Raw Munchies Diet: More Than Just Rabbit Food!
Raw-Vegan-Gourmet-Gratin
by Amber Shea Crawley: Blogger, Almost Vegan Chef,onegreenplanet.org – I have a confession to make: I am a raw/vegan chef and cookbook author and a high-raw foodist, and I don’t care much for salads.
It’s true! For my entire life, I’ve had a hard time stomaching the bare taste and, especially, texture of most leafy greens, at least in salad form. As much as I’d like to, I just don’t often delight in a big pile of greens the way other raw foodies do.
On the bright side, this “leaf aversion” of mine has led me to find numerous other ways to incorporate the stellar nutrition of greens into my daily diet. From the basics to a few unusual ideas, here are some creative ways to eat more leafy greens without chomping on salads all day long.
Smoothies This one’s a no-brainer—every time you make a smoothie, be sure to throw in a handful of spinach or a couple destemmed kale or chard leaves. If you’re worried about altering the taste of your smoothie (especially when using tougher greens such as kale), include a handful of fresh or frozen berries. I find that seedy varieties, such as raspberries and blackberries, do a particularly excellent job of covering up the taste of greens.
Juice When I first started juicing, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed green drinks! I love to make myself a tall glass of green juice first thing in the morning. My favorite blend is romaine lettuce, kale (stems and all!), cucumber, celery (include the nutritious leafy tops), green apple or pear, lemon, and ginger.
Kale Chips Is there anything better than crunchy, snackable raw kale chips? When encased in a delicious coating and dehydrated until crisp, kale morphs from a fibrous leafy green into delectable finger food. Eating a whole pile of greens can be as easy as picking up a storebought bag of raw kale chips, or – even better – making your own! (I included an entire chapter of kale chips in my cookbook Practically Raw.) Using cashews, sunflower seeds, or hempseeds as a base, blended together with vegetables, herbs, spices, or even sweeteners, the possibilities for kale chip flavors are endless. Read more…
