Fruit Meals: To Mono or Not to Mono
That is the question. 
The Benefits of Mono-meals
The greatest benefit of eating just one fruit at a time is that it makes for easy digestion. What’s easier to digest than just *one* type of raw fruit?
Another plus to eating mono-fruit meals is that it makes you a conscious eater. When you are eating 5 different ingredients in one meal, it can often times be hard to tell when you are actually full.
However, when you are eating only one type of fruit for a meal, it becomes very easy to know when you are done. Your palette is not being excited with various flavors and textures. When you no longer enjoy eating the fruit, you are done.
Yet another benefit to mono-mealing is prep time. While making a smoothie or fruit salad is still very simple, it does take a bit more time to prepare than, say, pealing a few bananas.
The last benefit, and my most favorite aspect of mono-mealing, is that it tastes better! I honestly cannot describe how wonderfully simple and satiating a meal of just bananas, or just mangoes, or just apricots is. Words just don’t do it justice!
If you have never had a mono fruit meal, you are really missing out.
With that said…
Beginners and Mono-meals
If you are brand-new to a raw food diet, you probably find it rather difficult to eat just one type of fruit at a time. You are not alone. Most “newbie” raw foodists struggle with this simply because they are still not used to eating enough fruit in one sitting.
It is much easier to make an easy-to-eat smoothie than to get the necessary calories by eating foods in their whole state.
Another reason mono-mealing may be hard on you? It’s just too boring!
Oh come on, I know you were thinking it. 
While I completely disagree that fruit of any kind is boring, I understand your position.
My Experience
When I first went raw, a meal of just one fruit was too radical for me. I don’t think I even tried a mono-meal until several months later.
I mostly relied upon smoothies for meals, as these were much easier for me to eat and they helped me to get enough calories for the day.
Today, I prefer eating one fruit at a time until I am full. I rarely ever eat fruit salads or smoothies. I like the taste of just one fruit and don’t want to spoil it with any other tastes.
And what about you? Do you prefer mono-meals like I do, or are smoothies and salads really more your thing? Leave a comment below!
Go raw and be fit,
Swayze
6 comments
Hi. I am a novice to the idea of eating raw, but instinctively know it is right. Still, I wonder how to get enough protein or how many meals I would have to eat to get enough calories eating mono-meals. Swayze, tell me your typical food consumption-day.
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As long as you are eating enough calories from sweet fruit, you will be getting enough high-quality protein. Have you read my “Everything You Know About Protein is Wrong” article?
As far as how many meals, that’s up to you. I usually eat two mono fruit meals and then a more savory meal with non-sweet fruits and/or greens. For instance, yesterday I ate bananas for lunch and then peaches for dinner. After that I had a raw pasta dish.
You can use nutridiary.com or fitday.com to track your calorie consumption.
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I am lazy and started doing fruit meals from the beginning! I have never been into cooking recipes. So I got into raw foods and eating mostly fruit instinctively. I try to avoid more than 10% fat, but I do include a lot of SPROUTS for alkalinity and more LIVING nutrition. For budget reasons, we do a ton of bananas, and for variety we might make a banana-apricot smoothie for breakfast, then a banana-berry smoothie for lunch, (and I’m talking the entire blender, each meal) etc. and then usually I eat my veggies and fats at dinner time.
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I am new to the raw diet and am very interested in the mono meal and all of that but how do you get enough calcium as I have ostioporoses,( opps spelling) so where do you get your calcium from to keep your bones strong?
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Well, I’m following all your advice. I’m doing a mix of one or two fruits in a smoothie or one or two fruits as a sort of mono meal.
I realize low fat is great for you and for getting rid of candida and a myriad of other ailments. My question is to you is at what point are you sure you are getting all your necessay fats for the proper function of your body? I know if one consumes too little healthy fats, it can actually promote cancer. What raw fats do you incorporate into your diet to keep things balanced?
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Swayze Reply:
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Actually, all fruits and vegetables contain some fats (you can check this out on nutridiary.com), both omega-3 and omega-6 in a healthy range (about 1:1). We need about 3-5% of our daily calories from fat and this is easily achievable on a low at raw vegan diet.
I do include overt fats, such as avocado and occasionally nuts and seeds, but there’s no need to eat these foods to stay “balanced.” Several individuals have gone many months without any overt fats and done just fine, myself included. It’s just nice to have them for some variety.
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