On day 3 or 4 of my 2 week raw foods cleanse I started really craving some texture. Smoothies filled me up, but I wanted something I could enjoying chewing. Something a little more filling than just fruit. This is where nuts come in. When I first went 100% vegan, I did all raw foods for about a month and a half. My biggest complaint was I felt like I had to eat way too many nuts to feel satisfied. I like nuts & seeds, but I up to a point. I think I mainly stuck to almonds, cashews, & sunflowers.
This time around I expanded my palate & have become a convert of pistachios. I think I’m in love with them. They give dishes an amazing crunch & flavor. They go great paired with cinnamon & the apples & bananas.
I bought my pistachios already shelled, in bulk, from Costco.
If you’ve never tried pistachios before (besides pistachio pudding, which I LOVED as a kid, btw), you must try. Now that I’m thinking of it, I guess since these are roasted they aren’t technically raw. Oh well, good enough for me.
They’re great in salads, trail mix, chopped up & served over yogurt, fruit or oatmeal. If you’re in a nut rut, give pistachios a try.
Recipe submitted to Diet, Dessert, & Dogs blog’s Wellness Weekend.
Hi Janae!
Thanks for the banana pistachio bowl recipe. I just had it but used walnuts instead, since I had those on hand. It was dee-lish!! I’m new to your site and just started browsing. I will be trying your breakfast slaw next.
Since I’m already doing non-dairy, I’m flirting with the idea of going vegan. I’m exclusively nursing our 3 and a half month old, and apparently, she has an allergy to milk protein, hence me being dairy-free. I’ve been dairy-free since about the middle of March.
I’m in the process of losing my baby weight, so a raw foods approach seems perfect! By the way, I watched Forks Over Knives a while back and was pretty much sold on the whole foods diet. I just need to totally implement it.
Good luck in San Antonio! Visit the river walk, and you’ll love it. I’m from Texas and think it’s a great state!;) Oh ya, the blendtec seems awesome! We’ll be saving for one!!!
This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Rachelle, you’re welcome! (& it is delicious & super easy, if I do say so myself)
I can definitely relate on needing to munch on something. Green smoothies don’t always hack it with the satisfaction factor.
I used to love pistachios, but I have learned that roasted nuts contain oxidized fats and are therefore toxic and inflammatory (any cooked fat is toxic with the possible exception of VERY low-heated coconut oil or ghee). Dr. Esselstyn is a good source for information about oxidized fats.
This breakfast is definitely high raw. If the roasted pistachios help you eat more raw foods, so be it.
It’s important to soak raw nuts for better digestion, too. It removes the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Only truly raw nuts work this way. “Raw” almonds, for instance, are not really raw. They are labeled as such at the store, but have been pasteurized due to California law. So, it’s possible to get truly raw almonds online or direct from growers if you live in California. The raw almonds will actually germinate and become more accessible to the body.
Nuts and seeds can be tricky, especially with no labeling laws for raw. You just do the best you can and try to source truly raw as much as possible. I think some bulk seeds and nuts are truly raw, but it’s hard to know unless you find reputable sources.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind food combining. A lot of raw recipes combine fuit with proteins and fats, which isn’t optimal. It tastes good, though. Maybe it makes transitioning easier to make substitutes for SAD foods and not worry about combining initially. One of the best-tasting raw recipes I made was a raw meusli with soaked nuts, coconut flakes, fruit, and sprouted almond milk. It sure was poor food combining but very tasty.
Hmm, interesting about pistachios. Truth be told, when I’m not eating all raw I don’t eat very much nuts or seeds (aside from a small daily dose of flaxseed, hemp, chia, or walnut, for omega-3′s) . Probably a handful once or twice a week. Once I cut out grains though, I think my body craved the calories & gravitated towards the more calorie dense foods (like nuts & seeds).
Thanks for the reminder about soaking nuts. I actually really like soaked almonds, but rarely remember to get around to doing it on a regular basis.
As for food combining, I was strict about that at one time, but realized that some things are more important than others. And food combining, for all the work & effort put into it, doesn’t pay enough dividends for me to do it. I don’t seem to notice any difference when I combine fruits w/ protein or fat, for example. I DO notice a difference however, when I eat wheat or too much dessert (even if it’s “healthy’), so I focus on what I’m eating, rather than the combinations of foods. Do you food combine? Do you notice a difference? I’d be interested to hear what your experience has been.
Thanks for taking the time to share all these helpful tips!