I’ve been vegan for almost two years, a personal decision I made to benefit my health as well as the environment. I briefly heard about the raw vegan food diet but was always intimidated by the thought of it. Until one day, I became wildly curious about it, decided to do some research on it and take the plunge of trying a raw vegan food diet for a day.
Essentially, a raw food diet is made up of, “Fresh, whole, unrefined, living, plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and seeds,” (Fully Raw) all of which are consumed uncooked and in their natural state. At the beginning of this new realm of eating, I created a meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner plus a snack and made a grocery list to fit my budget. The grocery shopping process alone made me more intuitive with what I decided to purchase and what foods I should avoid. The four different raw vegan based meals I decided to try were: tropical green spirulina smoothie for breakfast, basil pesto zucchini pasta for lunch, raw chocolate zucchini bites as a snack and raw vegan tacos for dinner.
In just 24-hours, I learned a lot about my raw vegan food diet journey. It was a bit challenging and I made a few mistakes along the way that I didn’t figure out until later. For instance, I put salt on a few of my meals (which is one of the food elements to avoid) and drank tea as a part of my morning routine (which is another drink to avoid). I was also concerned with the fact that I may not be getting enough protein or had low nutrient intake. Considering my challenges, I also realized a few interesting benefits I didn’t expect. For instance, the portions for each of my meals were considerably small, yet I was surprisingly full and content after everything I ate. It also made me a lot more conscientious about the foods I ate. Normally, my snacks consist of processed foods like granola bars, trail mixes or crackers. Rather than grabbing a processed good, the raw diet perspective inspired me to reach for a banana or an orange.
Although this raw vegan food diet was a short experience, I learned a lot about myself and the different kinds of beneficial foods we could be putting into our bodies. It was a challenge to say the least, but I do admire the lifestyle behind raw veganism and respect those who are passionate about eating this way.