You are what you eat. While the main objective is to fulfill your hunger, it is equally important to consider the types of food that you consume and the way you prepare them. Therefore, your diet plan has a significant impact on your overall health and well-being.
A quick search on the internet will reveal you with tons of food diet programs that you might never use. However, one of them is unique in its own right and it has been gaining a spotlight in recent years. It’s a raw food diet. Our ancestors used to follow it in the past, and there is no reason why we should not do the same today.
For those who want to make a shift from a traditional diet to a raw food diet, the transition may be a bit overwhelming. We are so used to having cooked and processed meals that the raw food diet appears to be strange. But studies show that human bodies function relatively well on the latter.
Understanding Raw Food Diet
The idea behind the raw food diet is to preserve the essential nutrients that would be otherwise lost to cooking. You can heat the foods up to 115°F and it will still be considered raw as long as the food is organic and unprocessed. The rule of thumb is to have at least 70 percent of food as raw in your diet plan.
Raw food diet is basically associated with fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, but it can also include fish, meat, and dairy products. Depending on your preferences and selection of food items, your raw food diet plan can be vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous.
Studies show that switching to raw food comes with several health benefits. It promotes better digestion and absorption of nutrients, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. If you have never tried going raw, now is a good time to make a change. The following meal plan can come in handy.
30 Days Raw Food Diet Meal Plan For Beginners
Let’s begin with a plan so that you don’t have to wonder what to have next for your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This 30-days raw food diet plan is tailored especially for beginners, but even the experienced ones can refer to it now and then.
Please note that we have designed the raw food diet plan for a week that you can repeat throughout the month. This helps to keep the plan simple and effective at the same time.
Day 1
Breakfast
Start your day with some fresh fruits of your choice. For example, a couple of bananas, an orange, and an apple. Remember that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Lunch
Include a large salad for your lunch, plus a cup of raw soup.
Snack
Have some dried fruits for an afternoon snack.
Dinner
Go for raw veggie burgers with lettuce wraps.
Day 2
Breakfast
Make a green smoothie as a substitute for your morning cup of Joe.
Lunch
Have some salad and broccoli with peas. Serve with sprouted lentil soup.
Snack
Eat a couple of bananas.
Dinner
Keep it light with guacamole and watermelon.
Day 3
Breakfast
Jumpstart your metabolism with raw oatmeal for your breakfast.
Lunch
Have a raw avocado salad with some veggies and green apples.
Snack
Have a cup of sunflower seeds. They boost your immunity system and taste awesome!
Dinner
Enjoy a raw pizza for dinner. Make an almond crust and top with raw vegetables of your choice.
Day 4
Breakfast
Make some raw banana pancakes. Have some freshly squeezed orange juice as well.
Lunch
Eat raw taco salad or wraps.
Snack
Have an apple and a tablespoon of raw nut butter
Dinner
Fill yourself with raw spaghetti alongside mock meatballs.
Day 5
Breakfast
Try something sweet and creamy by blending a young, raw coconut into a cream. Enjoy the mixture with hulled strawberries.
Lunch
Make a smoothie with chocolate and nuts. Blend a couple of bananas with raw almond and cocoa butter. Throw in some ice for a chilled flavor.
Snack
Eat dry fruits for snacks. Have some almonds, cashews, or pistachios, and a grapefruit.
Dinner
Go vegan for the dinner with raw mashed potatoes and coated zucchini sticks.
Day 6
Breakfast
Make a fresh raw juice by blending a couple of apples, a cup of spinach, and carrots. Slice a mango for a morning snack.
Lunch
Prepare a large salad with raw mock tuna topping with chickpeas. Chop some carrots as well.
Snack
Have a puffed rice salad in the afternoon.
Dinner
Make a salad for dinner with leafy greens, avocado, and carrots.
Day 7
Breakfast
Start your day strong with a banana and spinach smoothie drink. Grab a handful of walnuts to munch on.
Lunch
Enjoy a lettuce wrap including cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper. Finish it off with a cup of raw coconut water.
Snack
Make a green tea for the afternoon, and have some in-shell pistachios, almonds, or cashews for snacks.
Dinner
End your week on a high note with raw macaroni and a side salad. Have a raw brownie or a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.
First Week’s Over! What’s Next?
Congratulations! You have just made it through the first week of the 30-day raw food diet plan. Of course, it’s going to be tough because you are trying to break your usual habit of consuming cooked foods.
Repeat the menu over the following weeks. Make sure you are having enough food so that you don’t end up being hungry in between the meals. During the second week of your raw food diet plan, your body will react by detoxifying all the junk you have in your body.
By the end of the month, you will definitely experience some noticeable changes in your body. Make sure you stick to the plan and stay away from foods like alcohol, caffeinated, carbonated, or sweetened drinks, refined sugar, flour, pasteurized dairy products, cooked or baked vegetables, meats, grains, and so forth.
Lastly, remember to balance your diet plan by including cooked foods as well. Too much of anything can be harmful. Therefore, keep everything in moderation.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
