!#8# Raw Food Diet - Sample Menu | !8: Discounted Unpasteurized Almonds

!±8± Raw Food Diet - Sample Menu

The raw food diet is gaining more and more fans, as celebrities and regular people sign up for an eating plan that can change the way you feel, look and how long you live.

If you have been wondering if a raw food diet is for you, keep reading. We will discuss some of the supposed benefits of a raw food diet as well as give some sample recipes and menu plans. If you know ahead of time what to expect, it can help you make a decision about whether or not this diet would be right for you.

Because, except for some dried fruits and vegetables, all the food you eat on a raw diet is, well, raw, there are benefits that proponents cite. They say that people who eat a raw food diet:

1 - Lose weight

2 - Have nicer skin

3 - Reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes

4 - Live longer

5 - Have more energy and vitality

6 - Can naturally control their weight without counting calories or fat grams

A raw food diet is essentially a vegetarian diet, so it is important to know going in that you will not be asked to eat steak tartare or pork chops straight from the fridge. On a raw food diet, your daily food choices include fruits, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, whole grains (unprocessed), unpasteurized dairy products and freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

Though the options might seem limited, many raw food advocates say they find a good variety of foods to prepare and eat. There is a time commitment involved, however, so keep that in mind.

One popular dish involves vegetables with a raw vegetable sauce on top. One example would be this:

You spiral slice zucchini into long, thin slices resembling spaghetti pasta, then blend in a food processor 1 pound of fresh tomatoes, half a white onion that has been chopped, some basil, a clove of garlic minced, some fresh red pepper that has been chopped and a couple of teaspoons of natural pizza seasoning. Once it is blended, it gets poured over the pasta.

A raw food daily menu plan can be as simple or as complicated as you might like.

Here is a sample of a day of raw food eating.

Breakfast - This might consist of raw fruit juices or whole fruits (as much as 2 pounds of fruit).

If you need a snack in the morning or afternoon, you might snack on a handful or raw nuts or some sliced avocados.

Lunch - Likely a salad, with at least 75% of the salad consisting of quality salad greens and the rest of the vegetables ranging from cucumber to red peppers. The dressing is nothing more than some fresh squeezed lemon.

Dinner - Spinach salad with 10-20 almonds, 1-2 avocados, and an orange squeezed on for a dressing. Plan to have 10-20 ounces of freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice with it.

Hopefully you have seen how a raw food diet can work in your life. It might take a bit of planning, but any diet worth eating will take a little care and planning. It is certainly something to consider trying if you are interested in gaining more energy, and improving your overall health at the same time.