How I Got Started With Raw Foods... In The Kichen

By Karen Knowler

When people come to raw foods for the first time these days, it's not uncommon for them to think that eating raw is complicated, time consuming and even, dare I say it, overwhelming and expensive.



This really pains me as I know that it really doesn't have to be this way; eating a great raw diet is actually the quickest and most simple way of eating - ever! It can even be cheaper too if you know what you're doing and keep it really simple.



But a lot of this angst typically comes down to "what do I need in my kitchen?", and I have to say that I always recommend that people start very small at the beginning with 2 or 3 key pieces of equipment and then build up if and when they want to.



In this week's artcile, extracted from my "How To Get Started With Raw Foods

" eBook, I share with you some of my own first steps into creating a raw foods kitchen together with some ideas for how you can either get started or expand or improve on the contents of your own kitchen. Enjoy!



I was brought up in a home where the only kitchen equipment I knew was a cooker, a toaster, a kettle, a deep fat fryer and a slow cooker. I knew what a juicer was but I had never seen one "in the flesh" until I was at least 19 years old, and I didn't own a food processor until I was about 26 - i.e. about 6 years into my raw journey! The pieces of equipment that I first invested in were in fact a simple centrifugal juicer priced at around £25 and a table-top blender costing about £20. These two pieces served me very well for several months until I felt comfortable enough to broaden my horizons again. My next purchase was a manual wheatgrass juicer costing around £30 - this was because I learned about the benefits of fresh wheatgrass juice very early on and knew that this was something I definitely needed to bring into my diet, and quite soon after, when I was diagnosed with "severe cervical cell abnormalities" it proved invaluable as I used the wheatgrass juice it provided me with to clear myself of these abnormal cells, thus avoiding surgery.



Beyond that I invested in a hand blender with nut mill attachment, and it was with these pieces of equipment and a couple of sprouting jars that I used successfully and enjoyably for the next few years until I was given the food processor!



Since then I have acquired just about every piece of raw food equipment you can imagine - largely because of my job/vocation, but I have not chosen to keep and use them all. Today I own and use a Champion juicer, a Vita-Mix Super TNC, a Cuisinart Food Processor, an Excalibur dehydrator, a Spiral Slicer (sometimes), some sprouting jars, a nut milk bag, a zester, a Magic Wonder Cup, a hand blender and nut mill and some sprouting trays. I do also own a nut milk maker but prefer to make my own using a blender and nut milk bag.



"But surely your kitchen must look like an electrical appliance shop?!" you might be thinking. Actually, no. I keep the first three items out in key locations and the rest are tucked away in cupboards or drawers because I don't use them every day and don't need to. The dehydrator, the biggest item of them all, actually lives in my utility room and sits on my long counter top in the very far corner above the freezer, as I am fortunate now to have that additional space, but prior to that it has lived on top of a cooker, a fridge and even a washing machine!



In terms of equipment and useful things to have to hand for YOU, here is my recommended list of everyday utensils that you will have heard of, will probably already own most of, and that WILL feature in your raw food prep or investigations to one degree or another. Hopefully this will make you feel a lot more at ease if you are thinking of kitting out your kitchen with expensive gadgetry, when really you probably have most of what you need already...



Basic First Buys For Your Kitchen That Could Make All the Difference



* At least one large raw recipe book from which to sellect and adapt your own recipes



* A recipe book holder for keeping your book out of harm's way when prepping



* At least three raw food books (any type) for educating, motivating and inspiring you



* A good vitamin and mineral or nutritional analysis guidebook



* At least one decent sharp knife for cutting fruits and vegetables



* A good strong cutting board to be used exclusively for raw foods



* Cutlery and tableware which you find beautiful and love to use



* Special glasses for your daily juices or smoothies



* A selection of large attractive bowls for displaying and keeping fruits and vegetables in



* A vegetable trolley/rack system



* A large ring binder and clear hole-punched pockets for keeping useful articles, recipes, hints and tips, events flyers etc. in



* Lots of jars, Tupperware boxes or other useful containers for keeping dried goods separated, airtight and easily visible



* Some big clips for resealing opened packets



* A pin-board to pin up your week's menu and shopping list (or magnets if using your fridge door)



* An inspiring poster or wall chart which has practical and/or aesthetic appeal



* A compost bucket or bin to put all your raw scraps into



* A grater



* A spatula for smoothing some recipes out



* A small set of scales for weighing ingredients



* A set of measuring cups if you don't own a Metric Wonder Cup





Not too overwhelming is it?



Simply add to the mix a blender, juicer and food processor, all of which you can get for less than £100 for all three (even less if you go to eBay!), and you will be merrily whizzing and blending AND not have to worry about how you're going to find £500 to buy a Vita- Mix before you even get started!

© 2010 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.