9 gadgets you need in your raw food kitchen

Christine Bailey from The Raw Food Diet

When many people think of a raw food diet, they just think of salads. And while there’s nothing wrong with salads (and some can be very inventive) a raw food diet can be so much more! Juices, soups, cheeses even quiches can be made raw – all you need is a little bit of know how and the right equipment.

A raw food diet does not have to mean expensive equipment and gadgets. You can start with just a few basic items and gradually build up according to the type of recipes you like to eat. Here are a few key items that will make your life easier and simpler, saving you time in the kitchen and giving you the tools to try some inspiring raw food recipes.

Unsure about a raw food diet? Discover the amazing health benefits of a raw food diet can help you lose weight and feel great at the same time!

 
1. Food processor Perfect for blending ingredients, as well as chopping, slicing and grating with ease. If you can afford it, choose a robust, durable model with a range of grating and slicing options.
 
2. Blender A blender is perfect for making raw food: pulverizing nuts and seeds and making nut milks, raw cheese, smoothies, soups, dips and sauces with ease. It is also particularly useful for making nut flours, which are often used as the basis of raw crackers, bars and desserts. It is also useful for making instant ice creams and sorbets. If you want to crush ice, too, get a heavy-duty model.
 
3. Juicer A couple of recipes call for juicing fruit and vegetables. Choose a model that is robust enough to juice a range of vegetables, including leafy greens. A masticating juicer is ideal as it can handle a greater range of fruits and vegetables and is efficient at extracting the nutrients.
 
4. Nut milk bag A sturdy, lightweight nylon mesh bag that can be used repeatedly to make nut milk – a key ingredient in many raw food diet recipes. They often have a draw string to get all the juice out of the pulp.
 
5. Dehydrator A dehydrator is used to dry foods at low temperatures (below 47.7°C/ 118°F) whilst preserving the nutrient content and enzymes of the food. These are expensive, but worth the investment if you are planning to include more raw food in your diet long term. They are perfect for creating “cooked-like” dishes, warming foods or making crackers, chips, breads and wraps.
For wet mixtures, such as vegetables coated in a marinade or crackers and breads, you will need to line the shelves before starting dehydrating. Most dehydrators come with specially fitted non-stick lining sheets for this purpose.
 
6. Conventional oven If you do not own a dehydrator, it is still possible to dry out foods, but you need to check the temperature settings of your oven. Set your oven to the lowest setting possible and prop the door open with a wooden spoon, for example. The oven should feel warm, not hot. If it is a fan-assisted oven, there will be more air circulation in the oven, which may speed up dehydration. If it is a conventional oven, you will need to stir or turn over the food every 3–4 hours to ensure it dries evenly. Because a conventional oven may not be as efficient as a dehydrator, you might need to allow more time to dry foods.
 
7. Mini grinder Use a clean coffee grinder to process seeds, nuts, herbs and spices in small batches. This is particularly useful for chia and sesame seeds, which add a wonderful depth of flavour to many raw food dishes.
 
8. Spiralizer This is a simple, inexpensive gadget that creates fine vegetable noodles to make “raw pasta”, so it is a useful gadget if you are planning to include more raw dishes in your diet. It can create a range of different noodle styles, making it ideal for pad thai salads and coleslaws too. Alternatively, you can use the grating or chopping attachment of a food processor, a swivel potato peeler, mandolin or sharp knife.
 
9. Sprouter For only a small outlay you can buy sprouters that are very efficient at producing sprouted seeds and beans, but you can also make use of large jam jars covered with a mesh lid or piece of muslin. Alternatively, you can now buy ready-to-eat sprouted seeds and beans.
 

Looking for a raw food recipe? Try this delicious Raw Pad Thai Recipe for a quick, ludicrously healthy meal!

Looking for a raw food diet plan? Christine Bailey’s The Raw Food Diet shows you how to plan a weekend-long raw food blitz, and week long booster diet, and how to get the benefits of a raw food diet forever in her diet plan for life.

Just as importantly, The Raw Food Diet tells you what to eat, why and when, with a selection of delicious and satisfying recipes.

Find out more and order the book with free UK postage.