Raw food at the office?!
Answers: I'm planning on giving the raw food diet a try, and was curious how other people handled stocking up their office for snacks. (Okay, there are carrot sticks and nuts, but you can't eat that every day.) I work at a pretty busy job, and rarely get the chance to leave my desk. So I need to pack food that's easy to store, so I don't end up looking at vending machine options. Thanks in advance!
I did raw with my hubby for about 30 days during the summer (easier in the warm months better fruits) so I'll tell you what I would do.
First I never left home without my bag of raw nuts. Now that I'm not to sure if almonds labled raw are realy raw anymore I would stick to walnuts and cashews. I would make a fruit smoothie first thing in the morning for breakfast so I would bring what ever I hadn't drank with me.
Then I would bring a big green salad with some raw faux tuna salad and some oil and vinagar
Raw tuna salad
Soak 1-Cup Almonds overnight.
rinse, drain & pulse in processor til fine.
then add to processor~
1 large or 2 small stalks of celery
1-2 green onions (depending on size/taste)
approx 1/4 cup italian parsley (not chopped)
1T + an extra splash of lemon juice
dash cayenne/fresh black pepper
1/2-3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic granuals
approx 1/3 cup dulse(NOT flakes...the dried whole kind)
1/8-1/4 cup water.
ADD THE WATER A LITTLE AT A TIME to your desired consistancy.
Pulse until all is combined and chopped well scraping from bottom 1 or 2 times.
i don't use fresh garlic because it becomes overpowering and strong.
I also add to the recipe...for my own tastes~
1/2 t dried mustard
one small bubbies pickle
and some fruit.
I recomend buying this book for many more recipes.....Alissa Cohen, Living on Live Food
this recipe fullfilled my sweet tooth
Raw- Fudge Balls
2 cups dates, pitted and soaked
2 cups almond butter
1/2 cup carob powder (I used raw chocolate powder that I got from whole foods)
1. IN a food processor, blend the dates to a smooth paste.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Remove from processor and form into round balls.
raw food try a sea food or vegii diet
chips, cookies, and soda =0
carrots, nuts, bread, fruit, other veggies, cereal, powdered milk (just add water).
cherry tomatoes
If you need a way to store things that have to be kept cold, like salad or something, there are thermal packs you can buy that have built in ice packets. You put the entire thing in the freezer at night, and the packets freeze solid. Then you pack your food in them in the a.m. to take to work. It'll stay cold all day. The pack I have isn't very large. I got it at a Bed, Bath & Beyond, and I think other kitchen type stores carry them also. Look around the lunchbox and thermos areas for some. They come in all shapes and sizes.
Have a variety of fruits...oranges, apples, bananas, grapes...if you have a fridge you can stock with with some lunch meat, and dairy products like cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. Also can get bagged lettuce or chop up your own. Bread can sit at room temperature so you can keep rolls, or wraps at your desk. Other good snaks are granola, beef jerky, low fat/lite popcorn....
That would give me gas and a stomach ache. Find yourself running to the toilet.
Nuts are calorie dense and not a good option, you can scarf down a ton of nuts and still be hungry.
Get a soy burger and two whole grain pieces of bread. top it with miracle whip has less calories than mayonnaise.
with pickle, tomato, lettuce and anything else you can put on a burger. I started looking at sub sandwiches for ideas on toppings. You can get a sub all cheese sandwiches.
Then put in the old lunch bucket a few baby carrots and some celery, maybe a zucchini squash cut in nice round circles with a tub [1/2 cup plastic pudding cups] I fill with low cal dressing for a dip. Without much effort you can have a regular looking lunch with veggie slices for lunch meat. and a few raw veggies. A diet green tea drink, with citrus.
Actually it is pretty healthy.
Remember that when you eat nothing but veggies by dinner time your starving. Protein satisfies.
Those dry dinners that fit in a desk drawer and cost under 3.
throw it into the microwave and have a hot meal in seconds.
beef stew or even turkey with dressing. All under 300 calories. I get 1500 calories a day so that doesn't mess me up. I know my metabolism is on hold from years of dieting.
I have a "six pack" sized ice chest that I take to work daily..
I stock it with several of the following a can of V8 low sodium; cheese or yogurt or small cartoon of milk ; apples; berries, oranges or tangerines; whole wheat crackers; mixed nuts a kiwi or papya occassionally an avacodo. I am including items that are not raw ... you can choose those that apply .
Go online looking under "Health Foods". I can get everything from Vegan chocolate to brown rice chips. Raw foods are good for you but they can get yucky looking real fast. Avocado is good but messy. Look up Vegan foods and pick out some that are easy to handle at your desk.
I have been mostly raw for many years, and it couldn't be simpler. Don't try to buy into all of those silly raw recipes that are wacky and complicated. What could be better than a ripe, sweet banana or juicy tangerine? It even comes in its own wrapper! Keep it simple. A lovely piece of fresh fruit should help you avoid the toxic temptation of vending machine garbage. You will likely find that your co workers will be wanting YOUR googies, as opposed to the same old salty or sugary garbage they are used to eating. A nice raw hummus dip with crisp veggies is lovely, so is a freshly made salsa. Its all in the mindset. Try some fruits and veggies you have never had before. You can easily make up a nice fruit salad to take into work. Taboulli, made with quinoa is nice and fresh too. and very tasty. Try to avoid the complicated recipes-food is best enjoyed in its natural state, just as mother nature intended it to be. It might be easier for you too if you don't try to be so rigid-I eat about 80 percent raw, and the other 20 percent lightly cooked. Good luck!
avocado and mixed greens salad,
tomato and purple onion salad
mixed dried fruit with nuts
mixed fruit salad
multi fruit smoothie
whole fruits like papaya, pineapple apples oranges etc
just try to avoid strong odored foods which might cause some problems in an enclosed office environment
veg salad, cereals, fruits, snacks and...hey this is going to be useful for you...what about cereal bars. its not only easy to eat while working its healthy too!
There really isn't much knowledge on these boards about raw food. You'll have to tune out all the idiots who can't read, or think raw foods = cold foods or prepared foods you don't have to cook.
I go raw again-cooked again quite often. You can pack a big salad with some (homemade, of course) dressing on the side. I learned the most convenient foods for me at work were bowls of fruit (grapes, berries, bananas, apples, oranges, whatever)
or I'd make a cucumber, tomato, onion salad with vinegar, italian seasoning, sea salt, pepper, and raw agave nectar.
I also make some Island Fruit Jerk. It sounds quite odd, but is very good. I use pineapple, shredded coconut, banana, chopped onions & jalapeno, crushed red pepper, sea salt, pepper, half a lime's juice, and agave nectar.