Basics of the Raw Food Lifestyle – F’ree Mini-Series from Nomi Shannon
Posted By Jan Jenson on January 4, 2012
Happy New Year! This is the first of a series of newsletters
that Naomi Shannon will be sending you that cover many of the
Basics of the Raw Food Lifestyle.
Everyone is thinking about improving their health
right now, so maybe these informative little bits
will help you to get there. I hope so!
Most people will agree that the question is not
Why eat healthy food, But how to eat healthy food
Here are 12 simple steps that will save time while eating
healthier than you ever have before
When you’re starting out with any new type of cuisine, it takes
awhile to learn the “tricks of the trade”–the little shortcuts and
strategies that save time and make food preparation a breeze.
Here are 12 tips that will help you become faster and more efficient
in the kitchen, so you have time for all the other things that are
important to your life.
Twelve Steps to Living Foods Success
(Adapted from Ten Raw Food Kitchen Essentials on page 7 of
The Raw Gourmet © by Nomi Shannon)
1. Always keeps some jar sprouted items in your refrigerator.
Whether they’re radish sprouts, clover sprouts or broccoli sprouts,
you’ll be glad to have them on hand for tossing into salads or
placing at the bottom of a soup bowl. (You can also purchase ‘jar’
grown and soil grown sprouts at many health food stores.) A lesser
choice, but still a good one is to always have some mixed greens
around to add to everything
2. Always have sunflower sprouts (and buckwheat lettuce or pea
sprouts if growing your own) or other soil grown sprouts on hand.
The most economical way to have them on hand is to grow them
yourself. But, if that is not possible, consider buying them at a
health food store or from a grower. Some growers will ship them
directly to your home.
3. Keep a jar of almonds or other favorite nuts soaking in the
refrigerator. Change the water daily and they will keep, ready to use,
for five days. (On the fifth day use them up in a salad, eat as is, in a
crust or in a nut loaf; then begin the soaking process again.) Another
alternative is to always have nuts that you have soaked, then
dehydrated until very dry on hand for use.
4. Make up a big batch of your favorite Pâté each weekend,
and add different flavors to vary the taste during the week.
Remember to begin the sprouting process on Thursday or
Friday night. A pate that is made up of sprouted sunflower
seeds (soak 8-12 hours and sprout 4 hours or less. Rinse
well) will last the longest. See recipe for Sunflower Pate at
www.rawgourmet.com/recipes
5. Keep salad dressing ingredients always on hand like tahini,
oil, lemons, oranges, garlic, onions and your favorite seasonings
so that you can whip up salad dressings quickly. There’s a recipe
on my recipe page for Orange Tahini Dressing that’s one of my
favorites (link above).
6. Keep sauerkraut in your refrigerator. Once made, this tasty
food will last for a long time. It is a healthy addition to many recipes
and makes a great condiment or side dish. There is a complete
explanation of how to make sauerkraut in The Raw Gourmet. http://www.rawgourmet.com
7. Always have assorted greens, root vegetables, and other
fresh produce such as red peppers and parsley in your refrigerator
so that you can “throw together” a meal quickly.
Keep a large bowl of seasonal fruit ready to eat on your counter
or in your refrigerator. Whether you shop each night on your way
home from work, or go to the farmer’s market twice a week, buy the
best, freshest organic produce that you can find that day and use it
very soon after purchasing. (Right now I have tangerines, persimmons,
apples, mangoes, oranges and lemons in my bowl.)
(If you do not have the luxury of being able to obtain organic produce
remember that it’s better to eat a high amount of fresh raw fruits,
veggies, nuts and seeds than to eat the Standard Amercan Diet
even if you can’t obtain or afford much organic produce.)
8. Pre-washing all your produce before putting it away or washing
it as you eat it is a personal choice. For one or two people, purchasing
bags of pre-washed organic baby lettuces that contain a variety of
greens is convenient and waste-free. Be sure all washed produce is
thoroughly dried before refrigerating. Whether you take the time to
pre-wash all or simply wash as you use it, all produce that does not
say it has been pre-washed needs to be washed. The best product
I have found for this is:
http://rawgourmet.com/enviro-one
9. Make a large salad every night for dinner. Prior to putting dressing
on, remove enough to use for lunch the next day. Store in an airtight
container with a dressing on the side so the salad will stay fresh and
crisp. (Or bring a small container of pate on the side to put atop the
salad next day at work, or a small bag of your soaked nuts
plus some dressing.)
10. Keep a piece of fresh ginger root in your refrigerator and
a backup piece in a plastic bag in the freezer. You can flavor foods
and make tea by grating in a little ginger. Note that you should never
let frozen ginger thaw.
11. Keep about a dozen or more peeled bananas in the
freezer. Choose very ripe fruit, peel, and freeze them in plastic bags.
They make wonderful “ice cream” and other frozen treats, including
great morning smoothies like Vanilla Bliss and the ever popular
Green Smoothies. View these recipes at
http://www.rawgourmet.com/recipes
It’s really easy to find over-ripe bananas at grocery stores.
I often find large 6-10 pound packages of bananas for
99 cents for all.
12. To maintain freshness and for convenience, keep the
following foods stored in your freezer: shelled nuts and seeds,
dried herbs and spices that you don’t use often. If you do not have
room in your freezer, store the shelled nuts and seeds and bananas
in the freezer, and the rest in the refrigerator. (Nuts and seeds still
in their shell have a long shelf life and do not require refrigeration.)
By creating habits based on the above 12 suggestions you will
find that you can arrive home at 6PM and be eating a
fine dinner by 6:30.
See how many of these steps you can start and
stick with, it will make a difference!
Yours in Good Health
Your Raw Food Friend
Nomi Shannon AKA The Raw Gourmet
http://
rawgourmet.com
http://www.WhatdoRawFoodersEat.com
http://www.RawFoodForTheRealWorld.com
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