The Salad Bowl Inc.

“What do you eat on a low fat raw vegan diet?”

Every time I answer this question,  my response changes.

That’s because the best quality fruit is that which is grown in season.  So, I tend to eat seasonally, meaning my diet changes pretty frequently.

Just last week I was finishing off my last watermelon and now I’m diggin’ on some Valencia oranges!  Grapes should be in season soon so I’ll soon be gobbling up those as well.

With that said, I know how helpful seeing a low fat raw vegan diet “in action” can be if you are new to the diet.  And even if you’re not, it can help give you some perspective on this lifestyle or even just help to reassure you that you aren’t alone!

Or maybe I’ve got it wrong.  Maybe you guys are just a bunch of Curious Kitties and Nosy Nancys who like to get all up in my biz.

It’s cool.  It means I get to talk about my favorite subject…food!

What I Eat

Here’s a rundown of what I’m currently eating:

*Breakfast/Lunch*

The one component of my diet that has been pretty consistent for the past year or so is bananas.  The first 1-2 meals of my day generally consist of 12-15 bananas, depending on the size of each fruit.

There are several reasons for this:

bananas are filling, bananas are cheap, bananas are readily available, and I like bananas!

*Dinner*

My dinner meal relies upon what is in season.  As I said above, I’ve been eating (actually juicing) Valencia oranges for the past week or so.  It’s hard to give an amount, as the sweet fruit for this meal changes so often.  As far as orange juice, it’s about one mason jar full (32 ounces).

In addition to sweet fruit, I also eat non-sweet fruits and/or greens during this meal.  Since tomato season isn’t quite over here in Tennessee (despite all the cold, wet weather), I’m making sure to get my fill.  I’m guessing it comes out to about 1-2 pounds of tomatoes, give or take.

If I eat cucumbers or greens during this meal, I won’t eat as many tomatoes.  I tend to eat tomatoes at almost every dinner meal, even in the off seasons.  I love them so much!

*Meal Plan*

So here’s what it all looks like (for now):

Breakfast: 6-7 bananas Lunch: 6-7 bananas Dinner: 32 ounces OJ, 1-2 pounds of tomatoes

All Mono?

The majority of my fruit meals are mono-meals.  I prefer to eat one fruit on its own until I am full.

This shift to mono-mealing was a gradual, unconscious one for me.  I remember eating a bowl of grapes last year and realizing, “Hey, I’ve been eating lots of mono-meals lately.”

I didn’t force it.  It just kinda happened.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the occasional smoothie.  I had one yesterday for lunch, in fact!

I’ve found that smoothies are great for using up barely decent fruit (like a mealy but ripe nectarine) or overripe bananas…which is what happened yesterday!

No Fats?

I do not eat very many fatty foods.  I just forget about them, really.

When I do eat fatty foods, it’s usually 1/2 of an avocado during the evening (after I’ve eaten everything else).  I probably eat about one avocado every month or so.

As far as nuts go, I haven’t had any in quite some time.  I find that it’s much easier to over eat these foods.  Plus, I would have to order them online to actually get them raw.

It’s easier for me to just leave them out of my day-to-day diet.

But if you happen to have any extra pistachios lying around the house, feel free to send ‘em my way.

What Does This Mean for You?

Hopefully learning what I eat on a semi day-to-day basis helps to give you some idea of how a low fat raw vegan diet works in the real world.

But please, don’t take this post as a program to follow.  The specific fruits, the number of meals, and the amount of food I consume are all due to personal preference and my level of physical activity, among other things.

In other words, it’s idiosyncratic!

Whether you hate oranges or love pineapple totally does not matter.  It’s the basic “formula” that counts.

And by formula I mean:

Lots of Sweet Fruit + Some Greens + Limited Fats = Dietary Success!