Sustainable Food: Raw Christmas Goodies

Crunch. Crunch. The raw food movement is sweeping its way through the kitchens of North America. However, the other crunching you hear is that of not so healthy, not so sustainable food. It's the holiday season and everyone is munching on goodies. For those who want to create a healthy and sustainable holiday season, what does raw food have to offer?

We all eat raw food, even if it's just a banana in the morning. However, those who eat a raw food diet focus on raw food as the core of the diet. Rather than eating baked bread, meat and potatoes, raw food lovers focus on fresh, raw fruits and vegetables as the cornerstone of their diet.

But then there is the holiday season. Whatever religion you might be, this time of the year tends to involve a lot of food, and most of that is cooked. What's more, most of it is cooked with copious amounts of fat and sugar, and much of it is flown in from far away. Moving towards raw? How can you create a sustainable, healthy, and delicious raw holiday season?

Turn to the raw food staples of winter:  sustainable sprouts, stored food, frozen and dehydrated food. Sprouts are a wonderful food for winter salads and you can grow them at home, without the added environmental costs of shipping this often highly-packaged food. Creating a root cellar for storage vegetables and fruits also helps the raw food diet in the winter. Get local organic fruit in the summer and store it in a very cool place and you'll have delicious raw apples and pears all winter long. Freeze your food. While frozen isn't quite as good as fresh, it's miles above cooked and preserved foods in terms of nutrient availability. And who doesn't want a few blueberries in a winter smoothie?
Then, move to the delicious additions to create a memorable, delectable holiday season. Stock up on natural sweeteners like dates, sweet fruits, and honey if you are not vegan.  Turn to healthy fats like nuts to add body to sweet holiday treats.

Where can you turn for inspiration? Shannon of Rawdorable has slowed down on the blogging, but the archives of her web site are full of photos and recipes of the most delectable-looking raw cookies. The photos alone will have you drooling. Looking for cookie-baking classes? The Light Living Raw Food Culinary Center in Fort Bragg, California has raw food classes for everyone, including dedicated Christmas bakers. If you're eating raw and tis the season, you can still indulge and you can do it your way: with raw, delicious, and sustainable food.