Raw Food Diet Plan For Weight Loss

Raw Food Diet Plan

The raw food diet plan has existed for ages. This diet plan believes eating raw food is how to stay healthy and fit.

By raw food, we mean unprocessed, organic, or plant-based foods.

Although its benefits are commendable, this article will explore all there is to know about the raw food diet and whether it is good for you.

What is the Raw Food Diet Plan?

The raw food diet strictly consists of unprocessed food. It must never have been heated, pasteurized, cooked, or processed in a way that reduces it from its original organic and natural form.  

The raw food diet plan leads followers to believe that food processing causes food to lose vital nutrients, enzymes, and components that are key to human survival and improved body performance.

Juicing raw vegetables for detox, dehydrating, sprouting, blending, and soaking are a few processing methods the diet offers its followers to use in food processing.

Another name for the raw food diet is foodism, but not all raw food diets are vegan, as some include raw animal products like eggs, meat, and fish.

The proposed benefits of this diet include weight loss, improved digestion, and better overall health, though evidence for resistance to chronic diseases is limited.

Following the Raw Food Diet

To follow the raw food diet, one must abstain from processed foods; a large bulk (at least 80%) of what you eat daily must be raw.

Raw food ranges from vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, raw eggs, raw dairy, and some raw animal products. Grains and legumes must typically be soaked or sprouted before consumption.

Grains and legumes must be soaked before eating. Some followers of the raw food diet also eat raw animal meat.

Foods to Avoid

• Baked items, Roasted nuts, and seeds.
• Refined oils, sugars, flours, pastries, and more
• Pasteurized juices and dairy
• Coffee, alcohol, tea
• Cooke/processed fruits, vegetables, meats and grains
• Other processed foods, chips and snacks

Foods to Eat

• All raw fruits, fresh fruits, nuts and seeds
• Raw-soaked or sprouted grains and legumes
• Dried fruits and meats
• Nut milk, Raw but butter
• Cold-pressed olive and coconut oils
• Raw eggs, fish, or meat
• Seaweed and raw seafood

Nutrition Pros and Cons

The nutritional Pros of eating raw foods are:

• It is high in nutrients and fiber
• It guarantees a loss of weight and the burning of extra fat.

The nutritional Cons of eating raw foods are:

• For some people, switching from cooked food to a raw diet may not be smooth regarding calorie intake.
• Cooking enhances digestibility.
• Cooking enhances the absorption of certain nutrients, such as lycopene in tomatoes and beta-carotene in carrots.
• Raw foods may lack sufficient calories, protein, and vitamins, such as B12, primarily found in animal-based foods or fortified products.
• Some ladies following this diet had irregularities in the menstrual cycle.

A Sample Menu for Raw Food Diet

A compiled seven-day menu is below if you want to follow the raw food diet.

Day One

• Breakfast: Fruit with seed pudding
• Lunch: walnut salad and apple
• Snack: Freshly squeezed juice and nuts
• Dinner: Raw noodle pasta with tomato sauce and basil

Day Two

• Breakfast: A bowl of Fruits
• Lunch: Salad with figs and nuts
• Snack:  Banana with raw nut butter
• Dinner: Raw lasagna

Day Three

• Breakfast: Green smoothie
• Snack: Carrots and raw hummus
• Lunch: Raw squash noodle pasta with pesto
• Snack: Almonds and strawberries
• Dinner: Raw vegetable pizza

Day Four

• Breakfast:  oatmeal with chopped fruit and nuts
• Snack: Broccoli and raw hummus
• Lunch: Raw sweet potato chips and fruit
• Dinner: Stuffed Portobello mushrooms

Day Five

• Breakfast: Soaked oats with berries
• Lunch: Salad with avocado and fruit
•  Snack: Sliced bell pepper and sunflower seeds
• Dinner: Raw veggie sushi and chopped veggies

Day Six

• Breakfast: Raw banana pancakes and fruit
• Lunch: Raw squash soup
• Snack: Orange slices and nuts
• Dinner: Kale and mushroom salad

Day Seven

• Breakfast: Green smoothie
• Lunch: Salad with avocado and fruit
•  Snack: Apple and berries
• Dinner: Raw tomato soup with veggies

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is raw food healthier than cooked food?

A. Both raw and cooked food have their benefits. Cooked foods have benefits that cover the imbalances of raw foods. Hence, it is better to eat various raw and cooked foods.

Q: How safe and sustainable is the raw food diet?

A. It is safe and sustainable in the short term. However, vitamin supplements would have to be used for long-term purposes and may not compensate for insufficient calories.

Q: Can I consume cooked food on a raw food diet?

A. A good mix of raw and cooked food is best for your health. The early men must have seen the apparent disparities and evolved slowly from eating only raw foods, so why return to what has failed?

The raw food diet plan is good for weight loss only if you add vitamin supplements and some cooked food. Instead of having at least 80% of your daily meal consist of raw food, you could divide it 50:50 between raw and cooked foods.

A raw diet typically excludes most processed foods and is based on eating either wholly raw or heated below 40-48 degrees Celsius. However, it can include some raw animal products, such as fish, eggs, or dairy.

A raw food diet may support weight loss and improve digestion, but evidence for its impact on heart health and diabetes risk is inconclusive.

Printable Raw Food Diet Plan (PDF)

See Also

1200 Calorie Diet Plan

South Beach Diet Plan