Summertime Poor Skill: Raw Food
Now that warm weather is here and hotter weather is quickly approaching, it's time to discuss one of my favorite summertime poor skills: raw foods. Raw foods are usually not cooked, so you don't need to heat up your house which will not only save on cooling bills, but electric and gas bills as well, depending on what you cook with. I have noticed a considerable change in our electric bill once warm weather rolls around and I'm craving foods that are cold or cool instead of cooked.
Raw foods are also often healthier than their cooked counterparts and many foods contain necessary enzymes and important nutrients that you may not want to destroy while cooking so you'll actually get more of what you pay for. Many foods, however, actually benefit from cooking and are more nutritious if steamed or baked, so be sure to check your ingredients before using raw foods in your recipes.
You don't have to switch over to an entirely raw diet to enjoy raw foods. Raw food is for everyone. You can incorporate as much or as little into your diet as you like. You can even mix raw foods with cooked and prepared foods such as guacamole with sour cream and tortilla chips.
One of the most popular raw foods is the smoothie. Just drop a few ice cubes or cubes of frozen milk or yogurt into a blender or food processor. Add whichever fresh fruits are your favorite. You can also add vegetables to your smoothie. Beets are high in iron while spinach is high in calcium. You can also add carrots, cucumbers, celery, or greens. There are also non-raw ingredients that you can add such as cooked beans and natural peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana smoothies are my very favorite.
Check out some of these awesome raw food recipes:
Freezer Cookies
Tomato Cups
Lettuce Wraps
Raw Hummus
Crunchy Taco
Fridge Cookies
Gazpacho Soup
For more raw food recipe ideas, check out these links:
Living and Raw Foods
The Best of Raw Food: Top 8 Recipes
From Sad to Raw