Raw Salad

For a quick and healthy lunch a raw salad is convenient and will leave you feeling great. For this easy meal idea follow these simple instructions: 

You will need: 

• Half a courgette 
• 1 carrot 
• Half a cucumber
• Half a red onion
• A handful of lettuce 
• Mixed seeds (eg. sunflower, pumpkin) 
• Organic cider vinegar and mixed herbs 

Simply chop all the ingredients apart from the carrot which should be peeled and grated and mix in with the vinegar and herbs (Around 1tbsp of vinegar and any herbs of your choice) 

This raw meal is so quick and simple, it is the ultimate vegan fast food. Raw food holds more nutrients and fills you up as vegetables hold a higher water content. It is perfect for a hot day or when you are bored of sandwiches. Try adding different vegetables each time and different herbs and spices which will change the flavour. The easiest way to stay healthy is to make your plate as colourful as possible as you know you are getting a range of vitamins and minerals in every meal. 

Raw inspiration

It's been hard sticking to a raw food diet and also finding recipes and inspiration so I was happy to find a youtuber who lives a fully raw lifestyle. Fully Raw Kristina has a youtube channel and website, she eats delicious raw meals and looks really healthy. I don't think I could ever live on a fully raw diet but I do think it would be a healthy way to live, if done right. However I love having this source of inspiration, it is a good idea to gain inspiration from people who are passionate about their lifestyle and look healthy. Her website is full of recipes, beautiful photographs and inspiration it is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about a raw lifestyle. 

http://www.fullyraw.com/ 

The problem with a Raw diet

The problem with a raw diet is definitely the amount of food you have to eat. This might not seem like a problem to some people but to get enough calories from raw food you have to eat so much food. This is one of the issues I've found eating Raw till 4. It can make you feel a bit sick trying to keep eating even when you feel full. I have added dates and figs into what I am eating as these are high in calories and I am not trying to lose weight but simply see the benefits of eating more raw food. Because I want to make sure I eat enough I am also going to add more whole-foods into my breakfast and lunches, things like rice cakes and 100% peanut butter. These aren't classed as raw foods but they only contain whole ingredients. I was unsure whether to stop my April challenge or change it a little, I don't like to fail at anything and wish I could have kept it up properly for the whole month but I think it's important to make sure you listen to your body, stay health and eat enough. So my April challenge is now eating only raw and whole foods until 4pm and cooked foods after. Despite the problems I've found with the diet I am definitely happy at adding more fruit and vegetables into my meals and trying a new way of living. 

Spiralized Courgette and Carrot raw salad with avocado dressing

For this raw salad you will need: 

Ingredients for the salad: 

• 1 Courgette (spiralized)
• 2 Carrots (spiralized) 
• 1/2 small Cucumber (spiralized)
• 1/2 Red onion 
• Lettuce chopped (Handful) 
• 2 Celery stalks finely chopped 

Ingredients for the dressing: 

• 1/2 Avocado 
• 2 tsp Organic Cider vinegar
• 100ml water 
• A mixture of spices (Try chilli, basil, paprika, mixed herbs and pepper) 

1. Spiralize the courgette, carrots and cucumber 
2. Chop the celery, red onion and lettuce 
3. Mix all the vegetables in a mixing bowl 
4. Blend the avocado in cider vinegar and water until a smooth paste
5. Add your choice of spices and herbs to the dressing and blend again (Any can be used) 
6. Add the dressing to the vegetables and mix the serve

This is a simple raw salad perfect for lunch on a raw diet or when you are trying to eat healthier. This also makes a great side salad for an evening meal. 

Cheap Fruit in the Frozen isle

A top tip for getting more fruit in your diet for cheap is to buy it frozen. Mixed bags, frozen berries or different fruits are often cheaper to buy frozen. They are great for adding to smoothies or defrosting and adding to fruit salads. 

Eating healthy can be expensive so finding cheaper ways to eat well for less are essential. Next time you are stocking up on fruit head to the frozen section and see if you can save money. 

Smoothie bowl for breakfast

As part of my raw April challenge I have been trying to think of new and different breakfast ideas. I like smoothie bowls and to make it more filling I added oats. Cinnamon was added as it has many good health benefits, it is believed to lower blood sugar and can fight infections plus it added taste to the smoothie. 

For this smoothie bowl I blended Honeydew melon, frozen mixed berries and frozen rhubarb with water, placed it in a bowl and added oats stirring them into the mixture. It is like a healthy cereal alternative. 

One benefit of this breakfast is that it is sweet so you feel like you are eating a dessert in the morning. The frozen fruit makes it cold and the berries add flavour without needing to use a non dairy milk. It is a healthy way to start the day and is making my raw challenge a lot easier. 

How to eat healthy for less

A lot of people say healthy food is too expensive or being vegan is hard because the food is dear. I disagree that a vegan lifestyle is too expensive but some foods are probably dearer than fast food. Fast foods can be cheap but this is because they are mass produced and not nutritious. 

If you want to add more healthy foods into your diet it is possible to do it cheaply. As I am eating more raw foods this month I have been searching for good deals on fruit and vegetables.

One way of eating well for less is to simply shop around, don't buy all your food in one shop but look at what offers are on in different places. All supermarkets and stores will have some foods that are marked down in price, only get items that are on special offer or on sale as you will get more for your money. 

Also don't plan your meals then shop but make something out of the food which is on offer that day or week, this means you will need to be more creative but you will save money and maybe find new foods which you love. 

Shopping more often is another way to save, fruit and vegetables are perishable and if they need to be used on the same day or the following day supermarkets will sell them off, often at rock bottom prices. If you are able to shop late in the day you can find amazing deals. Buying food more frequently will also mean you don't have waste, if you do a big weekly shop you can often forget what you have in the fridge, food can go off before you've had a chance to use it and you end up losing money. Buying the right amount is more cost effective. 

You could also join a group that can tell you the deals. There are many vegan groups on facebook where people spot special offers in different places, it takes the hard work out of finding cheap food. 

These are just some ways to eat healthy for less, it's also good to remember that you can't put a price on your health and it is worth spending a little extra or finding ways to get bargain prices on good food. Also think about why junk food is so cheap- maybe because you get what you pay for? 

Raw April

For April I am going to try eating more raw food and seeing the effect (if any) it has on my health and any challenges I face. 

It shouldn't be such a challenge to eat raw food but these days it is easier to eat quick, processed foods as they are easy to prepare and often cheap. 

Adding more raw food into your diet can only be a good thing as many nutrients and vitamins are lost when cooking, so it is one way to improve your health and immune system.

I have already stocked up on fruit (apples, bananas and melon) and will be trying new foods throughout the month, I like trying new things and trying to constantly work towards being as healthy as possible so I will keep you updated on my April challenge and share raw food recipes I attempt along the way. 

Raw till 4?

I was chatting to a friend about going Raw till 4, this is the idea of only eating raw food until 4 pm, so essentially your breakfast and lunch would consist of raw food such as fruits and vegetables that you don't cook. The idea in eating lots of whole foods, unprocessed food is designed to increase your energy levels and health as a major part of your diet will be natural. 

It is definitely challenging as most people, including myself are used to the convenience of processed food. It also means eating a lot more as to get enough calories from fruit and vegetables you need to have bigger portions. Eating a lot of food is not a bad problem to have but it is still challenging. 

I am planning on trying Raw till 4 in the future but for now I am eating more raw food along with my lunch to change my diet slightly. I would normally have a sandwich for lunch so instead I am having half a sandwich along with grapes, kiwi, celery and carrot. Sometimes adding more healthy options into your diet slowly helps you make a positive change. It introduces new foods into your diet and gives you a taste for something other than the same items you always have.

Try adding more raw food into your diet even if Raw till 4 isn't for you as the health benefits will be amazing. 

Raw food Lunch

Some days a sandwich just won't cut it. Having the same thing for lunch can get boring so if you are in a rush, want to be healthy or just want a change try a raw food lunch. 

A mixture of fruit and vegetables will make it interesting and having a variety of flavours will make lunch time exciting again. 

This picture shows raw organic carrots, grapes and nectarines. Eating raw foods whole as opposed to in smoothies helps keep you full longer and they are filled with essential nutrients and vitamins. 

Keep it healthy and simple this lunch time and step away from the boring bread!