Raw Equipment for Beginners

Starting Out

When I started to think more about going raw I was almost put off by the thought of all the equipment I was going to have to buy. Everyone talks about dehydrators, vita-mixers, food processors, ice cream makers, blenders, juicers. If changing my eating habits wasn’t enough of a daunting change, thinking about the cost of all the equipment was!

Before you do what I did and panic, use your imagination for raw recipes.
Experiment, for example by marinating your food in different spices and sauces you can completely change the taste and texture of the ingredients.

Check out free online resources such as

http://goneraw.com/

for lots of recipes which don’t require specialised equipment.

Karen Knowler has a great e-book "The Raw Food Coach’s 50 Quick, Easy, Healthy & Delicious Raw Food Recipes (That Anyone Can Make in Less Than 10 Minutes)," which contains 50 recipes which are machine free.

Want To Go Raw? Start Here!

Have a search online for other raw websites. There are hundreds of recipes out there which don’t need equipment. Use your imagination and initiative and you will be surprised how many wonderful recipes you can create.

Use what you have

Sharp Knife
With a sharp knife as your tool you can make wonderful salads, and chop up vegetables to marinate.

Grater
A grater offers good variety. Try grating cauliflower then adding in raisins and spicy herbs and you have got delicious raw rice. Grate salad items to put a variety of textures on your plate.

Freezer
Freeze banana chunks, grapes and other small pieces of fruit for a nice cold dessert.

Products you might want to invest in

Blender
The first piece of equipment I suggest you buy is a small blender. I got mine from a supermarket for £20 and has lasted me over nine months of being used at least once a day. That works out as costing me 7p per use! Shop around, compare prices on the internet and see what deal you can get. Remember you can use a cheap piece of equipment while you save up to get yourself a stronger and better built machine. You can then sell your old blender or give it to a friend to get them thinking about going raw. Blenders are great for making fruit or vegetable smoothies, soups and sauces. This will bring a lot more variety into your raw diet.

Saladacco/ Spiraliser
A spiral slicer is a hand operated vegetable cutter. It has two settings and can be used to make hard vegetables into noodle shapes, thin slices, cubes and waves. This piece of equipment is good to buy if you are on a budget as it is inexpensive and can be used to make filling dishes such as vegetable pasta. Also try garnishes, salads and noodles. As it is hand operated you won’t run up an electricity bill using it.

Dehydrator
The first thing most people think about when going raw is how to make warm food and crunchy snacks such as crakers. A dehydrator is a machine which blows warm air, not hot onto the food to dry and heat it, rather than cook. A dehydrator will be one of the most expensive items in a raw kitchen so think carefully before you invest in one. Some alternatives to buying a dehydrator include drying food in an airing cupboard, in the sunshine, near a radiator or in the oven on it’s lowest setting with the door open. There are many websites on the internet that give instructions on how to make your own dehydrator as well.If you want to buy one than think carefully what size you want. If you have it on are you likely to try and put lots of different food in there at once? Is it worthwhile you buying a dehydrator with a large capacity? How often are you going to use it?

Buying Equipment

Always shop around to try to get the cheapest deal
Consider buying a piece of equipment second hand.
Try eBay and join up to raw forums, they usually have a section where people can advertise items for sale.
Check out deals on websites such as “spend over x and get x off,” if you are spending a large amount.
Try and buy expensive items on a cash back credit card so you will get some of the money back.

Remember a raw food diet is about detoxing body and mind. Sometimes the greatest pleasure is in the simplest foods. A few apples, a plate of mixed leaves or a banana are nature’s fast foods. Enjoy simplicity and the rest will follow.