more than five ingredients” (Rule 6)
and, “avoid food products containing
ingredients that a third-grader cannot
pronounce” (Rule 7). Numerous
cookbooks have been published to
fill the “ 5 ingredient recipe” niche.
Even the Food Network has joined
the fray with a cooking show devoted
to the idea.
According to Hopkins, “
Ingredients in their pure raw form are simplicity at its best.” Baumgartner
agrees, “There are a lot of amazing
products out right now but I like to
stick to the basics—high quality nuts,
seeds and dried fruit.” These are the
key words and phrases you hear today
amongst raw food consumers and
producers: pure, natural, high quality,
simple, basic.
Nuts are one of the staples of the
raw food diet. Since many raw foodists avoid animal protein, they are in
need of alternative protein sources
and nuts are a fine substitute. In comparison to cooked nuts, raw nuts are a
significantly higher protein source.
Boiled peanuts contain, on average,
3. 8 grams of protein in every one
ounce serving, while an equal serving
of raw jungle peanuts from South
America contains 8. 9 grams of protein along with higher iron and potassium levels. The application of heat
from the cooking process not only destroys enzymes, it also negatively impacts other nutrients, including
protein.
ing convenient raw foods, companies are deliver- ing the nutrition that is needed for good health and longevity. However, using whole foods without adding any preservatives can lead to shelf life concerns. “I think the best ingredients for shelf stable products are those that contain as little moisture to start with as possible,” Baumgartner explains. “I like to use as many dry goods as I can in my recipes so I can con- trol the amount of moisture I put back into the
Dehydration
preserves
nutrients
and extends
shelf life in
raw products like
Earthling’s
Rawnola.
Capturing Raw Nutrients in
Packaged Products
So how do you maintain the delicate nutrients in fresh food in a packaged product? Even fresh produce
can sometimes fall short of our own
definitions of fresh by the time we eat
it. Produce often spends weeks
“ripening” at the port of entry before
it’s eventually trucked to grocery
stores and makes it to your table.
While adding more fresh foods into
your diet is challenging, by develop-
