$174 worth of veggies and fruits! The power better NOT go out!
Going Raw…
Committing to a raw foods diet sounds all healthy and great in conversation, but if you have ever tried to live the lifestyle, you’ll begin to see how much work it really can be. Today I will discuss how to make RAW foods work for you and your family (especially the ones who are not participating!) This is a long post but SO IMPORTANT. Make sure you read it thoroughly!
Raw Foods For the Busy Person…
While researching the Raw and Living Lifestyle several years ago, I became completely overwhelmed. I read tons of books on the topic and even attended a 12 day course at the Living Foods Institute. The problem was, no one taught you how to make raw foods practical. I’m a teacher, wife, and mother. I could easily use the excuse of “I don’t have time for this.” For me the alternative was cancer, so you bet I found time for it!
The most important trick I’ve learned to make RAW work is: If you can THINK and PLAN in 3 day cycles, you can make raw foods work for you. That has been the trick for me for 2 1/2 years now. I have also developed little systems that I will teach you below. You also need a really sharp knife. This will become your best friend.
In preparation for our Cleanse, here’s a tentative schedule for how to prepare for Saturday’s start day. Like anything new, it may seem difficult and overwhelming at first, but keep it up and it will become second nature.
Summer Cleanse Prep Schedule…(or for anytime if you want to keep it up!)
Wednesday or Thursday night (2-3 days before start of cleanse)
Cooking or Sprouting Legumes:
1. If sprouting lentils or mung beans: pour 3 cups of lentils or mung beans into sprouting jar. Cover with netting of choice (I have used a knee high before!) Soak overnight. Drain water, wash beans with fresh water and drain again. the next morning wash lentils again and drain upside down. Repeat each day until sprouts are about 1″ long. Make sure to wash before refrigerating.
2. If cooking lentils: Measure 3 cups lentils to 6 cups water in large pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. (now you see why I cook my lentils now! Less time!)
3. If cooking beans: Soak 3 cups of beans by in large pot on stove overnight or for 6-8 hours. Fill pot with plenty of water since the beans will expand. Drain soaking water when finished. Fill pot again with fresh water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are to preferred consistency. Drain excess water. Store enough beans in fridge for the next 3 days of meals and FREEZE the remaining beans in 2 cup portions. I freeze in freezer bags.
Author’s Note: I LOVE cooking beans once a month and freezing them in bags in portion sizes. It saves a TON of time!!!!)
Thursday/ Friday: CUT YOUR VEGGIES!
(You can divide this into two separate occasions or do it all at once.)
Tip: Keep your smoothie veggies in gallon ziploc bags and your salad veggies in tupperwares if you have that many available. Snack veggies can be stored in whatever you have left!
For Smoothie veggies: You don’t need to dice or chop these. Just cut each veggie into 3 or 4 pieces and place them in the gallon ziploc bag. Depending on how powerful your blender is, I don’t think you’ll have a problem with this. You definitely won’t with a Vitamix. (Please see my movie “Making a Green Smoothie” on Friday for more info on this!)
For Salad veggies: You will need to cut/ dice these to your liking. You can also do this two different ways:
1. Chop all of the veggies first and divide them into separate bowls. Then, “assembly line make” your salads for the first three days and store them in tupperwares ready to go for wherever you need to go. (I do this 95% of them time but it makes for salads with much of the same vegetables.) You will also want to chop some separate veggies for quick snacks and keep them accessible (sandwich size ziplocs!)
OR….
2. Since your salads on the menu use all kinds of different ingredients, it might just be easier to dice all of the veggies, put them into separate tupperwares, and then use them to make your salads the day of. This also helps if you’re chopping veggies for snacks so you won’t need to make separate snack portions.
Friday: Soak Nuts
(Soaking raw nuts releases enzymes to make them a “living” food and more easily digested.) Add the amount of nuts you’ll need for the next 3 days to a large jar and fill with water. Soak overnight. Drain, rinse, pat dry with a paper towel, put back in jar. Place cap on the jar and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
Great, so what do I do about my husband and kids that won’t touch a vegetable? I still have to provide food for them!
What about your live-in loved ones who think this really is RABBIT FOOD and NOT for them? Unfortunately, we can’t force them to eat like this and rather than you give into their type of eating, here are some ways I have come to terms with a husband who loves meat, fish, and potatoes (although he is so supportive of me and tries everything!) and an 18 month old daughter who loves green veggie smoothie one day (even licks the lid!) and hates it the next:
– buy chicken cutlets/ salmon/ burgers in individually wrapped packages and throw it on the George Foreman with some garlic salt, olive oil, and pepper. USE frozen veggies and bulk cooked quinoa, rice, pasta (whatever THEY won’t complain about.) or see if they will eat a salad with meat on it?
– Cook in bulk for them and freeze. (Dismiss thoughts of “Why can’t he do this himself anyways….he is perfectly capable!!!!) LoL.
– Make up some tuna fish with chopped onions, salt and pepper, and mayo. They can make their own sandwiches or tuna melts with healthy chips.
– Buy organic boxed chicken or veggie stock and add to leftover veggies to make soup!
– OR, they can just fend for themselves while you do this for YOU!
Lastly, I wanted to mention: I told you I’d let you know how much I spent on the grocery list. I’m happy to say (coming from someone who does this every week and is used to the price of a mostly organic grocery bill) that I spent $174 dollars for everything on the list except what I had at home (honey, stevia, vinegars, olive oil, Herbamare, salad dressing.) Remember- you will have to buy again for the second week of the Cleanse, so that brings the total to about $25 a day for 7 days of food! Not bad for food that will bring total change to your life! We do “Like it Raw” after all. 😉
I would like to know what kind of plastic are you using to wrap your vegetables? I buy a lot and put them in the refrigerator put they go bad after 3 days. My mother in law told me to put them I storage bags but I do not want to expose my vegetables to the toxins in the plastic. By the way great website and a lot of good information.
I just use the bags from the store at this point.
Please clarify which essiac tea you used , where purchased , how much etc. I found original Canadian essiac (Rene caisse formula). They say to make real tea takes 10 hours and to use their vegicapsuls. More potent. What exactly did you do?
Thanks! K
I used the Floressence brand liquid tonic in the bottles. See here: http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Liquid-941mL-Essiac-alternative/dp/B002VZNSBU
Just wanted to add for those who might have difficulty affording the Vitamix or are saving up for one in the meantime: I own a Ninja blender, and it works really, really well! I can get my smoothies down to a milkshake-like consistency or juice-like consistency (depending on what ingredients I used and how much liquid, of course!) I’m really satisfied with it so far. We got ours at Costco here in NJ.
Just wanted to throw that out there if money is tight! 🙂
By the way, your website is WONDERFUL. Very informative and friendly. Thank you for being supportive to anyone out there who wants to improve their health! You’re a Godsend!
Cortney, you have a link to Dr. Mercola’s site, so you know that he always urges people to eat a diet with the proportions of protein, fat, and carbs that are right for them. I’m very lucky that I have had access for the past 4-1/2 years to raw milk and raw milk products like cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, and kefir from an Amish farmer in Lancaster County, PA (I live in central Maryland, near Baltimore). Between the raw milk (and raw milk products) and local farm-raised eggs, poultry, beef, and pork, I have vastly improved my diet from the mostly processed food diet I ate 6 years ago. I am also eating a gluten-free, mostly grain-free diet, too, which has significantly reduced the high inflammation level I used to have. I do have a need for a high-protein diet. However, I know that I must start eating more raw vegetables, and I figure that a “green-veg. drink,” such as the type you used/are using, would be a good way to do this. I am seriously considering buying a Vitamix blender/emulsifier for this purpose. My question for you is, have you found the Vitamix, which is an expensive machine, a good tool for making the vegetable smoothies? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hey Lynn!
We are huge proponents of raw milk or NO MILK, and unfortunately usually go with no milk b/c raw milk is so expensive here in Atlanta. Come back in a fe weeks when I’m doing a New Years Resolution series. You can get involved with our Green Drink Challenge to replace one meal a day with a green veggie (plus apple) smoothie. In my opinion, the Vitamix makes THE difference. I have had the green veggie smoothie in a regular blender and it induces my gag reflex. The Vitamix blends it so smooth, that it goes down perfectly. It is MORE than worth it- I use mine 2-3 times a day and sometimes more since it also can function as a food processor to an extent. We also make soups and have used it before to make dessert for special occasions. I also made all of my daughter’s baby food with it. Since I’m an afilliate, so you can buy it from me or wherever you’re comfortable (: Refurbished models are used but the motor is refurbished. Both used and new come with a 7 year warranty. A new Vitamix from Green Drink Diaries is $459 with free shipping. Used is about $70-80 cheaper. (:
I say go for the apple cider vinegar. It’s considered “raw”‘ in the raw foods world. I say do what works for you. 🙂 Sounds like a delicious lunch and dinner option!
Oh wow look at you…laying everything out so we have no excuse to say we don’t have time;) Question actually…I made this good gazpacho soup all raw ingredients with a little apple cider vinegar…if you add vineger, is it still raw? (silly question, but I really don’t know) I just put the tomatos, cucumber, green pepper and red onion in my food chopper and blend blend blend with a little vinegar…I usually top it with yogurt, but I could forgo that and just have the soup;) Is that a good lunch or dinner option?
You are FABULOUS! What you are doing is FABULOUS! THANK YOU! Keep it coming!