Having a strong âwhyâ propelled me forward and helped to keep me on track during challenging times. But in the end, practice was one of my most significant keys to success, along with not being hard on myself if I found myself starting to fall off track. When this happened, I would address the challenge, find a solution, pick myself up, continue onward, and learn from my experience.
BTW, you can find recipes for dishes containing pomegranates and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.
How has practice worked for you in creating health-supporting habits?
One of the biggest challenges to creating new health-promoting habits is actually having healthful food that you enjoy on hand. How many times have I heard from people that early on in their raw food or plant-based vegan transition that they ran out of food and had to resort to preparing something else that happened to be on hand but wasnât really what they wanted to make. They were hungry, maybe they just got home from work, or their family was wanting to have a meal soon. They didnât want to go out shopping for fruits and vegetables, etc. so they just made something in their pantry left over from before they started eating healthier.
Can you relate?
Honestly, I hear similar stories even from people who have been on the path for a while, so if this is similar to your story, no worries. Please know that youâre certainly not alone.
How can this situation be handled? One answer is keeping your fridge and pantry stocked at all times if possible. Implementing this can take practice. Depending on what types of foods you like, whether or not they need refrigeration (like lettuce or other types of leafy greens), or need to be left out to ripen for a period of time (like rock-hard avocados) or can store well in a pantry (like sunflower seeds for sprouting), it may take a while to âget used toâ eating this way. And thatâs okay.
It took me some time to figure out how much of each type of food to buy and how long these foods would stay fresh versus how much of these foods I would eat and what recipes I would make.
Itâs a lot to digest all at once. But in time I figured it out and it became just as second nature as meal planning in the before times. My most helpful strategy was to always have something delicious and easy to prepare on hand at all times. My new âstapleâ foods which youâll see in a lot of my recipes.
What kitchen planning success strategies have you developed? What are your favorite staple foods?
Day 6 of my top 30 for 30: Know that your social situations may change, especially when it comes to meals away from home. How do you handle social situations that involve food, such as going to a friend or family memberâs house or a restaurant?
Here are some of the strategies that Rick and I have employed in such situations:
For a friend or family member, we have offered to bring a dish to share with everyone, which usually brings a happy sigh of relief from the host. And you may find that your dish is one of the first to disappear with lots of smiles and requests for the recipe!
If you are going to a restaurant with a group of people (such as co-workers or family members), you can suggest a restaurant where you know you can get a healthy dish.
If the group chooses another restaurant that youâre not familiar with, you can call the restaurant ahead of time to see if the menu contains some healthy items, and if not, you can see if the restaurant is open to special requests. During the past 30 years, we have found it to be progressively easier to find dishes we like at most restaurants.
Another useful strategy is filling up on healthy food before going out, so you can be assured that you will not be left with undesirable menu choices and a hungry stomach.
What matters most is what you eat consistently, day in and day out, not what you might consume once a month or a few times a year at various types of social gatherings. So, if you end up eating something that you wouldnât normally, notice how you feel, without judgment, and get back on track the next day.
By the way, you can find the recipe for this raw pumpkin pie in our holiday recipes eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list.
Day 5 of my top 30 for 30: Know yourself. When I say this, I mean that is helpful to know what approach to dietary transition works for you, or worked for you. Are you the type of person who likes to jump in with both feet and go all out? Did raw food and/or veganism resonate so deeply with you that you transitioned overnight and never looked back? Or are you someone who likes to take your time to transition and give yourself the opportunity to let each step fully sink in and integrate into your daily life? Do you like to know all the facts first, come up with a solid plan, and then start? Or are you somewhere in between? Is your goal to be 100% raw or is it to be high raw or some other percentage?
I ask these questions because over the years, Iâve had many people share their transition experiences with me and a number have expressed that they wish they had done things differently or felt pressure to transition differently than they had.
Itâs my thought that there is no one ârightâ way to transition. One of the common threads Iâve seen in successful and long-maintained dietary transitions is that the person was happy with their experience. They considered the strategy that resonated the most with where they were at the time and started on the path. They minimized the influences painting a picture of what it âshouldâ look like in order to âworkâ.
They were true to themselves. Whether it took a day or a year or more time to transition.
For me, I was really motivated to improve my health with raw food and resonated strongly with the vegan message, so I went full in and figured the out details over time. This was quite a stretch for me given my normal tendency to approach situations more methodically. This being said, I was enthusiastic, ready to learn, open to making changes as needed, and happy with my overall transition experience and health outcome.
What was your transition like?
Welcome to my top 30 for 30! During the month of October, I am counting down the top 30 mindset and practical strategies that have made all the difference in my success for 30 years as a raw food plant-based enthusiast to help you on your path!
Day 4 of my top 30 for 30: When I first got started on my raw path over 30 years ago, there were not the food resources available we have today. I purchased my food at a regular grocery store because that was all that was available to me where I lived in the northeastern US and even though I did not have access to organic food at the time and didnât have a wide variety of produce options then, my health improved dramatically.
It certainly can be challenging to eat healthy food consistently if itâs hard to find or if it is too costly. Rick and I have listed below several options for purchasing produce other than traditional grocery or health food stores:
1) Farmers Markets
One of the main benefits of farmers markets is that the food is grown locally, and tends to be fresher than food found in a store. At farmers markets in the area where we now live in northern California, organically grown or pesticide-free food is fortunately easy to find. Because the food is local and fresh, one may often find a much greater variety of produce compared to what is available in a store, where shelf life and transportability are major concerns that dictate availability. We look forward to each season to buy the freshest local food. For example, we love peaches and other stone fruit in the summer, and look forward to pomegranates in the fall and persimmons in late fall and early winter.
As you get to know some of the farmers at your local market, you can inquire to see if they would be willing to sell you larger quantities than the average consumer purchases, for a discounted price. Some will and some wonât. We have been fortunate enough to find some good sellers who know that we are raw food enthusiasts and will buy in quantity from them consistently if they offer us a good deal. As there are many other raw food enthusiasts in our area of northern California, many farmers are familiar with the benefits of selling in quantity.
You will tend to get especially good deals on items in season. This seasonal model works out as a double bonus as you get lots of high-quality fresh produce and at a great price. In the summer for example, we often eat a lot of raw zucchini with tomato-based dressing. Dr. Rick has been known to shred up 6-8 zucchini into a large mixing bowl which he tops with his favorite tomato dressing for dinner.
2) Wholesale produce markets
We have visited wholesale markets in both the San Francisco bay area and the New York metro area. We live in the SF bay area, so when we buy from our local wholesale produce market we buy enough food to last the two of us about 2 weeks. Why so much? The food available at wholesale markets is sold in boxes or cases. This works well for us because the produce is so fresh, that it lasts for often weeks at a time in our large-capacity dedicated refrigerator.
On average, we spend about 50% less on produce from the wholesale markets than we would spend on the same amount of food at a natural foods retail market or average farmers market prices. A good example is organically grown Romaine lettuce, which at our local farmers market and in a retail store in our area cost about $2 or more per head. In the summer of 2015, we paid $21 for a 24 head case of very fresh organically grown Romaine lettuce. This price does vary depending on the season. Sometimes cases of romaine may cost $40 or more, but the retail prices at that time are more like $3 per head. In 2020, these prices are similar. It is interesting to note that the romaine lettuce in retail markets are often much smaller than those sold at wholesale, because they are not as fresh and have had several of the outer leaves picked off. We have found that when we buy lettuce at wholesale, the heads are very large, since very few, if any of the outer leaves have been removed.
The wholesale markets we have visited often have a wide variety of produce, since there are many produce vendors who obtain their food from local, domestic, and international farmers. We really enjoy going to the wholesale markets because of the wide variety of food available, especially organic and locally produced. A very large percentage of the food that we eat is organically grown and local. This is one of the benefits for us of living in a major metropolitan area of California where we can access the year-round wholesale produce markets and farmers markets.
Wholesale produce markets are usually further away from home than local retailers, and often are open during overnight hours instead of during the day. While this can present some challenges, we have found it well worth the effort, as for the next two weeks or so we barely have to buy anything in a retail store, have fresher food, and save thousands of dollars per year. On the whole it is also much more convenient to purchase a car-load of food in cases, as opposed to having to run all of that food through a retail cash register. We would often find it a challenge to load up all the produce on the conveyer belt that was not nearly large enough for all of the food, and try to supervise the bagger not to damage any of the produce. At the wholesale produce markets, those issues donât exist. You either carry the cases yourself, which is great exercise, or if you purchase larger quantities the sellers may bring your order on a pallet right to your car, as we have experienced. Everything is well-packed, protected, and easy to transport.
It is important to mention that wholesale produce sellers are often located in industrial areas with loading docks. It is sometimes very noisy with trucks and pallet loaders zipping around, so while shopping, we have to be constantly aware of our surroundings. We are fine with that, as it is well worth it on the whole to get large quantities of very fresh produce very conveniently at about half the price of retail. We are very fortunate to have Earlâs Organic Produce in San Francisco, where we know most of the people there at this point and have been âregularsâ for many years.
We have spoken to some of our students who have considered purchasing food at wholesale markets, but think that cases of produce would provide too much food for them, so they have thought of starting:
3) Produce buying clubs
This strategy allows one to buy fresh produce in quantity with a group of people, who then share the produce. This can help keep produce costs down, while not having to buy individually in such large quantities. Dr. Rick started a produce buying club with a friend while in graduate school. They ordered produce for the group weekly and people would come over to their apartment and pick up their order on specified days. This model worked reasonably well, most of the time. Rick found that the biggest challenge was people in the group not picking up their produce at the specified times, and people would be coming over at times he needed to study. He did have a busy schedule between work and school, so the hours that he was available for pick up were somewhat limited. Also, although there was a minimum order, he had many people in the club who would buy small quantities such as a bag of raisins and a few apples, which meant more small transactions taking up a lot of time. Also, back in the mid 90âs, before the use of personal computers and the internet were widespread, there were a lot of logistics that made things a lot more complicated than they are today.
We think this model would work well for a small group of committed people with pick-up hours amenable to all group members. One could maybe even share the produce pick-up or delivery responsibilities. In the past few years, we have seen many examples of produce buying clubs that work well. We occasionally do some of this informally, such as when we buy a whole case of avocados, which is a lot for us. Weâll typically call some produce-based raw food friends and see if they would like to buy half the case from us. Another example is at times we have split a 20-pound case of dulse with one or more raw food enthusiast friends who live in our area.
4) Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs
In this type of program, one âbuys inâ to the harvest of a local grower or group of growers. Each week when the produce is harvested it is split up among the CSA members who pick up the produce at a specified time and place. This often results in being able to obtain the freshest and most local produce available. We have admittedly not taken advantage of any such programs in our area, as our other methods work well for us.
5) Costco and other wholesale clubs
We are delighted that Costco has been increasing its offerings of organic produce over the past few years. We often use Costco for produce purchases to âfill inâ between trips to our organic wholesale supplier. We can buy for example some green and some yellow bananas for staggered ripening so we almost always have ripe bananas available to eat and use in smoothies. Costco also has an excellent selection of organically grown frozen fruit such as mangoes and berries for making smoothies. The prices at Costco are comparable to what we find at wholesale produce markets, often approaching half the price of retail natural food markets. When you donât need an entire case of something, Costco can come in handy as well.
Other wholesale clubs are following suit so it may be worth checking out those in your area.
6) Mail order
There are times and circumstances that purchasing food through the mail may make sense. For example, buy organically grown sundried tomatoes through the mail from a company that has been around since before our early days of raw food eating. We use the sundried tomatoes in tomato-based salad dressings to add thickness and concentrated flavor. We like the tomatoes more and can get better prices than those that we were previously purchasing from our wholesale organic supplier.
Here is another tip that will interest some of you. Many of you have heard that raw almonds can no longer be sold at retail stores. However, you can buy raw almonds directly from farmers, including mail order. Although almonds are not a staple in our diets, we do occasionally enjoy them, and we have at times purchased a bag through the mail directly from a farmer who sells organically grown raw almonds.
Since we live in northern California, we take advantage of our year-round growing season and have our own:
7) Outdoor garden
We are so thrilled to be able to grow all kinds of food year-round in our own yard! Of course, since we live in northern California somewhat close to the coast, we do have some limitations. We can grow lettuce, tree collard greens, kale, and other leafy greens year-round. In the spring, summer, and fall, we can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, and zucchini, sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes, basil and other culinary herbs, grapes, and bell peppers, just to name a few. We also have fig, lemon, and lime trees. At some point we plan to plant a persimmon tree and other fruit trees that grow well grow here in this Mediterranean climate. Even though we can grow food year-round, some years we have experienced an occasional frost, so we are prepared with coverings for our most vulnerable plants. From mid-summer to early fall we often skip buying any lettuce, tomatoes, or zucchini as our garden supplies more than enough for us. We rarely ever buy collards as we have a consistent year-round supply in the back yard.
At various times, we have had an:
8) Indoor garden
In the past we have grown wheatgrass and sunflower greens indoors and we regularly sprout lentils and green peas. Admittedly, we go through phases with indoor gardening and our endeavors have been much more off than on, but whenever we grow food indoors we find it to be very rewarding. There are so many foods that can be grown indoors in small spaces. We have visited people who live in large cities and have very little space to grow food, but they have very successful indoor gardens. Indoor gardens can also be aesthetically beautiful while giving a space an âalivenessâ that plants can provide.
I (Karin) personally get great satisfaction from gardening, which started in childhood, when my dad involved me in planting and caring for the family backyard garden. From a young age, I had the experience of knowing how plant foods are grown and had a great appreciation for this process. We can only hope that many of you will give yourself and your family the opportunity to grow food, even if it is as simple as growing a culinary herb on a window sill.
9) Other food sources
Of course, there are also the obvious other places to buy whole natural plant foods such as local food co-ops, natural food restaurants, natural food markets, and the organic sections of regular supermarkets. Nowadays, there are so many options available in different areas. Check out the options in your area, or perhaps there will even be opportunities to create some of your own.
Even if you donât take advantage of the methods above, eating a raw food diet in the modern world is still very feasible and extremely well worth it! For years we each, both before and after we became a couple, purchased most of our food from retail stores and that worked just fine for us. Freshness, greater abundance, and lower cost is great, but even at retail one can still make eating a raw food diet work in the real world. In other words, donât let anything said here become the limiting factor in your pursuit of health.
Welcome to my top 30 for 30! During the month of October, I am counting down the top 30 mindset and practical strategies that have made all the difference in my success for 30 years as a raw food plant-based enthusiast to help you on your path!
Day 3 of my top 30 for 30: So far, weâve talked about establishing a strong âwhyâ and getting clear on goals for creating lasting change. Another key I found to be super helpful when I got started on my raw path 30 years ago is organization. For me, this involved taking stock of the contents of my kitchen. I knew that I would need large bowls for vegetable dishes like salads, utensils, mason jars for drinks like smoothies and juices, a cutting board, a blender, a grater, a juicer/homogenizer for juices and banana ice cream (aka nice cream), and other items. Most of these I had already, or should I say that my parents did, since I was in college when I got started and was living with them for part of the year. I did buy some mason jars initially, and used some saved money to buy a popular-at-the-time juicer/homogenizer and some large mixing-sized bowls. I used my parentsâ kitchen blender to make smoothies, that a super-enthused raw friend of mine referred to as âchunkiesâ since the blender didnât make the mixture completely smooth. This being said, the simple kitchen tools that I had worked just fine for me and didnât own a dehydrator or a high-power blender until over 10 years later.
In the beginning, I also found that I needed some time to become familiar with the raw plant foods that were available in my area and how to prepare them. At the time, I was living in New England and it was winter. The fruits available were bananas, oranges, apples, pears, grapes, dried papaya spears, raisins, dates, and a few other choices. Available leafy greens included three different types of lettuce, spinach, and other greens that I had never tried, like kale. These and other day-to-day considerations that one needs to address when getting started with raw food became part of my own self-stylized transition that progressed as I became more educated. I made a shopping list of all the foods I wanted to try and thought of the whole experience as an exciting process of discovery. The produce department of my local grocery store was not a place that I had ever spent very much time so this was a completely different world for my 22-year old newly-empowered self.
The bottom line here is that my organization strategy consisted of determining what kitchen items I needed and then learning about and preparing very different foods than I was used to. I know these seem so simple and self-evident now, but back then, for me this was almost like stepping into an alternate universe with brightly colored food, exquisite flavors, and progressively improving health!
What organization strategies did you use when you got started on your raw food journey and how does this compare to what you are doing now?
Welcome to my top 30 for 30! During the month of October, I am counting down the top 30 mindset and practical strategies that have made all the difference in my success for 30 years as a raw food plant-based enthusiast to help you on your path!
Day 2: Yesterday we considered the importance of establishing a strong âwhyâ for making a change, whether that is dietary or some other type of shift. From my experience, really getting clear on the reason or reasons for making a change has been both the strongest initially motivating factor AND the inspiration to continue when challenges arise. If youâve made changes in your life that youâve maintained, you know what those challenges can look like. The greatest challenges that I faced when I started adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet included: eating enough, keeping my kitchen stocked with healthy food, and the fulfilling the deep desire to expand my knowledge of nutrition and health. So, in order to address these challenges, I set some goals.
My biggest goal was to overcome the fatigue I was experiencing, which was also the source of my âwhyâ. The rest of my goals supported this larger goal and addressed my challenges directly. The first being, eating enough to feel satiated. I noticed pretty quickly that I had to shift my thinking about portion sizes, which increased appropriately after this realization. Because of this, I found that I had to go shopping more often to keep my kitchen stocked with healthy food. Along with these, and other shifts in ways of thinking and being, I had this insatiable desire to learn more about everything health related, so I found myself reading and researching voraciously which led to more formal education.
Iâll be addressing everything Iâve talked about here and much more over the next few weeks as part of my top 30 countdown, so what Iâve covered here today is just an introduction. The unifying point here is that addressing and finding solutions to these challenges became goals for me. And they all supported the achievement of my initial âwhyâ.
So, while you were reading this did you think of any goals, either official or unofficial, that you have considered for creating positive change that supports your health or otherwise?
