A healthy lifestyle that includes a nutritious diet of mostly raw food can drastically improve your quality of life, and reduce the likelihood of developing diseases. Living foods form the cornerstone of a healthy and vibrant life.
Just like any new endeavor, your raw food journey will be easier and more enjoyable if you set yourself up for success. While you can get by with just a sharp knife and a cutting board, it is helpful to have some specialty equipment. Having the right appliance will save you lots of prep time, and many raw dishes are only possible with certain tools. I know making raw dishes got a lot more fun when I set up my kitchen to support my healthier choices.
Here are some tips to making your kitchen an ideal place to prepare delicious living foods feasts.
Essential Items
High Quality Water Filter — Clean, chemical free water is essential for everyone at all times, and it is especially important as you detoxify your body.
Many filters are available, at them moment the ones that combine affordability with effectiveness usually include a reverse osmosis (RO) filtration device and ceramic. You can go with a whole-house purification system, or a countertop filter. Just be sure to find one that removes heavy metals, chlorine, pharmaceuticals, and chemical additives like fluoride.
A Set of Sharp Quality Knives — A high-quality, sharp knife is a chef’s best friend. It makes prep work a lot easier and safer, as with a sharp knife you are actually less likely to cut yourself. Some raw foodists recommend using ceramic knives, as cutting raw fruits and veggies with metal can speed up the oxidation process. If you do choose metal knives, sharpen them regularly.
You will want at least a butcher knife, a medium blunt-tipped knife, a peeler, a grater, and a paring knife. Spiral slicers and mandolins are nice for specialty dishes like raw zucchini pasta, but not essential.
Large Non-Plastic Cutting Board — Give yourself space to work. Bamboo is an eco-friendly, affordable option that does not develop bacteria the way a wooden or plastic board can.
High-Powered Blender — This is the most important piece of equipment in a raw kitchen. I use my blender at least twice a day, usually more. It is worth investing in a multi-horse power blender, such as a Vita-Mix, Blendtec, or Omni V. High powered blenders are crucial for making fruit smoothies, green smoothies, nut milk, raw soups, sauces, dressings, and nut or fruit ice cream.
A blender with at least 3 HP (horsepower) is required to break down the cell wall of fibrous vegetables like kale, which allows for full nutrient absorption. Most high quality blenders are guaranteed to last for several years, and if you use one like I do, will save you money in the long run over cheap blenders that wear out quickly.
Juice Extractor — While not as essential as a blender, juicers are still a staple of a raw kitchen. Juice extractors allow you to draw out the vital liquid essence of vegetables. Masticating juicers are the best way to go, because the do not destroy as many nutrients as centrifugal juicers, and are less likely to heat it up.
Sprout Jars — Sprouts are an inexpensive staple for raw foodists. From broccoli and radish to lentils and garbanzo beans, many seeds can be brought to life with water and air. The simplest sprout jars are just Ball jars with a screen instead of the lid center. Complex sprouting systems are available, but the jars are a great place to begin.
Helpful But Not Essential
Coffee Grinder — For grinding spices, nuts, and flax seeds.
Milk Bags — To make your own nut milks. Organic cotton, mesh, or hemp fabric.
Food Processor — These allow you to shred and slice large amounts of vegetables quickly. They also enable you to make puddings, salsas, nut pâtés, hummus, and the batter for raw crackers
Dehydrator — Dehydrators are great for preserving food, and making raw crackers, pizza dough, and other crunchy treats. They are not essential, but can be quite helpful if you want to make a lot of something that will be easy to eat later.
Preparing sumptuous raw dishes can be easy and fun, if you have the right tools. Start with a blender and a few knives, and build up from there. You will be whipping up raw feasts in no time.
This post is contributed by Ron McDiarmid, who is the founder of My Healthy Living Coach. Having had health challenges along the way Ron was keen to share the research and learning he gathered. Through MHLC this continued into a current presentation of healthy lifestyle choices and how to implement them.
