A couple of months ago I was at the library in the cooking section. I had gotten a little tired of all the usual recipes I prepare and wanted to try something new. Usually I just skip right over the vegan/vegetarian section unless I am specifically trying to find a new veggie recipe. However, this time, kind of on a whim, I grabbed a raw foods cookbook and curiously glanced through the recipes. The food looked delicious and interesting so I added the book to my pile.
Of course I’m not interested in adopting a vegan diet and most certainly not a raw foods diet, but I as I mentioned in my last post, I think it’s vital to keep an open mind. For those unfamiliar with a raw foods diet, it basically encourages consumption of foods in their “living” state, so heating anything over 118 degrees Fahrenheit is a no-no. It’s like the vegan diet on steroids. I like the basis of the raw foods diet: using fresh whole ingredients, buying produce locally and seasonally, and refraining from consumption of processed foods. But, there are some claims by raw foodists which I think can be somewhat misleading to those unfamiliar with nutrition.
In the cookbook I borrowed from the library, the authors mentioned that people following a raw foods or vegan diet can obtain their full requirement of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like flax seed and walnuts. Unfortunately, these foods only possess the plant-based form of omega-3 and therefore do not contain valuable DHA and EPA which are only found in animal sources like cold water fatty fish (and algae). The body is able to convert some of the ALA found in plants-based sources of omega-3 into DHA, but it does so only in very small amounts.
The authors also claimed that raw foodists would be able to fufill all of their vitamin A requirements with plant-based sources as well. However, true vitamin A only comes from animals and is especially dense in liver. Some vegetables contain carotenoids (like betacarotene in carrots) which the body converts to retinol (the functional form of vitamin A). The problem with obtaining all of the required vitamin A from vegetables is that the body needs about three to four units of carotenoids to make one unit of retinol. This means you’ll have to eat an absurdly impossible amount of veggies just to meet daily vitamin A requirements. The conversion mentioned above is just an average; some people are able to create more retinol, some less, but never a one to one ratio.
I found several more statements of concern throughout the book and was glad that I had the knowledge to recognize these fallacies…otherwise I might be a raw foodist myself! This is exactly why it’s so important to do your own research and figure out what’s really best for your body. No one book or documentary or blog or author or doctor can ever give you the answers you really need to live a healthy life. It’s an ongoing journey in which we all need to be proactive.
Ok, now that I have that tidbit aside, back to the raw food recipes! I actually found most of the recipes to be quite intriguing. Dave and I bought a dehydrator recently otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to make very many of the recipes. None of the raw foods I made came out perfectly, but I will definitely do some more experimenting. If you do have a dehydrator, I would highly recommend making a grain-free, vegetable-based wrap…and here’s how:
2 zucchini
1 ½ cups ground flaxseed
2 cups water
1 tbsp. psyllium powder
1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp fresh herbs OR 2 tbsp dried herbs*
*For the herbs, use whatever fresh you have on hand or your favorite combination of dried herbs. Oregano works really well with this recipe.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 5-6 hours.
The first time I made these I wasn’t sure if I had dried them too long or not enough! When spreading the mixture in the dehydrator, try to spread it as evenly as possible - this will help when you are trying to determine whether or not the wraps are done. Psyllium husk is supposed to add flexibility to the wraps, which is why I’ve included it in this version. I’ve also read that soaked chia seeds may help with making the wraps more “wrap-like.” Be sure to flip the wraps halfway through and keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get too crispy. But if they do get crunchy, then you have some yummy zucchini crackers! The original recipe I made from the book was a little "blah" so I added some spices to make it more palatable.
Experiment with this. It’s definitely not the same as a warm, soft flour tortilla, but it’s a healthy and fun alternative!
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