Eating healthy can be a hassle if you don’t know where to shop, what to buy or what to make with what you buy. Beginning today and in the coming weeks I will share some of my raw food staples, meal plans and recipes that you might want to incorporate into you food plan. Today I simply share with you what you are likely to always find in my kitchen. If I have these, I can make a variety of meals for about two weeks. What’s also good about most of these foods is that my entire family eats them.
Fruits and Vegetables
1. Apples—For juices, smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
2. Oranges—For juices, smoothies and to be eaten alone
3. Bananas—For smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
4. Strawberries—For juices, smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
5. Lemon—For juices and ingredients in dressings and main dishes
6. Celery—For juices, smoothies and ingredient in main dishes
7. Kale—For juices, smoothies and ingredient in main dishes
8. Cucumbers—For juices, smoothies, toppings and ingredients in main dishes
9. Tomatoes—For juices, toppings and ingredients in main meals
10. Lettuce (usually Romaine)—For juices, smoothies, salads, wraps and ingredient in other main dishes
11. Carrots—For juices, smoothies and ingredients in main dishes
12. Red bell peppers—For ingredients in main dishes
13. Green bell peppers—For juices, smoothies and ingredients in main dishes
14. Onions—For toppings and ingredients in main dishes
Nuts, Seeds and Such
1. Dates—To sweeten protein drinks and desserts and for toppings
2. Brazil Nuts—For milk, protein drinks, dressings and toppings
3. Almonds—For milk, protein drinks and to be eaten alone
4. Cashews—For cheeses, main dishes and to be eaten alone
5. Hemp Seeds—For toppings and to be used in main dishes (I have yet to try in protein drinks, which I hear people do)
6. Sunflower Seeds—For toppings, main dishes and to be eaten alone
7. Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)—For toppings and to be used in main dishes
8. Olives—For toppings and to be eaten alone
Condiments and Seasonings
1. Honey—To sweeten drinks and desserts
2. Nutritional Yeast—To add to vegetables, salads and drinks
3. Sea Salt—An ingredient in main dishes
4. Pepper—An ingredient in main dishes
5. Oregano—An ingredient in main dishes
6. Paprika—An ingredient in main dishes
7. Cumin—An ingredient in main dishes
8. Coriander—An ingredient in main dishes
9. Garlic Powder— An ingredient in main dishes
10. Onion Powder— An ingredient in main dishes
11. Olive Oil— An ingredient in drinks, dressings and main dishes
12. Apple Cider Vinegar—An ingredient in drinks, dressings and main dishes
13. Tahini—An ingredient in dressings and main dishes
What are some healthy foods you would like to know more about? What are some healthy foods that you cannot do without?
LOVE this post! I could come and eat in your kitchen at anytime (lol). I have everything on this list as well and I also sprout alfalfa, buckwheat groats, lentils and other seeds, beans and legumes.
Thanks Ajene. Besides the alfalfa (which you sprout yourself?), do you use all of what you listed raw? If so, I want to know how you prepare each. I never heard of buckwheat grouts, though I’ve heard of buckwheat flour and have eaten buckwheat pancakes. What are buckwheat grouts?
Yes, Min. Rhonda, I eat them all raw. Buckwheat groats are categorized as a grain, but it’s really a fruit seed related to rubarb. (Here’s a link http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11)
When I sprout, I rinse them and let them soak overnight, then pour off all the water and let them sprout for 1-2 days. After that they are ready to eat. I can eat them just like cereal, with berries, banans, apples and nut milk, or dehydrate them for longer shelf life and eat them like that too. I have also made them into “granola,” by dehydrating them with fruits and nuts/seeds. The other items listed also need to be sprouted. For something like the lentils, I sprout for 1-2 days and then I can sprinkle them on salad, but my favorite is to make a lentil hummus. Same with chickpeas, and black eyes peas are the only beans that I have sprouted so far, and I mixed them with other ingredients to make raw bread (still working with these, lol).
Thanks, Ajene for the tips. I’ll check out the link, too.