When I tell people I am a raw foods chef, I am often asked, “so you eat cut up vegetables?” or “you eat raw fish?” In fact, I do eat cut veggies and professionally prepared raw sashimi.  However, raw food cuisine offers an exciting range of flavors and options not known to most people!  It is the culinary art of turning whole foods into delicious soups, appetizers, entrees and desserts.  

While raw food cuisine is showing up in trendy cafes in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and London, we must be reminded that raw food is nothing new – it is just natural food the way it was created.  If your great grandmother walked into your kitchen would she be able to identify the ingredients in your food?  In the fast food culture we live in it is becoming more and more difficult to differentiate between what is actually healthy for us and what is just false advertising.

People want to know why eat raw food. Raw food is literally “living” fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds in their unprocessed, unrefined and uncooked state preserving essential vitamins, enzymes and micro-nutrients the body needs for optimal health.  And preserving all this goodness in food is believed to be the answer to weight management and the prevention of many diseases, including cancer and diabetes.  

People ask how they can start eating healthier. If your diet consists of mostly cooked, processed and refined foods begin to add some fresh choices to each meal.  You can start off with an apple a day and move to a fruit and vegetable smoothie.  Adding a salad to your meal is so easy.  Gradually increase the amount of fresh you eat.  Remember it does not have to be an all or nothing approach and slow changes are often the most long-lasting.

People ask if eating raw food means eating cold dishes. With the use of a dehydrator, one can make warm soups, breads and other traditional items.   If you do not have a food dehydrator, you can prepare recipes on a low temperature on the stove top or in the oven, but I find a dehydrator regulates the low temperature more evenly, preserving more of the nutrients.

People ask how they can get enough protein in their diet. The body needs protein but how much is debatable.   If you desire more protein in your diet, keep in mind that cooking destroys fifty-percent of proteins in food.  Some of the world’s richest and most absorbable proteins are found in dark leafy green vegetables, seaweeds and blue-green algae.  The blue-green algae Spirulina is the world’s richest source of protein and can be found in your local health food store.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

www.jennifermcclelland.com