Can Choosing Raw Taste Good and Still Cost Less?

Do You Need To Be Wealthy To Eat Healthy?

The average household of four can easily spend anywhere from $200-$350 each shopping trip in groceries which include a myriad of snacks, cuts of meat, cold cuts, soda, etc.  If you shop organically, depending upon where you shop and what you buy, that same household can expect to pay 20-40 % less by cutting out the meat, the junk food, soda, etc. and incorporating more organic fruits, vegetables and nuts into their diet.

Watch The Interview

As health-conscious Americans shift their focus away from dieting and towards whole, nourishing foods, vegan and raw food diets have been moving into the spotlight. But can you embrace raw foods without breaking the bank? Is it possible to get the nutrition you need on a plant based diet? Will you be able to juggle food prep with everything else in your hectic life? Can raw and vegan foods still taste satisfying and delicious? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Gena Hamshaw, author of “Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat.”

Gena talks about her journey to good health, her favorite tools and kitchen gadgets, and also offers tips for introducing raw foods to children. To watch the interview, click the play button on the video below.

Raw Carrot Falafel Recipe

(From Choosing Raw by Gena Hamshaw. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014)

Falafel is one of my favorite foods, but I often find that it’s too greasy when prepared conventionally. These falafel, which I first created when I had a ton of pulp left over from making carrot juice, impart all the wonderful flavor of regular falafel, minus the deep frying. Once you make the falafel, you can use them in pita, pile them into romaine leaves, put them on your salads, or snack on them as they are. And this is one of those recipes where there’s little difference between the dehydrator version and the baked version, so no need to fear if you don’t have a dehydrator at home!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups carrot pulp from juicing or
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot, squeezed firmly between paper towels to remove excess moisture
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1/4 cup fresh curly parsley

Directions:

1. Grind the sesame seeds and sea salt in a food processor until finely ground.

2. Add the carrot pulp, garlic, lemon, cumin, if using, and flax, along with 1?3 cup of water. Process until the mixture is smooth.

3. Add the parsley to the processor and pulse to combine.

4. Shape the mixture into twelve small patties. Dehydrate at 115?F for 6 hours, flipping once through.

5. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the falafel for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Top with tangy tahini sauce, and serve.

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, both dehydrated and baked falafel will keep for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen.

Tangy Tahini Sauce Recipe

MAKES 1 SCANT CUP SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend and serve.
2. Tahini dressing will keep for a week in the fridge and can also be served over salads, with raw veggies, and warm grains.

Carrot, Avocado, and Turmeric Soup Recipe

Carrot and avocado was my first ever raw soup. Nothing could be easier: Carrot juice and avocado blend up easily, so you can use a food processor, any blender, or a magic bullet. The soup is a little spicy and a little sweet, and pumpkin seeds give it the perfect hint of crunch.

Carrot and avocado was my first ever raw soup. Nothing could be easier: Carrot juice and avocado blend up easily, so you can use a food processor, any blender, or a magic bullet. The soup is a little spicy and a little sweet, and pumpkin seeds give it the perfect hint of crunch.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice (bottled is okay if you can’t get your hands on fresh)
• 1 medium or large Haas avocado peeled and pitted
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger powder  (or 1 teaspoon fresh, grated)
• 1/2 tablespoon tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Directons: 

1. Blend all the ingredients except for the pumpkin seeds in a blender or food processor until rich and creamy.

2.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of salt to the skillet. Toast the pumpkin seeds until they’re just turning golden. Quickly transfer them to a cool plate.

For a raw version, you can soak the pumpkin seeds overnight and drain them. Dust them with a pinch of salt and dehydrate them at 115°F for 6 to 8 hours, or until totally dry.

3. Divide the soup into two bowls and top with the pumpkin seeds.

Meet Gena Hamshaw

Gena Hamshaw, CCN, a former book editor turned clinical nutritionist, has contributed to VegNews , O Magazine, Whole Living Daily, Food 52, and other publications. You can find her online at choosingraw.com or on twitter @choosingraw.

Still Want More? 

If you thought the two recipes featured look good, here are some other recipes you will find in Choosing Raw:

• Peachy Keen Smoothie
• Chocolate Raw-nola
• Easy Berry Breakfast Pizza
• Hummus Kale Chips
• Nori and Pumpkin Seed Cigars
• Creamy Basil and Ginger Noodles
• Apricot Quinoa and Mint Salad
• Raw Corn Chowder
• Acorn Squash, Frisée, and Brown Rice Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts
• Raw Lasagna
• Portobello “Steak” and Rosemary
• Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Raw Peach Cobbler
• Banana Soft Serve
• Cherry Vanilla Tahini Ice Cream