If you're looking for fat free raw vegan recipes, there are books, websites, recipe sites and more, filled with ideas. The problem usually isn't finding such recipes. It's picking just one to try tonight!
The Raw and Living Foods Diet
A raw and living foods diet consists of uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils. The diet itself is typically low fat, although people who consume a lot of nuts, avocados, coconuts and plant oils may still consume a high fat diet. The fats are generally considered healthy fats since they're plant based monosaturated fats.
Many who consume a raw food diet believe it to be a healthy lifestyle choice, and some even credit it for warding off, preventing, or helping their bodies heal from diseases. Others point out that it can contribute to dental issues.
Some raw food diet experts such as Frederic Patenaude blame not the diet but the combination of foods for problems such as tooth and gum issues. That's where the idea of fat free raw vegan recipe concepts comes into play. To these experts, it's not the raw foods that cause problems; it's the combination of high fat and raw foods, especially high fat combined with foods filled with natural sugar such as fruit. A low fat raw food diet, they believe, is the healthiest possible diet.
While it may seem impossible to eat too much fat when all you're eating are uncooked vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts, it actually happens more often than you'd think. As people transition into a raw food diet, it's not unusual to miss the taste and texture of cooked foods. Many substitute oily raw food dishes or avocado-based dishes because they generally retain the texture and heaviness of cooked foods. This can easily increase the fat intake of a raw food diet beyond the norm.
Possible Sources of Fats
When seeking fat free recipes, you may need to read through the list of ingredients to ensure they're fat free. Typical sources of fats in raw and vegan recipes include:
- Cold pressed olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Hemp oil
- Avocado
- Coconut
- Nuts and nut butters
Fat Free Raw Vegan Recipes
Some wonderful sources of fat free, raw and vegan recipes include:
- The Fat Free Vegan, a website run by Susan V, provides recipes that are raw, vegan and fat free. She's got fat free ideas for spreads, dips, main courses and more. Some recipes are cooked foods yet still fat free and vegan, but you can find plenty of raw food recipes too.
- Veg Web includes a section of raw food recipes. Search among them for fat free offerings.
Sample Fat Free Raw Recipes
If you'd like to try a few simple raw food recipes that are also fat free, try any one of the following meal ideas:
- Breakfast fruit smoothie: Blend one cup of water or freshly squeezed orange juice with half of a cup of frozen blueberries and half a frozen banana for a thick, sweet breakfast shake that tastes like sherbet. Substitute any other frozen or fresh fruit of your choice.
- Breakfast melon salad: Slice and enjoy fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, and other melons in season. Eat as much fresh fruit salad as desired.
- Lunch lettuce wrap sandwich: Unroll a large lettuce leaf such as a Romaine lettuce leaf; slice very thin carrots, celery and onion. Place these on the leaf along with sprouts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the bottom of the lettuce leaf in, then roll it up into a wrap, starting from one side and rolling towards the other. Enjoy as a wrap sandwich.
- Dinner salad: Create a large spinach and apple faux Waldorf salad. Fill a bowl with baby spinach leaves, topped with slices of fresh apple. Some shredded beets and carrots taste wonderful. Sprinkle with spices as desired.
- Snack: Make kale chips ahead of time in the dehydrator. Slice up kale, place on sheets in the dehydrator, and sprinkle with spices such as onion, salt, pepper and paprika. Dry in the dehydrator to create raw food "chips" you can snack on.
