Raw Food has been making a huge name for itself. But for those who do not have time to make your own almond milk or just learned what madjool dates are, even the “easy” recipes can be a bit overwhelming. Raw foods are a wonderful addition to anyone’s regular eating routine, and once you try a day or two (or a week) of raw food eating, I will guarantee you will be hooked. The key is to start simple. Using ingredients available at your local grocer, you can start moving your diet to healthier raw foods. Most experts agree that to gain the most benefit, a diet needs to be 75% living or raw, but don’t let that number scare you. 10% is better than none, 20% is better than 10%, you the point. Start somewhere. A few great sites to research the benefits of eating raw and some wonderful recipes include:

https://www.thebestofrawfood.com/ - Esme Stevens started eating raw during her pregnancy and provides the basic building blocks of a raw food diet. I love her section on raising “raw” kids. Wonderful videos and information.
Traveling Raw. You do not need to be a million mile flyer to know that not every meal is going to be home (un)cooked. This is one of the biggest hurdles for new raw foodies.

The Raw Food Girl’s travel guide (https://galadarling.com/article/the-raw-girls-travel-guide ) is a great start to finding out what to pack. She links readers to the Google Map from We Like it Raw’s Raw Food Restaurant guide: https://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/. The checklists may not be feasible for all busy people or travelers – but there is good information and if you happen to be in one of the towns that has a raw food restaurant, try it out.

The recipes below are geared for raw food newbies, but experienced raw-food gurus may also enjoy a new addition to their meals.

Holy Raw Guacamole! Yes, Guacamole is raw if made the right way! Pass the carrots and celery, not the chips, and this dip is a sure raw food winner!
2 large ripe avocados
1 small tomato, diced
5-6 ribs celery , diced
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
Parsley, to taste

Mash avocados in a medium bowl and mix in other ingredients. Can’t get any easier!

Try these wonderfully filling and tasty recipes from Raw Glow (www.rawglow.com) (and super easy). You’ll want to bookmark their recipe section!

Traditional Spanish Gazpacho: https://www.rawglow.com/recipe9.htm
Strawberry Lemonade (I make it without the vanilla bean because I don’t usually have them in the pantry!) https://www.rawglow.com/recipe24.htm

Apple Pie. You may make this for a holiday dinner, but it is good. Really good. Try it with madjool dates. https://www.rawglow.com/recipe7.htm