Raw Foods

In the winter, it can be all too tempting to indulge in warm, heavy comfort foods. But sometimes, we all need a bit of detox with a day or two of vegan or raw meals. While going 100% raw is truly a mission (it’s nearly impossible and a bit cold!), incorporating some raw food into your diet can really benefit your health. Luckily, doing so can be quite simple.

If you’re interested in stepping into the raw food world, I suggest trying to make about 30-40% of your meals in a week raw. Why? Eating fresh, raw ingredients is important for our “inner composting,” or digestion. When you eat a raw food, you are actually eating living, enzyme-rich food.

You see, cooking vegetables destroys important microorganisms that are found in fresh vegetables, including enzymes that aid in digestion. With cooked food, your body needs to work hard to process dinner. That’s where raw food enzymes come in handy.

My favorite raw recipes are simple and require minimal preparation. Try slicing root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, fennel and turnips very thinly on a Japanese mandoline. Marinate them lightly with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt or soy sauce. The result is a delicious and flavorful meal with a satisfying crispness.

Our Organic Raw Crunola is a great breakfast idea – just mix it with some almond milk, bananas, cashew butter and top with raspberries.

Give your stove the day off and try eating raw for a day. For more inspiration, the Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook is full of tasty raw recipes, as well as plenty other more “indulgent” ideas for the rest of the week.

– Alain Coumont

Monday Detox Salad from the Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook, Photo by Jean-Pierre Gabriel