Healthy Raw Food Recipes

August 27, 2019
What is the raw food diet? A raw foodist avoids heat-processed grains and most animal products (although some consume raw fish, milk and meat); raw foodists eat nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, fruits and vegetables—ones that haven’t been heated past 118°F. To make our healthy recipes part of a raw food diet, substitute extra virgin olive oil for cold-pressed olive oil, replace vinegar with raw apple cider vinegar, use raw sugar in place of sugar and raw honey in place of honey.Watch Video
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Spinach-Apple Juice

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This healthy spinach-apple juice is a green nutrient powerhouse loaded with calcium for bone health, and vitamins A and C for antioxidants. No juicer? No problem. See the juicing variation below to make this spinach-apple juice recipe in a blender.

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Avocado Pesto

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Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe. Toss it with pasta, spread it on baguette slices to make bruschetta, or use it for a healthy mayo substitute on your sandwich.

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Summer Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad

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Fresh wedges of tomato, thinly sliced onion and sliced cucumber dressed simply with vinegar and oil makes the most simple salad possible--think of it as the Southern counterpart to the classic Italian tomato-and-mozzarella salad. It is best enjoyed at the height of summer, when tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden.

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Jicama & Cucumber Salad with Red Chile Dressing

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This salad combines cucumber and jicama with a sweet-sour, slightly spicy vinaigrette and makes a great start to any Mexican-inspired meal.

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Mixed Green Salad with Grapefruit & Cranberries

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Grapefruit juice is the base for the tangy vinaigrette on this salad studded with grapefruit segments and dried cranberries. It serves 12 as a starter or about 6 if you'd like a large portion per person.

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Pistachios & Cherries

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Keep a batch of this on hand for a fiber- and iron-rich snack.

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Hot & Sour Slaw

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This slaw, a combination of cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions and bamboo shoots, is tossed with a dressing full of the classic flavors of Chinese hot-and-sour soup. Serve with grilled pork tenderloin and a glass of Riesling.

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Lemony Carrot Salad

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Tangy lemon and fresh dill make a bright dressing for shredded carrots.

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Green Salad with Asparagus & Peas (Salat med Asparges og rter)

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Here's a salad where we've combined two stars of the spring garden, asparagus and peas. Since the asparagus goes into the mix raw, you'll want to look for the freshest, most tender spears you can find and slice them into very thin rounds.

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Avocado-Corn Salsa for Two

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This colorful salsa comes together in a snap with avocado, frozen corn and ripe tomato.

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Jicama-Apple Slaw

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Crunchy jicama and apple plus oranges and avocado combine in this crisp and refreshing dairy-free slaw.

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Raspberry, Avocado & Mango Salad

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Pureed berries give the tangy wine vinegar dressing a creamy texture that gently clings to the lettuce and fruit. This is a salad to enjoy when fresh berries are in the market.

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Watermelon Agua Fresca

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This refreshing drink is served by roadside vendors all over Mexico. Not too much fruit, not too much sugar, just a beautiful way to quench your thirst on a summer day.

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Mango-Radish Salsa

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Crisp, peppery diced radishes, sweet, juicy mango and tart lime juice have opposing flavors that come together here to create salsa nirvana. Serve with grilled fish, steak or chicken or just put out a dish of it with some crisp baked corn chips.

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Spicy Energy Mix

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Sweet mangos and dates mixed with crunchy pumpkin seeds get a dose of heat from a prepared spice rub.

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Mango & Kiwi with Fresh Lime Zest

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Kiwi and mango get a burst of citrus flavor in this easy fruit salad recipe.

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Jason Mraz's Guacamole

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In this easy guacamole recipe, musician Mraz prefers California Hass or Reed avocados because they are the creamiest. Adjust the heat, tang or other flavorings to suit your tastes.

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Cinnamon Oranges

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This simple dessert works any time of the year, but its flavors will be the best and brightest in the winter when oranges are at their peak.

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Blueberry-Cabbage Power Juice

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This healthy blueberry-cabbage power juice recipe is loaded with anthocyanins, which give the juice its pretty purple color and pack it with powerful antioxidants to keep your memory sharp. No juicer? No problem. See the juicing variation below to make this power juice recipe in a blender.

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Mango-Date Energy Bites

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Sweet, sticky dates act as the glue for these no-cook energy balls. Perfect for hikes or during sports, this healthy snack travels well.

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Fresh Tomatillo Salad

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This super-fresh salad spiked with crushed red pepper is a riot of tastes and textures--tart tomatillos, sweet and juicy ripe tomatoes and cooling and crunchy jicama. It makes an excellent side dish to a grilled steak.

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Cilantro Chutney (Kothmiri Chatni)

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Indian chutneys (or chatnis) are savory, vibrant and exploding with flavor, with a thin, saucy consistency. In this green chutney recipe, cilantro creates the basic sauce that serves as a condiment for many Indian snacks, street foods and sandwiches. The serrano chile gives it quite a blast of heat, so use less if you like a tamer sauce. Try this chutney in place of your favorite hot sauce.

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Pineapple & Avocado Salad

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This refreshing, simple Cuban salad recipe captures the flavors of the tropics. Serve alongside spiced chicken or pork, with rice and beans.

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Frosted Grapes

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The perfect summertime dessert, these frozen grapes are healthy mini-popsicles. Try freezing other fresh fruit, like raspberries, peach wedges or cubes of watermelon.

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Almond-Stuffed Dates

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Medjool dates are softer than their semi-dry Deglet Noor cousins and therefore, much easier to stuff with almonds. This healthy snack recipe can also be turned into an addictive appetizer by adding a little blue cheese to the stuffing.

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