Eating Raw Food for Valentine's Day

Image via Wikipedia

Valentine's Day is, of course, a day when we all want to do something special for our loved ones. Often, that 'something special' involves a delicious treat, made by hand. But often those treats don't fit in with a raw and organic diet. I can tell you that even though white sugar, white flour, trans and saturated fats, refined carbs and excess calories are on the “no-no” list, there's no reason to feel deprived of a delicious chocolate treat. After all, some traditions just shouldn't be messed with!

One answer is to make a raw food dessert, using ingredients like nuts and dried fruits. They have a lot of flavor and are good for you. And... they are easy to put together! Jenny Cornbleet has a book out called Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People. In it there are desserts – cakes, cookies, fruit crisps, pies, tarts, and more – appropriate for the holiday and they're all raw! And you know what? They often taste just as good or even better than their sugar laden counterparts.

One recipe is for a “Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce” which calls for 1 ½ cups raw walnuts, dash of salt, 8 pitted medjool dates, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and 2 tsp water. For the raspberry sauce you use 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thaw and drain if frozen) with ¼ cup pitted medjooy dates, soaked for 30 minutes and drained. Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add dates, cocoa powder, and vanilla … process until mixture becomes sticky. Add water and process briefly. Transfer to a serving plate and form a 5 inch round cake. Place the raspberries and dates in a blender and mix until smooth, pouring over the cake just before serving.

You don't have to give up all your comfort foods, just find a healthier recipe for it - you might even find that the raw food versions taste better. Should you decide that you want to splurge on something that's off the raw food diet, remember to do so in moderation. Don't go overboard! And remember that after eating, you should wait and let your stomach digest properly before the next meal.