What Is a Raw Vegan Diet and Is It Healthy?  

The idea that you don’t have to roast vegetables or fry crispy tofu sounds pretty appealing if cooking isn’t on the list of top priorities, or especially on hot and humid days. Occasionally you may avoid cooking plant-based smoothies and salads. If so, you’re already working on raw veganism. But what exactly do you need for a raw vegan diet? And is it for everyone?

What is a raw vegan diet?

Raw vegan foods consist of foods that can be eaten raw or heated to temperatures below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is that cooking destroys its nutrients. This is true in some cases, but not all. (This will be explained in detail later.)

Raw diets tend to be low in processed foods. That is, roasted, steamed, fried, sautéed, boiled, pressure cooked, roasted, roasted, or grilled foods are all removed from the table. Therefore, roasted vegetables, grilled vegetable hamburgers, cooked grains and beans, pasta, bread, mostly nut butter, jams, vegan ice cream, or pasteurized non-dairy milk types. And, of course, it also means that there are no animal foods that contain honey. Table salt is usually excluded, but some raw vegans may use Himalayan pink or sea salt.

Proponents of raw vegan diets believe that they can get all the nutrients they need from health (although there may be a crossover between animal rights and sustainability ethics) and uncooked foods. Tends to be motivated by. Food preparation may include blending, juice, soaking, germination, fermentation, and dehydration instead of traditional cooking methods.

So what can raw vegans eat?

With so many “no” foods, what exactly can a raw vegan eat? Breakfast is frozen bananas, fresh berries, spinach, smoothies made with raw almond butter, or avocado with chopped cilantro and diced tomatoes on raw bread made from nuts and seeds in a dehydrator. It is a crushed product of.

Lunch is a chopped broccoli salad with red cabbage, diced shalots, unroasted sunflower seeds, dried fruits and raw vegan cheese, cold-pressed olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic and raw. I’m wearing a garlic. Alternatively, you can drink this avocado jalapeno soup. For dinner, you can make these raw vegan tostadas. And what about dessert? These freshly baked ray lime pies. This is a general idea of ​​what you can eat, but here’s a more comprehensive list:

• fruits
• vegetable
• nuts
• seed
• Germinated grains and legumes
• Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and coconut kefir
• Seaweeds such as wakame seaweed, hijiki seaweed, dulse, and Irish moss
• Herbs and uncooked spices
• Seasonings such as vinegar, Bragg’s liquid amino, and raw soy sauce
• Nutrition yeast
• Ganache

About oils … Some raw vegans avoid them altogether, while others use options such as cold-pressed olive oil, raw coconut oil, raw flaxseed oil, and raw hemp oil. There is also. Avocados, nuts and seeds tend to be reliable sources of fat. Sweeteners are also usually excluded. Maple syrup is heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s easy to find a raw vegan recipe to use it. Raw agave syrup is ok.

What are the benefits of a raw vegan diet?

Obviously, the raw vegan diet is rich in plant-based foods, which are associated with many health benefits.

It’s full of healthy plant-based foods

According to the Harvard TH Chan Public Health School, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Nuts, seeds and grains are associated with lowering cholesterol. According to a 2017 meta-analysis of 49 studies, the study associated a plant-based diet with a reduction in LDL cholesterol. This is a “bad” type. This includes legumes, which need to germinate in order to be part of a raw vegan diet. Bean sprouts are just seeds that have begun to germinate. You can buy sprouts from the store, or it can be done at home in a ventilated jar.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. British Medical Journal.. Nuts, seeds, grains and legumes are also associated with lower blood sugar levels.

Raw vegan diets tend to be high in fiber, which leads to lower blood pressure and improved digestion. A plant-based diet (which does not have to be raw and consists primarily of all foods) contains soluble fiber (contained in nuts, seeds, germinated lenses, germinated barley) and insoluble fiber (vegetables and germination). Abundant. Whole grain flour). The former nourishes healthy gut bacteria and the latter helps prevent constipation. Both are useful for weight management as they make you feel full after eating for a long time.

Some of those foods are high in nutrients

Going back to the basic belief of a raw vegan diet: some fruits and vegetables conduct Cooking loses nutritional value, but it’s not as easy as “raw broccoli = good, cooked broccoli = bad”. Stir-frying or boiling this Brassicaceae vegetable reduces vitamin C content by 38% and 33%, respectively, but broccoli can be microwaved or steamed to maintain antioxidant content. Generally, cooked vegetables are low in vitamin C, but this vitamin is also abundant in fresh fruits.

Another notable advantage is the study published in 2008. British Journal of NutritionIt was found that 198 people on a raw food diet had high levels of beta-carotene and normal levels of vitamin A. However, they had low levels of antioxidant lycopene.

Low in saturated fat

Many raw vegans get most of their fat from nuts, seeds, or avocados, so your diet is low in saturated fat. Therefore, it does not naturally contain fried foods, which are a known source of unstable molecules called free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of the cell. This occurs because the high temperatures oxidize the fatty acids in the oil and reduce their quality.

Are there any drawbacks to raw vegan diets?

No matter what kind of diet you are thinking about, it is essential to be aware of the pros and cons of eating, and raw veganism is no exception.

Bean sprouts are not safe for everyone

Bean sprouts grow in a warm and moist environment. This is exactly the type of condition in which the bacteria that cause food poisoning grow.According to the Academy of Nutrition and Nutrition, there are several E. coli When Salmonella Outbreaks associated with recent buds. When buying bean sprouts, choose refrigerated ones and keep away from those that look musty or slimy. Put them in an insulated shopping bag and refrigerate immediately.

Some foods will be healthy when cooked

Cooked tomatoes may have less vitamin C than raw tomatoes, but they are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which helps protect the body from cell and tissue damage, according to a study by Cornell University. increase.

Cooked spinach contains 53% less oxalic acid, which reduces the body’s ability to absorb iron and calcium. It also contains a lot of folic acid. Cooked carrots are high in beta-carotene and antioxidants. Steaming kale reduces the number of isothiocyanates that can interfere with the absorption of iodine. Grilled mushrooms and microwave ovens increase antioxidant levels, according to a study by the Mushroom Technology Research Center in La Rioja, Spain. (However, boiling and deep drying are reversed.) Steaming also helps preserve the antioxidants in zucchini and broccoli.

May not be nutritionally sufficient in the long run

A well-planned plant-based diet is suitable for all age groups, as long as it contains fortified foods and supplements to supplement the missing nutrients.

These include vitamin B12 (which supports blood and nervous system health and helps produce DNA), vitamin D (which regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and helps regulate the immune system), and iodine (thyroid disease). (Reduces the risk of), calcium (important for bones) includes health), and zinc (immune system and metabolic function and aids in wound healing). Studies show that raw vegan diets tend to be low in vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D.

Raw vegan advocates tend to discourage the use of iodine-added salts, and iodine is essential for healthy thyroid function.

Not everyone can access

A raw vegan diet may not be sustainable in the long run. Lack of bread, cooked grains, and cooked legumes makes it difficult to get enough calories every day without frequent meals, and eats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. May be too restrictive. Some preparation methods such as dehydration, chopping produce, squeezing, and germination can also take time. Ready-made germinated and dehydrated foods are also costly and can make a long-term, rigorous raw diet unattainable for many.

How to start a raw vegan diet

If you are interested in a raw vegan diet, the best way to get started is to try a few diets. Try our favorite raw vegan recipes with Zesti Lime Dressing, including Raw Vegan Swedish Truffles, Raw Vegan Truffles, Raw Vegan Coconut Cauliflower “Stir Fry”. If you’re looking for more, a quick Google search will take you to other free recipe pages.If you like a carefully selected selection, the following cookbooks Modern low Rachel Kar or Raw. Not vegan gross. It may be what you are looking for with a roller mirror.

Read below for more information on vegan diets.
How to get vegan: a beginner’s guide
5 Reasons to Forget Keto and Become Vegan

15 vegan protein sources that may surprise you

Kat Smith is a New York-based freelance writer and editor who loves to cook and discover the hidden gems of local vegans.