Raw Students on a budget - Raw Food Chat

katacyklsla2ny · 06-20-2008

Hello my name is Karla,I have been learning about RF for about 2 and 1/2 years, and it's taken me a while to fully transition, and to find food to eat. When my friends have dinner parties at their houses, and I get off work late..I go over their houses, and what I can have is Miso soup and Orange juice;( being that lots of people don't have much fresh food in their homes).

I am a student and I ride my bike 15miles to school daily. I would love to get some advice on how I can prepare food/ what I can eat while away from home for nine hours.
I am tired of the cafeterias romaine, apples, and bananas.
I love the As and Bs but, I would love to have a little more variety in my diet, also I love love love GREENS. Please give me some Advice.

katacyklsla2ny · 06-20-2008

If you've got a word, and read this thread please reply, and put your two cents of sprouted green beans in...deeply apreciated.

jroo · 06-21-2008

Food Ideas:

Blended foods are easy to carry with you, like green smoothies. Reuse some glass jars with good lids; two nut butter jars can hold a quart of smoothie. They taste better when refrigerated, but even if not cold, they should last the better part of a day.
Depending on your body type, 3-5 T of ground flax, and 1-2 T of coconut oil may cover most of your fat for a day. Coconut oil is a little expensive, but a lb. should last quite a while. Flax costs anywhere from $1.50 to 3.50 a lb., but it also lasts a while. Add either or both to your smoothies to slow sugar absorption (depending on your philosophy of food combining) and keep you satisfied longer.
I really like Buckwheat cereal. I can get buckwheat groats for about $1.70 per pound and it expands 2x it's size, so that's about $.85 a pound. Soak 1 cup overnight (or 15 min and sprout 24 hours), 1 banana, and 1T cinnamon. Blend in food processor.
Carry plenty of cut up veggies: carrots, celery, peppers...
Homemade Green Goddess dressing is a good way to stretch an avocado. It makes enough dressing for several salads.
Try using sunflower seeds instead of more expensive nuts in pates and recipes.
Sunflower milk is good, and you can take it with you. You'll need to invest in (or make) a nut milk bag. I make about 8 cups of milk using 2/3 to 1 cup of sunflower seeds, some honey, and some salt.
Sprouts are great. They can add zest to a salad, and they're cheap. Some people consume large quantities of sprouts daily.
Look for cheaper greens for your smoothies. Often the more nutritious (but harder to chew) varieties are cheaper, because there's less demand for them. Try rotating what you use every couple weeks (for variety and for nutrition).

Money Saving Ideas:

Start a buyers club. Frontier Naturals or Wilderness Family Naturals let you sign up as a wholesaler, and you can usually get free shipping with large orders. You may even find other health conscious students who will order with you. Order a several month supply of non-perishables (if you can swing it) and just keep stuff stored well.
Find a co-op in your area. Many will let you shop there without a membership. There's one about 45 minutes from us, that I get to about once a month that has good prices on bulk foods. Their packaged stuff is more expensive, so I get that elsewhere.
Never buy your spices in jars, if you can help it. Bulk is cheaper by 5x or more.
Go in with someone on a share in an organic farm (CSA).
Start a Square Foot Garden. Two 4x4 sections should give you lots of salad veggies. You can adapt the principles for smaller spaces like porches and window boxes.
Save the edible, but undesirable scraps from your greens and veggies for smoothies and dressings.
Learn to forage for wild edibles. There are days
in the spring where I can make an entire smoothie out of greens from my backyard.

katacyklsla2ny · 06-25-2008

Thanks Jroo for all the helpful input.

JEN309 · 3 Weeks Ago

Hello,
I just now saw your thread. I use my 4 tier stainless steel tiffin when I am out and about. You can fill the empty tiers with ice cubes...though that might leak if jostled around. I have an insulated soft cooler with reusable ice packs. That has kept my food cool the whole day long (depending on the weather). Even after the ice melts the insulation keeps it cool for a while. 100%environmentally friendly it may not be. I just know that if i don't have food handy. I'll end up eating junk, and spending money to eat out.
I sometimes carry around a jar of almond butter and celery sticks, cut up apple, raw trail mix, and the easiest date treats.
Recipe:
1 date stuffed with 1 almond
filling and tasty

Most grocery stores have an organic section. If I'm caught off guard I'll just pop into the store and grab some organic fruit, a lemon, an avocado, and organic (triple washed) baby greens. Cut the lemon and squeeze it onto the lettuce, chop the avocado into small pieces with my trusty (food only) pocket knife and add to lettuce. Eat right out of the bag the lettuce came in. Nothing fancy but filling in a pinch. Or just have a fruit feast without the salad.