Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

* What’s New?: Protein Issue Responses

* Feature Article: Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

Since Thursday’s post on Where Do You Get Your Protein, I have received a whole bunch of positive emails and comments.  As I suspected, many of you have been bombarded by others with the protein issue and this article has given you some ammo to fire back with.

I just wanted to say “Thanks guys” and keep the comments coming!

Swayze

Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado…and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet…or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

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