Tracy’s Raw Food Journal

I was online today exchanging messages with a friend who is also interested in learning about the Raw Foods Lifestyle. He asked me a question that is really relevant to deciding whether or not to go Raw.

Is it expensive to eat a Raw Diet?

This is such a great question and honestly, I thought it would be expensive, too. So I will share what I have learned from my own experience and you can decide for yourself.

Now, keep in mind that I am a regular person and I believe fanaticism is just as unhealthy, or more so, than a lot of other choices we could make. For me, balance is key.  So, you will find, if you decide to educate yourself about eating a Raw Foods lifestyle, that for most people in the “movement” this equates to the following:

1. No animal products of any kind – raw or not.

2. Only certifiably raw, certifiably organic produce.

So, granted, organic is more than likely going to be better for you than the alternative, in that hopefully it won’t be exposed to any pesticides or other chemicals during the growing process. And if you can afford to buy strictly organic, by all means, you are probably going to be better off doing it.

HOWEVER, this is how I look at it. You see, I am a very practical kind of person. I figure, if my body is used to being subjected to all kinds of processed foods such as bleached white flour and sugar, artificial sweeteners and colorants, fat-dense hamburgers, pizza, ice cream and all kinds of other dairy, processed and sugared cereals and grain products, carbonation, preservatives, and otherwise enzyme absent, dead foods… then my body is going to be a helluva lot healthier and happier simply cutting this junk out and consuming PRIMARILY raw foods and vegetables.

So, looking at it from this perspective, I completely advocate simply continuing to shop at your regular grocery store and continue purchasing your produce there. Organic can come later, if that’s what you feel your body would benefit from. But when you are just starting to transition over, it’s wise to be sensible. And make it cost-effective.

That said, you will find that your grocery bill will likely go down immensely, simply cutting out the stuff you no longer want to consume by going raw, ie;

Meats, dairy products, sugary cereals and desserts, packaged grain-based foods, soda, any canned foods, etc.

If you focus on buying produce “in-season” you will find that this is some of the least expensive food you can buy! Also, cutting out all of the above items will free up your budget so that you can afford to include some of the more expensive fruits and vegetable selections along with some nuts and seeds.

Something else to consider is this – Raw foods are very nutrient dense. Your body isn’t used to this. You will find that you are only able to eat a fraction of the serving size of a raw dish as compared to it’s traditional counter-part. Think about it…you know how you can eat a large portion of lasagna and garlic bread or mashed potatoes and gravy…then an hour later you are craving more? It’s not that your body hasn’t gotten enough FOOD. What your body is craving are nutrients! You have filled your stomach but your body still hasn’t received the nutrition it needs. This isn’t the case with raw foods. You will find yourself making a healthy sized serving of “raw” spaghetti, thinking that this is the size portion you would normally eat of the cooked version, and half way through the meal you will simply feel satisfied. It really is amazing! So, keep this in mind when making the decision to go raw…especially if you are fearful due to budget constraints. I have frequently had to throw out left-over raw food because I made more than I could eat. So, you will learn to pay attention to how much food your body REALLY wants and needs.

When thinking about going Raw, I hope you will consider what I have said here, and I hope it has been helpful to you in your decision making process.

Next blog entry? I am going to offer a shopping list of the items I most often make sure I have in the house at all times to maintain my healthy Raw Foods Lifestyle!

Ciao!