10 additions to make your raw meal more filling

You just came home from work and you think to make a raw salad or soup. But the thought of eating a salad does not satisfy you. You want something more substantial, perhaps like ... cooked veggies?

No, you decided to be strong and follow the raw food diet as much as you can. That means including your dinner.

There is nothing wrong with a salad or raw soup, it’s just you want it more ‘meaty’, ‘hearty’, or in other words – ‘substantial’. I found that there are some raw foods that may give us a sense of fullness when we eat them.

All you need to do is to add them to your raw creations. Find these foods below:

1) Sundried tomatoes – I like to add dried tomatoes which were marinated in oil. Of course you don’t have to buy those from a supermarket which contain preservatives. You can make themt yourself.

First, re-hydrate sundried tomatoes (from a health food store) by placing them in the water for an hour, then puting them in olive (or some other tasty and nutritious) oil, and adding some herbs and spices (preferably leaving this all overnight). Viola!

2) Sprouts (legumes, seeds, etc). You can buy some ready sprouts from a health food store if you don’t have a time for sprouting. I prefer to sprout them myself (and it’s also cheaper).

3) Nuts and seeds. They are great for adding to salads. I often soak them first because they digest much better when they are softer. Also, sometimes I grind them into a powder. You can add this 'nut and seed' powder to your soups for ‘thickness’.

4) Olives. I’ve heard that vegetarians (who eat cooked meals) and especially vegans, often chose olives as a ‘meaty’ addition to their meals. I don’t mean ‘meaty’ as anything to do with animal meat.

I just refer it to the ‘fullness’ that some foods give us. Unfortunately, they say that supermarket olives are not that healthy and raw, and that true raw olives are available only from specialised shops (like those on the web).

5) Any Phyo suggests making raw wraps (usually contain some fruit or veg and flaxseed meal) in a dehydrator, and then cutting them into strips or cubes and adding them to your salads.

Or if you have a big dehydrator, you can make proper wraps like those made of wheat or corn, and wrap your veggies into them for a change.

6) Pieces of a raw burger. That’s what I did last night. I made burgers the other night, and had couple of them left in a fridge. They are also very substantial because they are made of veggies and ground nuts.

7) Flaxseed meal. Just add the powder to your raw creations for ‘thickness’ and some Omegas.

8) Mushrooms. They are great, especially those which were marinated. You can marinate them in vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs, or any other sauce.

9) Grapes. You know that feeling, when you eat a bunch of grapes, and you feel quite full? It’s their high water content makes you full for some time. It is a great addition to your salads, especially if you are watching your fat intake.

10) Apples. The same reason as above. Can you eat more than 2 apples in a row? Well, I can eat 4 but that’s a maximum.

And then I feel so-o full!

I can’t eat anything for some time after eating apples.

Cut them into little cubes and add them to your salad. I was doing that long time ago, well before I knew anything about a raw food diet. Apart from volume, I loved the sweetness they gave to my salads.

I hope you were inspired to make your raw creations even more enjoyable. If you know any other ‘trick’ to make your meals more ‘substantial’, please put them in the comments bellow. I’d be eager to hear about them from you!

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