The raw food diet is popular in wellness and health circles.
It has been around since the 1800s but has surged in popularity in recent years. Its supporters believe that consuming mostly raw foods is ideal for human health and has many benefits, including weight loss and better overall health.
There are three broad types of raw food diet: a raw vegan diet that excludes all animal products, focusing only on plant-based foods; a raw vegetarian diet that includes plant-based foods plus raw eggs and unprocessed dairy products; and a raw omnivorous diet that includes plant-based foods, raw animal products and raw or dried meat.
The raw food diet may sound like an extreme way to eat, but many people believe that it is better for your health than consuming foods that have been processed or cooked. The general rule is that for food to be “raw”, it cannot be heated above 40 to 48ºC.
The theory behind the raw food diet is that through processing, food loses valuable nutrients, so by eating raw, we can get the most out of our meals.
However, while some vitamins can leach when heated in water or fat, alternative cooking methods can help reduce this nutrient loss.
Is eating raw meals really necessary?
In this article, we explore the pros and cons and what foods you can eat on the raw food diet.
What can you eat?
People interpret the raw food diet and what it means in different ways. Some people will eat some cooked food, while others eat none. For some people, it is a way of life and, for others, it is simply a dietary choice.
Dietitian Taylor Jones said the raw food diet, often called raw foodism, was composed of mostly or completely raw and unprocessed foods.
Jones said food was considered raw if it had never been heated to more than 40 to 48ºC, and that it should also not be refined, pasteurised, treated with pesticides or processed in any way.
Instead, the diet allowed several alternative preparation methods, such as juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking and sprouting.
She added that similar to veganism, the raw food diet was usually plant-based, being made up mostly of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
It is no secret that any diet that is based on high consumption of fruits and vegetables is bound to provide some health benefits. Some of the pros of the raw diet are that you certainly get a lot of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates, fibre, protein and good fats.
Health experts say that if you plan your diet well and consume enough calories, it can help prevent or even support the treatment of some health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, some inflammatory lung conditions, and obesity. For many, all the good carbohydrates and fibre help tune their digestive system.
While there are potential benefits of a raw food diet, there are also some strong concerns about why a raw food diet is not recommended. Some of the cons are the risk of contamination.
Raw foods do have an increased risk of causing a foodborne illness, especially animal and meat products. Raw meats, not cooked to a recommended internal temperature, may house harmful bacteria and lead to illness.
Another would be it can be difficult to follow, especially if new to the diet, following the guidelines and practices can be difficult. Learning the techniques and tedious preparations can be a challenge to some.
If you want to give it a go, be prepared to shop more often as you will get through a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Stocking up on big packs of raw nuts and seeds and some raw energy bars may also be a good idea – or you could make your own energy bites.
Here is another recipe that you can try making at home:
Raw nori wraps with red cabbage, cucumber, carrots and zucchini
Ingredients
½ head red cabbage
1 carrot
1 small zucchini
½ cucumber
1 small garlic clove
2 kale leaves
1 avocado
3-4 nori sheets
Spicy dipping sauce
1 tbs tahini
Chilli powder, to taste
1 tbs miso
½ lemon juice
Filtered water
Method
Make your wraps: Shred the veggies thinly on a mandolin, but chop the cucumber by hand.
Tear up the kale leaves and slice the avocado.
Lay your desired fillings on one side of your nori sheet, and on the opposite side spread a little sauce to seal together the ends when you roll it up.
Roll everything up tight and set it aside. If you are using rice paper, dip the paper in hot water until it is pliable, then place everything you want in the middle. Wrap up like a burrito.
Blend all sauce ingredients together until smooth. Serve with wraps and enjoy.
Recipe by Emily Von Euw from This Rawsome Vegan Life.