Weekly Meal Plan: Low-Fat Raw Vegan
By Monica D. Siembor
Complex combinations of food and raw food recipes are time
consuming to prepare and extremely difficult to digest, so
I choose to keep my diet very simple. I enjoy a low-fat, raw
vegan diet consisting mostly of monomeals, so the following
meal plan may seem a bit bland for you. As you progress on
your raw journey, however, you will appreciate and even desire
more simple meals. Remember, be kind to your body—transition
at your own pace.
Keeping your diet simple also allows you to spend more time
and energy on other aspects of your life, such as fitness,
work, and play. Many raw foodists spend enormous amounts of
time in the kitchen dehydrating or sprouting this and that.
Time-consuming food preparation is completely unnecessary.
Aren’t you relieved that you don’t have to spend
so much time preparing meals or loads of energy cleaning your
kitchen after you’ve used just about every food processor
or kitchen gadget you have?
My diet consists of fresh, sweet, non-sweet, and fatty fruits,
and tender leafy greens. Nuts and seeds are acceptable too,
but I rarely eat them, so you will not see them in the meal
plan below. I do not use salad dressings or condiments either.
If you feel that you still need salad dressing, try this fruit-based
tomato and mango salad dressing recipe: blend 1 cup tomato,
1 cup mango, the juice of 1 lemon, and 1 quarter cup of water
(only if needed).
It’s best to eat according to what produce is in season.
There are many produce charts available online or in books
to help you make the best selections. The winter season is
challenging as in-season produce is limited. Summer, however,
offers an abundance of yummy options. Following is a one-week
meal plan for the summer season. My calorie consumption is
between 1,200 – 1,500 calories per day, depending on
my activities and exercise for the day. Weekly, my caloric
breakdown is approximately 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein,
and 10% fat, following Dr. Douglas N. Graham’s 80/10/10
calorie ratio for a low-fat, raw vegan diet.
DAY 1
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 5 medium bananas, 2
*Ataulfo mangos, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 4 large peaches
--Pre Dinner – 2 cups pineapple
--Dinner – salad: 6 oz. Romaine lettuce, 2 chopped tomatoes,
4 stalks chopped celery (light colored tender stalks)
* Ataulfo mangos are also called champagne mangos. They are
small and apricot in color. When ripe and ready to eat, they
will be a little soft, and the skin will just start to wrinkle.
DAY 2
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 3 medium bananas, 1
cup strawberries, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 1 honeydew melon
--Pre Dinner – 2 cups grapes
--Dinner – salad: 5 oz. Boston or bib lettuce, 4 chopped
Roma tomatoes, 4 stalks chopped celery, 1 avocado
DAY 3
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 4 medium bananas, 2
Ataulfo mangos, 2.5 - 3 cups water. (Blend)
--Lunch – 1 personal watermelon
--Pre Dinner – 2 grapefruits
--Dinner – salad: 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper,
1 yellow bell pepper, 2 tomatoes, 1 cucumber (chop all ingredients)
Eat as is, or add lettuce of your choice: Romaine, Boston,
Bib, Iceberg, etc.
DAY 4
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 5 medium bananas, One
half cup blueberries, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 4 large peaches
--Pre Dinner – 2 cups pineapple
--Dinner – salad: 4 oz. baby spinach, 2 chopped tomatoes,
4 stalks chopped celery
DAY 5
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 4 medium bananas, 4
fresh figs, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 1 honeydew melon
--Pre Dinner – 2 grapefruits
--Dinner – lettuce wraps: 3 chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped
cucumber, and 3 stalks chopped celery wrapped in Romaine lettuce
leaves
DAY 6
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 4 medium bananas, 1
papaya, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 4 large peaches
--Pre Dinner – 2 cups grapes
--Dinner – Out for a salad and a Beefsteak tomato at
J. Alexander’s. Salad: Romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery,
1 avocado. Beefsteak tomato: plain tomato with a touch of
fresh cilantro. See my article, “Eating Out and Staying
Raw: Keep it Simple,” for tips on ordering at a restaurant.
DAY 7
--Breakfast – fruit smoothie: 5 medium bananas, 2
Ataulfo mangos, 2.5 - 3 cups water (Blend)
--Lunch – 1 lb. Rainier cherries
--Pre Dinner – 2 cups berries (strawberries, blueberries,
etc.)
--Dinner – salad: 5 oz. green leaf lettuce, 4 chopped
Roma tomatoes, 4 stalks chopped celery.
It’s always helpful to consult experienced raw foodists
for meal plans and advice. If you would like to learn more
about eating raw, click on the "coaching services"
tab and schedule your first appointment with me today.
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