Living the Raw Vegan lifestyle is really easy, there is no doubt about that. Whether you’re eating a simple apple for breakfast or making a pate-stuffed tomato for lunch, it can take very little time out of your day. The key when starting out is to be focused and organized, which also makes it easy to stay on your Raw diet. I have found that half the battle for most people trying to stick to a diet is simply having things planned and ready to eat. Once you have that figured out, there is no guess work, making it less likely for you to fall off your chosen path to optimal health.
If you’re the type of person that isn’t normally very organized, don’t fret. Again, you can keep Raw super easy by keeping your meals super easy (eating fresh fruit for breakfast, fresh veggies for snacks, buying pre-made Raw cookies, crackers and snack bars, or having Raw food delivered to you). And, if you don’t have very good organization skills but you still want to make your own food without sacrificing exotic and gourmet flavors, no problem. This lifestyle, and any planning it requires for those kinds of recipes, will quickly become second nature to you.
Bottom line: the more focused and organized you are, the less overwhelming it is. Not only that, but the more planning you do, the easier it is to stay on course with your diet. A great way to do this is to get a special calendar dedicated as your “Raw Kitchen & Food Prep” calendar. Use this to schedule the food you want to eat 3-7 days in advance. Then, pick out some recipes that sound delicious to you, and make a shopping list. Next, write on the calendar any specific steps that need to be done ahead of time. For example, if you’re going to have a pate-stuffed red bell pepper for lunch on Wednesday, then on Tuesday, you need to soak the nuts or seeds overnight so you can prepare the pate on Wednesday. You’ll find that such planning becomes second nature after you’ve done it for about a month or two and you probably won’t need the calendar as much, unless you’re planning something special such as a holiday party, celebration, or maybe when you’re making a dish that is new to you.
The steps it takes to be organized take only minutes, which is nothing compared to the time and energy you will save.