"Raw Food Fabulous!" at Home

Raw food diets are potentially one of the healthiest ways to eat, so one might ask "Why isn't everyone doing this?!". For a lot of people the "3 C's" play a big role in their everyday food choices. Those "3 C's" are:

• Cost
• Consistency
• Convenience

In this economy it is no surprise to hear that people are increasingly concerned with getting more "bang for their buck" in their household grocery bill. Although raw foods are the most nutrient dense types of foods, they are often a bit more expensive than their processed, cooked and preservative laden competition in the supermarket. Dried fruits, Nuts, Trail Mixes and Raw crackers can not only be hard to find (if you don't know where to look), but are considered "health food" or "specialty items" and are priced as such. There is an alternative however; these foods are easy and cost effective to make at home in a home dehydrator.
Home Dehydrators are moderately priced appliances that are easy to use, and hold a myriad of possibilities for the creative low-temperature drying of foods. They often come with recipe books filled with tasty options and ideas for your favorite foods as well as things you may have never tried. Books can also be found at your local library or used bookstore on creative dehyrating. Since there is no hot stove or cooking involved, creating dehydrated snacks can be a fun family activity. Children can learn the importance of healthy foods in a hands-on manner and get to eat the finished products! Here is a recipe that is healthy, and easy to make in a dehydrator - published by Alissa Cohen from "Living on Live Food":

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 cup macadamia nuts (chopped into big pieces)
1 cup bananas ( chopped Up)

In food processor blend raisins and walnuts until smooth. Add in macadamia nuts and bananas. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours. (We topped this with our Original Chocolate Spread! YUM!)

Blending can also be a very effective way to gain the most nutritional benefits from your fresh foods, and to add new flavors into your daily diet. Soups, baby foods, purees, smoothies and shakes are all easy to make if you have the right machine. Vita-Mix and BlendTec are two major manufacturers of home, and commercial grade blenders that can serve your every blending need, while helping you better utilize your food, gain more nutrition and save money. Many people find it very convienent to make smoothies in the morning, because they can get all their vitamins and eye opening powders in one tasty, smooth beverage that can be consumed on-the-go! Try this recipe for eye-opening morning nutrition:

Vanilla Nut
A Raw Smoothie Recipe from Jennifer

Jennifer’s Note: I usually use a nut mylk base without straining it in through a nut bag (I’m sometimes lazy) but you can strain it if you like.

-Nut Mylk
-1/2 cup Brazil nuts
-1/2 cup walnuts
-3-5 dates
-1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
-3-5 cups water

(OPTIONAL)

-Maca powder
-Cacao
-Coconut oil
-Frozen (or fresh) Strawberries
-Frozen (or fresh) blueberries
-Goji berries
-Spinach.

The Key to the smoothie is the AMAZING nut mylk which tastes great on its own and the Vanilla powder. The nut mylk seriously tastes like a soft serve vanilla ice cream and adding the other stuff without straining it makes for a great smoothie with a creamy sort of base.

Check out this link for more great smoothie recipes!
With a small up-front investment in these quality at-home kitchen appliances, you can save yourself;

• Cost - save money making your own dried snacks, baby foods, juices and smoothies and gain every bit of nutrition your fresh foods have to offer!
• Consistency - a great blender will crush ice to snow, and give you the smoothest purees for soups, baby food and shakes!
• Convienence - have food at home that you can grab and go, knowing exactly what's in it, and what isn't! (preservatives, additives and processed sugars and fats!)

and reap the benefits that a Raw Food diet has to offer. For additional information on Raw Food Diets, contact us at info@lovestreetlivingfoods.com, or check out the DVD "Simply Raw".