What is a Raw Vegan Diet?

Over the recent decade, veganism has become more and more popular. Enough so that most fast food chains, grocery stores, and restaurants have added inclusive dietary options to meet demands. Sure, it may mean taking the extra step to customize that impossible burger or salad to exclude dairy dressing or choosing lettuce-wrapped versus a dairy bread wrap, however, it is still a major step in the right direction. But, a raw vegan diet goes a few steps further than excluding eggs, dairy, and other animal derived ingredients. So, what is a raw vegan diet?

A raw vegan diet consists of eating uncooked and unprocessed foods which have not been heated over 40-49°C. When we heat foods at high temperatures, they lose a lot of their nutritional value. The purpose of a raw vegan diet is to get as much nutritional value out of the foods we eat as we can. Foods that fall into a raw vegan diet include raw fruits, raw vegetables (including sea vegetables), nuts, seeds, and sprouts. Some raw vegans like to include dehydrated foods into their diet, as well. Enabling them to make cereals, desserts, crackers, and other creative recipes.

What are the subgroups of a Raw Vegan Diet?

1. Fruitarians

More than half of the fruitarian diet consists of eating raw fruits, which limits your consumption of fats and proteins. The other percentage of the diet contains vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The differentiating factor between this diet and others is that the fruitarian diet contains a majority of fruit. There are more flexible ways to follow a fruitarian diet and fruitarians are often encouraged to eat intuitively rather than inflexible rules. While the occasional fruitarian meals won’t cause any harm, choosing a solely fruitarian diet is an imbalanced diet. Even good sugar can be too much when consumed in excess. Please consult with your doctor or nutritionist before choosing this diet.

2. Juicearians

A juicearian diet consists of juiced or squeezed fruits and vegetables. The purpose of a juicerian diet is to make it easier for the body to digest and process food. Like the fruitarian subgroup, juicearians lack proteins, fats, and fiber. It may be beneficial to try this diet to substitute an occasional meal or to use as a short term detox, but balance is crucial to get all the necessary nutrients for your body. Please consult with your doctor or nutritionist before choosing this diet.

3. Sproutarians

A sproutarian diet mainly contains sprouted seeds. This can be great short-term to heal specific health issues or to cure an imbalanced nutritional deficiency that can be taken from a variation of potent sprouted seeds, but the general suggestion is to follow it short term or talk to a nutritionist first.

The Takeaway

Raw foodism is a diet focused on unprocessed, organic raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. If you choose to cook the ingredients, the temperatures must not exceed 40-49 °C. If the temperature exceeds this range, your food will not be able to maintain its peak nutritional value. Recent studies by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition support the health benefits that a raw food diet can achieve in addition to lowering cholesterol and aiding in healthy weight loss. Still, it is always best to speak to a nutritionist to create a customized plan that fits your health needs. Lists or resources online about raw veganism are not guidelines or steps. Instead, they are educational resources to help you create your own plan or to propel you toward a healthier direction.

Article Written By: Shahristan Alhamy