What is a raw food diet?

 What is a raw food diet?

At Verywell, we believe that there is no one size fits all approach to a healthy lifestyle. Successful meal plans must be individualized and take into account the whole person. Before starting a new diet plan, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you have an underlying health condition.

What is a raw food diet?

A raw food diet involves eating foods that have not been cooked in any way. There are many variations of the raw food diet, some of which eliminate processed, genetically modified, or non-organic foods.

US 2022 News and World Report's Best Diets ranks a raw food diet 32nd in Best Overall Diets and gives an overall score of 2.3/5.

The 7 day diet plan.

A raw food diet follows an eating pattern that can be restrictive. Here's a sample plan that gives you an idea of ​​the limitations of a raw food diet.

Day 1:

 green smoothie; Greek salad; Lettuce Tacos with Cashew Sour Cream

Day 2:

 Green juice, almonds, orange; mung bean salad; dehydrated vegetable empanadas wrapped in lettuce

Day 3:

 Fruit bowl with date syrup and hemp seeds; vegetable dish with cashew-based onion sauce; sprouted quinoa with vegetables

Day 4:

 Muesli, Blueberries, Almond Butter; red pepper and tomato gazpacho; raw thai pillow

Day 5:

 strawberry, banana and chia pudding; cucumber vegetable rolls; Mushroom pizza"

Day 6:

 Berry Smoothie; vegetable and hummus platter; non-fried cauliflower rice

Day 7:

 Good banana cream; raw sushi (without rice); Zucchini tagliatelle with alfredo sauce based on cashews

what can you eat

All raw foods, in their natural state or prepared using special techniques such as sprouting or dehydration, are allowed on a raw food diet. Here are some foods you can eat on a raw food diet.

Grain

Whole grains are part of a raw vegan diet as long as they are sprouted or sprouted.

• Dear
• buckwheat groats
• Kamut
• quinoa
• Oatmeal
• wheat germ
• Spelt
• Wild rice
• beans and vegetables

Many legumes are omitted from a raw food diet as they require cooking. Some types of beans, such as kidney beans, can cause digestive problems when eaten raw and should be avoided.2 However, the nutrients in some legumes can become more digestible and bioavailable after soaking and sprouting.3

• chickpea
• mung bean
• lentils
• fats and oils

Raw food diets tend to be low in fat. Some avoid oils altogether. Depending on the variation, the following fats can be part of a raw diet.

• avocados
• raw coconut oil
• raw coconut butter
• Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• chia oil
• nut butters
• walnuts
• crude flaxseed oil
• Raw hemp seed oil
• seed butters
• seeds
• Beverages

In addition to water, several other beverages are allowed on a raw diet.

• 
  
• barley juice
• Raw fruit or vegetable juice
• young coconut water
• wheat grass juice
• fermented foods

Fermentation is one of the techniques used to add variety to a raw diet. Fermented foods are also a good source of probiotics for the gut.

• coconut kefir
• coconut yogurt
• kimchi
• miso paste
• Sauerkraut
• Herbs, Spices and Condiments

Table salt is not allowed on a raw food diet, but Himalayan salt, Celtic sea salt, and other spices are.

• Apple vinager
• Basil
• Bragg liquid aminos
• Peppers
• chives
• raw chocolate
• ground cinnamon
• Cumin, ground or in seeds
• curry powder
• dill
• ginger root
• Nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
• Parsley
• vanilla beans
• Vinegar
• sweeteners

Raw sweeteners are limited on this diet, but the following are allowed.

• coconut nectar
• raw agave nectar
• raw honey
• Maple syrup

Keep in mind that some sweeteners are heated and processed, so depending on your definition of raw, they may not fit.

what you can't eat

A raw food diet has many limitations and restrictions. Cooked foods are eliminated. Foods that are heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit are prohibited, although dehydrated foods are allowed in some variations of the raw food diet. Raw diets tend to be vegan in nature, as most animal products are not safe to consume in their raw form. Here is a list of foods that are not recommended on a raw vegan diet.

animal protein

Raw animal protein is not recommended as it