This is a staple healthy, raw, vegan dish in our home. Everyone loves it! My husband, friends AND PUPPY! It will store for a few days in your fridge after marinated and prepared.

• 1 bunch fresh kale, de-stemmed and shredded
• 1 avocado, cubed or sliced thin
• 3 stalks celery, sliced thin or minced
• 1 green apple, sliced thin or minced (in the same size as your celery pieces)
• 1/3 C lemon juice
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 2 T Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 1/3 C olive oil
• 1 T honey or agave nectar

Put the shredded kale in a large bowl with the salt. With your hands, squeeze and massage the kale and mix it well with the salt. Keep massaging the kale for up to 3-5 minutes as the kale will darken, shrink in size and the fibers will break down. Once this happens, mix in all of the other ingredients into the bowl, except the avocado.

Serve on a pretty plate and garnish with pretty avocado pieces on top.

note: you might want to experiment with how much lemon juice, bragg’s, and agave/honey you put in this. the above recipe is a pretty good guideline but you’ll find that you’ll have your own preferences. Go with whatever tastes good to you!

I just finished preparing 4 cleanses for my clients. Thinking of their reaction to one of my fave soups sparked my blogging fire.

Here’s a recipe for my most popular Carrot Ginger gazpacho. (this can be warmed on the stove top as well, in the winter)

-3 cups carrot juice
-1 small ripe avocado
-1/4 cup lime juice
-2 tablespoons agave
-1 tablespoon minced ginger
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-black ground pepper to taste
*add a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish

1. In a high-speed blender, puree all the ingredients until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

2. Divide among bowls. Garnish with a drizzle  of avocado-lime oil (or any type) and a few cilantro leaves in the middle and serve immediately.

3. If you want it heated: gently warm the soup in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring it continuously for a few minutes.

To read about the benefits to carrots-check out this past post.

Reporting in from InSpiral Lounge- London, England

I’m writing this review as I sit in this lively raw organic vegetarian restaurant (and Vegan) in Camden Town, London. I’m sitting at a small wooden table with uneven chairs, by the glowing Himalayan sea salt figure light source, while the energetic African music smiles in my ears.

I just finished eating a raw nut burger, what they call their “Sunfood Burger”. It was a little dry, but overall very tasty and I basically swallowed it whole.With every dish you purchase, you get 3 sides included, so I chose 3 raw salads with bright, vibrant colors and distinct familiar tastes. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had this food I love so dearly, so I practically licked the plate.

My husband and I drove back to London today from Belgium in order for me to work for this restaurant, InSprial. This is our “honeymoon”, or at least our version of it. It’s not that we aren’t enjoying each other, or totally infatuated with each other: it’s just that we love our jobs that much. We are in Europe and by day we walk around on the bustling streets and go have European cappuccinos (mine with soy obviously) and for a few hours each day we bring our computers and tap into our clients, blog readers and the jobs we love so dearly.

Which brings me to this moment:

At first I thought it was oxymoronic to say “healthy food in London” BOY WAS I WRONG!

I emailed InSprial before leaving for England, after finding them on the internet, explaining I was coming to London for two weeks and would love to do a workshop for them on raw food or help in the kitchen. A week later, I received an enthusiastic reply, indicating they would put me in touch with their head chef. A few days later Enzo, their vegetarian cook, wrote asking if I could help the restaurant recreate their raw menu for the New Year. I obviously said Yes… with zero attempt at hiding my zealous vigor.

I met with Enzo last week and we discussed his ideas and what he needs from me. In the quickest hour of my life, I told him what I thought of the dishes they already have, he told me what he thought, and within 60 minutes we had a plan. He needed 7 new raw salads with superfoods in the dressings or in the salad & 2 new entree’s-one raw sushi dish and one random dish using my incredible imagination

We decided on my hours for this week (so that Adi and I could go to Paris and Belgium for a few days) and voila! Here we are! I showed him all my work–the 7 new recipes and 2 entrees–and he loved all of them.

Here’s a sneak preview on my ideas:

• Sprouted Mung Bean Salad with Sesame Seeds and a Raw Tahini Lime Dressing

• Edible Flower Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Raspberries, Agave Soaked Goji Berries and a Creamy Lemon-Maca Dressing

• Raw Caesar Salad with Baby Jam Lettuce, Raw Parmesan and Capers with A Cacao-Balsamic Dressing

for my “creative” entree I decided on a Mock Loaf with a Raw Mushroom Gravy…

PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Things may change a bit once I get into the kitchen, but that’s when the fun & gratification really begins!

Stay tuned.

Reporting in from InSpiral Lounge- London, England

I’m writing this review as I sit in this lively raw organic vegetarian restaurant (and Vegan) in Camden Town, London. I’m sitting at a small wooden table with uneven chairs, by the glowing Himalayan sea salt figure light source, while the energetic African music smiles in my ears.

I just finished eating a raw nut burger, what they call their “Sunfood Burger”. It was a little dry, but overall very tasty and I basically swallowed it whole.With every dish you purchase, you get 3 sides included, so I chose 3 raw salads with bright, vibrant colors and distinct familiar tastes. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had this food I love so dearly, so I practically licked the plate.

My husband and I drove back to London today from Belgium in order for me to work for this restaurant, InSprial. This is our “honeymoon”, or at least our version of it. It’s not that we aren’t enjoying each other, or totally infatuated with each other: it’s just that we love our jobs that much. We are in Europe and by day we walk around on the bustling streets and go have European cappuccinos (mine with soy obviously) and for a few hours each day we bring our computers and tap into our clients, blog readers and the jobs we love so dearly.

Which brings me to this moment:

At first I thought it was oxymoronic to say “healthy food in London” BOY WAS I WRONG!

I emailed InSprial before leaving for England, after finding them on the internet, explaining I was coming to London for two weeks and would love to do a workshop for them on raw food or help in the kitchen. A week later, I received an enthusiastic reply, indicating they would put me in touch with their head chef. A few days later Enzo, their vegetarian cook, wrote asking if I could help the restaurant recreate their raw menu for the New Year. I obviously said Yes… with zero attempt at hiding my zealous vigor.

I met with Enzo last week and we discussed his ideas and what he needs from me. In the quickest hour of my life, I told him what I thought of the dishes they already have, he told me what he thought, and within 60 minutes we had a plan. He needed 7 new raw salads with superfoods in the dressings or in the salad & 2 new entree’s-one raw sushi dish and one random dish using my incredible imagination

We decided on my hours for this week (so that Adi and I could go to Paris and Belgium for a few days) and voila! Here we are! I showed him all my work–the 7 new recipes and 2 entrees–and he loved all of them.

Here’s a sneak preview on my ideas:

• Sprouted Mung Bean Salad with Sesame Seeds and a Raw Tahini Lime Dressing

• Edible Flower Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Raspberries, Agave Soaked Goji Berries and a Creamy Lemon-Maca Dressing

• Raw Caesar Salad with Baby Jam Lettuce, Raw Parmesan and Capers with A Cacao-Balsamic Dressing

for my “creative” entree I decided on a Mock Loaf with a Raw Mushroom Gravy…

PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Things may change a bit once I get into the kitchen, but that’s when the fun & gratification really begins!

Stay tuned.

Generally this is the way my conversations pan out:

Person:”So what do you eat? are you a vegan?”

ME: “well, I am mostly vegan but I eat fish.”

Person: “Wait, whaaattt??”

ME: “I avoid dairy and don’t eat any food that walks around on land. I eat anything that comes from the sea, including fish.”

Person: “But, aren’t you raw?”

ME: “I mostly eat raw. I gravitate mostly towards raw, fresh, organic foods. But if I’m at restaurant with family or friends or on vacation, I’ll eat cooked foods like a piece of baked fish or steamed veggies.”

Person: “I’ve figured it out. You’re a vegetarian, then.”

ME: “No. I don’t eat dairy, and vegetarians do. Plus I eat fish, and vegetarians tend not to eat fish.”

Person: “OHHHH I Get it. You’re a flexitarian!”

ME: “Sure. I’m whatever makes it easiest for you.”

Are you 100% raw?

No, I am not completely raw. I consume a high percentage of raw food, probably somewhere between 75-85%. I will eat steamed veggies, quinoa, brown rice or a piece of sprouted toast with almond butter. If I go out to eat with friends I will have a piece of broiled or steamed fish with veggies and I have quite the sweet tooth. I’ve been known to polish off a fair amount of dessert, but I’ve learned to limit this over time because it just doesn’t make me feel good. Within an hour of eating the sugary dessert I remember why I don’t eat that way every day. I usually share a dessert and then I feel fine, I’m all for moderation of things we enjoy, not restricting.

Are you a vegan?

I probably eat fish once a week, so I’m not a vegan. I’m careful to research the latest eco-friendly and safe options for fish so that I don’t support any sort of negative treatment. It isn’t necessarily an ethical decision, overall I don’t like the taste of meat or the health negatives associated, like high cholesterol and high saturated fats.

When I moved to Los Angeles 7 years ago, I became much more aware of my likes and dislikes, and much more educated about the environmental impact created by eating meat. There is ample evidence in peer-reviewed scientific journals that mammals experience “not just pain, but also mental suffering including fear, anticipation, foreboding, anxiety, stress, terror and trauma,” says Prof Andrew Linzey, director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and author of Why Animal Suffering Matters. I would go to the farmers Market in Hollywood every Sunday and talk to people in the community and learn. I decided that within myself, I prefer not to potentially bring that emotional poison into my own being, but I absolutely don’t judge others that do. I’ve known since I was a child that I have an extreme sensitivity towards others and energies, and I may just be hyper sensitive to these feelings about animals as well.

I wear leather boots and have a beautiful leather bag, both from a trip to Argentina. My husband’s cousins own a leather company there. I consume raw honey and bee pollen. I make sure all the honey and bee pollen is from a good source where the bees are treated carefully, from local bee farmers. They never transport the bees to pollinate commercial corps, and they embrace traditional, local in-season-only, low stress beekeeping methods that help keep the bees healthy.

Vegan/Vegetarian/Pescatarian/Raw-Pick one!!!!

People enjoy categorizing.  In fact, many a psychological study indicate our brain naturally desires to put things into categories, to organize things and find relationships between new objects and those already stored in our brain.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an easy answer for you. This hasn’t been a quick and easy process for me. It takes intuition and learning about your own body and how it reacts to different things. My journey has 100% been about how things make me feel. Dairy makes my stomach hurt, no more of that. Meat doesn’t taste good, and has repercussions if we eat too much; no bueno.  Raw food makes me feel AH-MAZING… so I tend to eat as much of it as I can. Too much processed or cooked food makes me want to take a nap and not feel alive: NAH, I’ll drop that from my eating regime. We must learn to listen to our internal mechanisms. Just as women “know” when they are pregnant before seeing a physician, no doctor, health coach or expert can lead you 100%. You are your own expert!

The only advice I will give is to listen to your own body, figure out what works for you and to attempt to reduce the amount of red meat you consume (for health and environmental reasons). The red meat you eat today, will absolutely affect your children’s generation, either directly or indirectly. My dad’s health (his cholesterol) affected me by making me scared and more aware of the health implications.  This statistic makes me happy:

“More than a quarter of people say they eat less meat than they did five years ago. There is a shifting change in the diet,” says Ms Gellatley.

For more info on the benefits to eating organic, local food and more details on eating red meat, read the follow two posts:

Natural organic food explained

Eating meat, global warming and the environment

Generally this is the way my conversations pan out:

Person:”So what do you eat? are you a vegan?”

ME: “well, I am mostly vegan but I eat fish.”

Person: “Wait, whaaattt??”

ME: “I avoid dairy and don’t eat any food that walks around on land. I eat anything that comes from the sea, including fish.”

Person: “But, aren’t you raw?”

ME: “I mostly eat raw. I gravitate mostly towards raw, fresh, organic foods. But if I’m at restaurant with family or friends or on vacation, I’ll eat cooked foods like a piece of baked fish or steamed veggies.”

Person: “I’ve figured it out. You’re a vegetarian, then.”

ME: “No. I don’t eat dairy, and vegetarians do. Plus I eat fish, and vegetarians tend not to eat fish.”

Person: “OHHHH I Get it. You’re a flexitarian!”

ME: “Sure. I’m whatever makes it easiest for you.”

Are you 100% raw?

No, I am not completely raw. I consume a high percentage of raw food, probably somewhere between 75-85%. I will eat steamed veggies, quinoa, brown rice or a piece of sprouted toast with almond butter. If I go out to eat with friends I will have a piece of broiled or steamed fish with veggies and I have quite the sweet tooth. I’ve been known to polish off a fair amount of dessert, but I’ve learned to limit this over time because it just doesn’t make me feel good. Within an hour of eating the sugary dessert I remember why I don’t eat that way every day. I usually share a dessert and then I feel fine, I’m all for moderation of things we enjoy, not restricting.

Are you a vegan?

I probably eat fish once a week, so I’m not a vegan. I’m careful to research the latest eco-friendly and safe options for fish so that I don’t support any sort of negative treatment. It isn’t necessarily an ethical decision, overall I don’t like the taste of meat or the health negatives associated, like high cholesterol and high saturated fats.

When I moved to Los Angeles 7 years ago, I became much more aware of my likes and dislikes, and much more educated about the environmental impact created by eating meat. There is ample evidence in peer-reviewed scientific journals that mammals experience “not just pain, but also mental suffering including fear, anticipation, foreboding, anxiety, stress, terror and trauma,” says Prof Andrew Linzey, director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and author of Why Animal Suffering Matters. I would go to the farmers Market in Hollywood every Sunday and talk to people in the community and learn. I decided that within myself, I prefer not to potentially bring that emotional poison into my own being, but I absolutely don’t judge others that do. I’ve known since I was a child that I have an extreme sensitivity towards others and energies, and I may just be hyper sensitive to these feelings about animals as well.

I wear leather boots and have a beautiful leather bag, both from a trip to Argentina. My husband’s cousins own a leather company there. I consume raw honey and bee pollen. I make sure all the honey and bee pollen is from a good source where the bees are treated carefully, from local bee farmers. They never transport the bees to pollinate commercial corps, and they embrace traditional, local in-season-only, low stress beekeeping methods that help keep the bees healthy.

Vegan/Vegetarian/Pescatarian/Raw-Pick one!!!!

People enjoy categorizing.  In fact, many a psychological study indicate our brain naturally desires to put things into categories, to organize things and find relationships between new objects and those already stored in our brain.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an easy answer for you. This hasn’t been a quick and easy process for me. It takes intuition and learning about your own body and how it reacts to different things. My journey has 100% been about how things make me feel. Dairy makes my stomach hurt, no more of that. Meat doesn’t taste good, and has repercussions if we eat too much; no bueno.  Raw food makes me feel AH-MAZING… so I tend to eat as much of it as I can. Too much processed or cooked food makes me want to take a nap and not feel alive: NAH, I’ll drop that from my eating regime. We must learn to listen to our internal mechanisms. Just as women “know” when they are pregnant before seeing a physician, no doctor, health coach or expert can lead you 100%. You are your own expert!

The only advice I will give is to listen to your own body, figure out what works for you and to attempt to reduce the amount of red meat you consume (for health and environmental reasons). The red meat you eat today, will absolutely affect your children’s generation, either directly or indirectly. My dad’s health (his cholesterol) affected me by making me scared and more aware of the health implications.  This statistic makes me happy:

“More than a quarter of people say they eat less meat than they did five years ago. There is a shifting change in the diet,” says Ms Gellatley.

For more info on the benefits to eating organic, local food and more details on eating red meat, read the follow two posts:

Natural organic food explained

Eating meat, global warming and the environment

The Protein Myth: Let’s Get Down to the Truth Here!

PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN!

A 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of protein—38 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them saturated. That’s almost three-fourths of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. That can be really tough on your kidneys. The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat. So when choosing protein-rich foods, pay attention to what comes along with the protein. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, seeds, green veggies, fruit and whole grains, are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals.

*Please take into consideration that individual nutritional requirements for every person is unique and varies. The most important lifestyle influence that may modify demands for protein is the level of physical activity.

What Food Provides Enough Protein?

From www.rawfoodnation.org:

“The World Health Organization states that humans need about 5% of their daily calorie  intake to come from protein. This constitutes a healthy diet. Actually, by being a raw food enthusiast, you have the option to get your daily dose of protein from a variety of sources. So no longer do you have to think “gee, I should make sure I have chicken tonight so I get my protein.” Now you have multiple ways to get your protein, from your breakfast smoothie to your afternoon snack. On average, fruits have roughly 5% of their calories from protein and vegetables (especially green leafy ones) have 20-50% of their calories from protein.”

Here are some great plant based foods that are packed with the proteins your body needs:

* Dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach (2-3g per 100g; great in salads, in juices and green smoothies)

* Fruits such as peaches, avocados (1-4g protein per 100g fruit; great in smoothies), and raisins (consider making a raw trail mix)

* Nuts such as Brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios (up to 21g of protein per 100g) and seeds such as sunflower, pumpkin seed and chia seed

* Hemp protein powders (23%) added to your smoothies and Blue-Green Algae such as Spirulina (contains all the amino acids) also added to juices and smoothies

After reading all these articles, and finally, reading the article by the World Health Organization “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements in Human Nutrition”, I’ve concluded that we need about for every .83g of protein for each kg of body weight(each kg is 2.5 lbs). In easy to understand terms: divide your weight into a third. That’s about what you should get in protein grams. (for a 140 lb person they should obtain around 45 grams per day)

This is from a raw food guy I follow, and this is what he says about protein on the raw diet:

“6% of protein in total calories consumed is plenty, for the following reasons:

1. Human milk only contains 6% protein (by calories). We know that babies are growing fast and need more protein than adult. So there is no reason to think we would need more protein than a growing baby.

2. Vegetarian and fruitarian animals on the planet all eat a low-protein diet and yet build tremendous strength and muscle.

3. Proteins in fruits and vegetables are of higher quality than proteins in grains or beans. They contain all necessary amino acids and are not processed, cooked or coagulated by heat. Therefore, they are easy to assimilate.

In the 11 years I’ve been on a raw diet, I’ve never known any raw-foodist with a true protein deficiency.

However, I’ve met plenty of people who consumed too little food and wasted away, in addition to suffering from many deficiency-related problems.

It’s essential to consume enough calories to meet your needs. If you do that, you’ll automatically get enough protein, along with most necessary nutrients (one exception is Vitamin B12. I recommend supplementing for that).” -Frederick Patenaude

I completely agree that we obsess over the protein controversy and that we actually (on the Standard American Diet) get WAY too much. I’m just not sure if 6% is enough. I’ll continue to do research.

Check out other thoughts he has on his blog: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/

This concept is hard for me to grasp, personally. I’m still addicted to the idea of “getting enough protein” and getting it from fish. I probably only eat fish every other week, but I feel like it’s imperative, even though it probably isn’t. This year as one of my new years resolutions, I will attempt to eat less fish. I know there are plenty of reasons to not eat fish- i.e. toxins, mercury, poisons but i continue to hold onto the notion of “how good I feel after eating it” (unlike other meats that don’t leave me feeling good). I also feel like I’m on cloud nine after drinking a green juice,  superfood smoothie or a delicious raw entree. So, would I really miss not having fish in my life? This year will be the test!

A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted to determine whether the consumption of leafy vegetables by preschool children would enhance their serum vitamin A concentration to acceptable levels.

The importance of these findings in alleviating and/or controlling vitamin A deficiency in developing countries is discussed.

Preschool children in Saboba, northern Ghana, were randomly assigned to five feeding groups, differing essentially in the amount of fat and beta-carotene, fed once per day, 7 days per week, for 3 months.

The consumption of dark green, leafy vegetables (with fat- 10 g/100 g) significantly enhanced serum retinol; consequently, the percentage of children with adequate retinol status increased from after feeding.

Dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of many vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy, such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron and calcium. They are also great sources of fiber. Research suggests that the nutrients found in dark green vegetables may prevent certain types of cancers and promote heart health. It is recommended that teenage girls eat 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week, or about ½ a cup every day.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Dark green vegetables are also high in fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, K, D, and E. These vitamins require a little bit of dietary fat in order for the body to absorb them. When you eat dark green vegetables, make sure to add a teaspoon of dietary fat, such as flax oil, olive or sunflower oil, avocado or seeds and nuts to make sure your body absorbs all of the vitamins you eat.

• Arugula has a peppery taste and is rich in vitamins A, C, and calcium. Arugula can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir-fry, soups, and pasta sauces.
• Broccoli has both soft florets and crunchy stalks, and is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and fiber. Broccoli can be eaten raw or steamed, sautéed or added to a casserole.
• Collard Greens have a mild flavor and are rich in vitamins A, C and K, folate, fiber, and calcium. The best way to prepare them is to boil them briefly and then add to a soup or stir-fry. You can also eat collard greens as a side dish. Just add your favorite seasoning and enjoy!
• Dandelion Greens have a bitter, tangy flavor and are rich in vitamin A and calcium. They are best when steamed or eaten raw in salad. (very detoxifying!)
  
• Kale has a slightly bitter, cabbage-like flavor and is rich in vitamins A, C and K. Kale is tasty when added to soups, smoothies, stir-fries, and sauces.
• Mustard Greens have a peppery or spicy flavor and are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and calcium. They are delicious when eaten raw in salads or in stir-fries and soups.
• Romaine Lettuce is a nutrient rich lettuce that is high is vitamins A, C, and K, and folate. It is best when eaten raw in salads, sandwiches or wraps.
  
• Spinach has a sweet flavor and is rich in vitamins A and K, folate, and iron. Spinach tastes great eaten raw in salads or smoothies, or steamed.
• Swiss Chard tastes similar to spinach and is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, potassium and iron. It is best stir-fried or eaten raw in salads.

find the full article here at pub med

Cucumber Arame (sea vegetable) Salad

• 1-2 oz Arame
• 4 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp unrefined oil
• pinch of pepper

1. Soak arame for 15 mins in enough water to cover.

2. Slice the cucumbers very thinly (use a mandolin or food processor)

3. Sprinkle sea salt on cucumbers and let set for several minutes to release  juices.

4. Discard soaking water from arame.

5. Chop arame and add to cucumbers.

6. Add all other ingredients and toss!

SO SIMPLE! enjoy!!

Now that you’re ready to eat raw living foods,  you’re probably wondering what equipment and food staples you’ll need. You will need some basic kitchen equipment and food staples to get you started.

Kitchen Equipment

Appliances

1. Blender. If you have a good blender that is working fine, there is no need to rush out purchase a heavy duty blender. A heavy duty blender is great, but start where you are and work your way up. I am partial to the Vita Mix, but there are many heavy duty blenders on the market you can choose from.

2. Coffee grinder (optional). A coffee grinder is good for grinding flax seeds and other seeds and nuts. I have a Magic Bullet and it has an attachment for grinding seeds and nuts. You can also use a heavy duty blender for grinding, but most of the time you will need small amounts, so you may consider purchasing a coffee grinder.

3. Food processor. A food processor is good to have, but I don’t believe you need to have one, when you’re starting out. Why? Because a lot of things you can do with a food processor you can do with a good heavy duty blender.

4. Juicer. A juicer is good to have, but again, I don’t believe this is necessary when you are starting out. Don’t feel you need to purchase a top of the line juicer. Start small and work your way up.

5. Dehydrator. A dehydrator is good to have (not necessary), if you want to make dried fruit (my favorite!) crackers, breads and seasoned nuts and have other little treats on hand (especially during your transition). However, over time you will find that you will use your dehydrator less and less.

Other Tools

1. Mixing bowls

2. Rubber Spatulas

3. Knives

4. Cutting board (wood or bamboo)

5. Kitchen scissors

6. Colander

7. Garlic press

8. Mason jars

9. Measuring cups and spoons

10. Sprout bag or cheese cloth (for straining nut milks)

11. Fine mesh strainer

12. Vegetable peeler

Kitchen Staples

1. Fruit (dried and frozen)

2. Dried herbs and spices

3. Oils and Vinegars

4. Raw nuts and seeds

5. Sweeteners and Seasonings (sea salt, pepper, cayenne pepper)

6. Superfoods- carob or cocoa powder, maca,  sea vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, etc)

7. Raw grains-buckwheat groats, oat groats, etc

8. Raw nut/seed butters

**Purchase fresh, preferably organic produce on a weekly basis.

R

Check out local farmers markets in your area!