Day 11 of my top 30 for 30:
Over the past 30 years of being on the raw food path, I’ve heard many personal stories from people about the reaction of friends or loved ones to the changes they’ve 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 – 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 “more healthy” or making comparisons between a raw food diet and any other way of eating. We’ve found that If people think that the food is different or “special,” they may be less interested in trying it. This way they don’t 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 – 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. We’ve 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?