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Raw food treats

How to curb your cravings and stay away from the ice cream!
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Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Sun Jun 24, 2012 5:33 pm

I've been researching the Raw Food Diet recently. I'm not Vegetarian or Vegan but I'm always looking to include a variety of different but tasty foods into my diet!

I came across 'The Rawtarian' and a raw fruit and nut bar recipe. I quite like Nakd bars, but they're expensive so I was looking for a home made version. I will be trying it either tomorrow or Tuesday, if anyone is interested the recipe is here. :)

http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-lemon-bars-recipe

Update to follow with pictures!

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Sakkarin » Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:06 pm

Looks a bit like the Hummingbird Bakery book's muesli bar, which is also raw, but much naughtier.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:25 pm

Oh, they do look good. Nice and substantial!

I'm looking for easily digestible energy foods (that won't give me stitch!) to help fuel my morning running, hence the original recipe but I might have to try these too :thumbsup

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby jeral » Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:27 am

Those lemony bars look really good (and other things on that site). Also there are lots of variations shown in the comments attaching. Cool. I liked one comment which said that if the dates were soaked it made the bar more gooey/chewy.

On stitch, I've never understood what causes it sometimes but not others. Seems it's hard to pin down the cause: http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/readings/sidest.html

Boringly, the only other treats I can think of that might suit would be cornflake or rice crisp cakes moulded (? set) in melted chocolate, which aren't daft as the cereal has the usual 7 or 8 vits, even if some are added and a good chocolate has its own vits & minerals too, per: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/10638/2 so I never discount dipping things in melted good choccy :)

PS: A rugby coach recommended eating pasta the night before what would be a heavy training session the next day. His pupils think it works for sustained energy but still advised to take a home-made energy drink.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Wed Jun 27, 2012 7:36 pm

The lemony bars are very good, I've made them and just need to get a picture uploaded at some point. In all fairness, they do look pretty identical to the site ones! I tried some before my morning run and didn't have any problems, so all good there. I soaked my dates to make them softer and the texture of the bars is really good.

I don't eat much pasta, in all fairness I thrive better on fruit and vegetables for energy purposes. Typical carbohydrates such as bread, rice and pasta have a habit bloating me up and making me feel more sluggish, so my intake isn't too high. I definitely don't need any form of energy drinks for my running, I'm not going far enough to warrant it. I only use energy drink if I'm cycling, but I'm likely to be out for a few hours on the bike so it's a bit different.

Bananas, dates, coconut and mango are all good for me pre-exercise, but small amounts aren't always dense enough for sustained energy. I think those lemony bars will be perfect.

Not sure I'd want to be eating chocolate at 7am ;) Anything smothered in chocolate is good for the afternoon onwards though!

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Jul 05, 2012 1:09 pm

I feel such a slob now, reading your post after having just eaten a pasty I made last night.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:24 am

Haha, tis all good :) I've never really liked savoury pasties or pies, but I do quite like sweet pastry such as maple pecan plaits!

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby jeral » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:11 pm

Lauren, would fresh citrus fruit and/or raisins or dried apricots set in jelly work if made as solid little blocks in an ice cube tray - I'm thinking of a healthier variation of Turkish delight blocks, to be dusted then stacked like Munchies in baking parchment to eat on the run...

I know I have mad ideas but it reminded me that I used to like eating jelly blocks straight from the pack and jelly is meant to be good for you.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:20 pm

Hmm, I'm thinking that probably wouldn't work for an actual run. It would squash far too easily and make a bit of a mess. Storage would be an issue. They would work better 'post workout' for a quick sugar top-up but they wouldn't be slow release or energy dense enough before a workout.

You only need extra running fuel if you're out for 1hr+.

Jelly is not something I tend to eat, but a good idea :) It's not particularly good for you, it's popular on calorie controlled diets because it's low-fat and is often endorsed as a 'healthy pudding option'. The sugar-free sweetener based ones have no benefits at all, best avoided completely.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby jeral » Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:21 pm

Hmm. I honestly don't think your lemony bars could be bettered for sustained energy so was thinking more sweet treat. I can't remember about jelly except that it was meant to be good for fingernails and hair (collagen) as read in a teenage girly mag years ago. Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin which interestingly includes a short segment on joints too, so might be worth considering anyway.

Another thing might be "sausage" rolls made like spring rolls in filo pastry filled with chopped dried fruits or dates mushed together with just enough honey. I don't get how you can run, breathe and chew at the same time - multitasking at its best?

Edit PS: Pasta is meant to be eaten the night before as apparently it is slow release. Wholewheat pasta even better if you like it.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:10 am

It's a bit of a myth thing about the nails. The only good thing about jelly is you can put a lot of fruit into it, but as a standalone thing it isn't great. The Gelatine is a source of protein, but a poor one and the refined sugar content counteracts any health benefits, unless you can burn it off. You can get effective nutrients from other foods and avoid the jelly altogether, omega 3 oils help with joint health and have anti-inflammatory properties.

I don't eat when I run, so I won't be taking food with me. Nobody exercising for less than an hour should need extra fuel, maybe an electrolyte drink in hot weather. (Qualified gym instructor, so I can say this with confidence).

Pasta is OK, but it's not an optimum source of energy. My body works most efficiently if I keep my carbohydrate intake from breads, pasta, rice etc low and my intake from fruit and vegetables high. Processed carbohydrates weren't really intended to be part of a natural human diet and nutritional advice from coaches etc is rigid to the 'High carb, low fat' way of thinking. It might work for very active people, but average Joe Bloggs doesn't need this sort of energy and it's one of the reasons we're becoming a fat nation. Carbohydrates encourage fat storage around the stomach and make us more hungry. The governments 'Eat well plate' is based on a fairly high carb diet, but also states 'As part of an active lifestyle' which many people don't have. A basic active lifestyle being 5 x 30 minute moderate sessions per week (cardio and strength).

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Sakkarin » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:03 pm

Well now I've tried them, and can confirm they are very good! My only reservation is that a couple of mouthfuls I took were too salty, I maybe should have scattered the salt more evenly in the mix as I was preparing them. And my Magimix complained vociferously when I minced those dates - had to hold it down fiercely to stop it flinging itself off the worktop!

I used almonds with the skin on, and approximated the cup measures with 150g almonds, 300g dates and 100g dessicated coconut.

I still prefer the Hummingbird ones though, and recommend any one that likes these give them a bash too.

I also did a full costing on both bars, and whereas these work out at 40p a bar, the Hummingbird bars work out at 15p each, as they also use cheaper ingredients such as cornflakes and oats. Now that they're done, I think next time I would use twice as much coconut to both lighten the taste, and also to reduce the cost per bar.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Lauren » Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:32 pm

ooh, they look really nice! Your dates might have processed a bit easier if you'd soaked them in a bit of warm water first. I had this problem the first time I processed dates too, my cheapy processor has super sticky feet which I think was the only thing stopping it from taking off.

I'll have to give them a try :)

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby hungryhousewife » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:25 pm

Those look really delicious Sakkarin! I hope your fillings are in good order! :lol: :lol:
HH

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Renée » Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:19 pm

Jeral, I can always get rid of a stitch by holding in my abdomen hard for a couple of minutes. It's something that I rarely get these days.

Those lemon bars sound lovely!

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:34 am

Nice one Sakkarin.

I have a confession to make. I did try this recipe when you posted Lauren, but didn't say anything about it.
My dessicated coconut was so old they were gaspingly bad. I think it's been in the cupboard for 3 years.

I didn't realise it went off so badly - but my goodness it's nasty stuff when it does.
They were quite sticky in texture too, but yours look firm Sakkarin.

is this the hummingbird recipe? http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/fb.ashx?m=4046240

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:16 pm

Sorry, bit late, just spotted this unanswered post. Yes, that's it Gill.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Johnson » Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:24 am

Well I have tried muesli bar which is amazing in its taste . I would be pleased to prepare the recipe of nut bar because i have not tried it yet . Is there any one who have make this and found good i mean yummy in taste ? . If so then please share with me .

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby jaybird » Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:54 pm

Gillthepainter wrote:Nice one Sakkarin.

I have a confession to make. I did try this recipe when you posted Lauren, but didn't say anything about it.
My dessicated coconut was so old they were gaspingly bad. I think it's been in the cupboard for 3 years.

I didn't realise it went off so badly - but my goodness it's nasty stuff when it does.
They were quite sticky in texture too, but yours look firm Sakkarin.



You're right that dessicated coconut does go off, it tastes soapy and horrible. I've just ditched a packet dated July 2011. Got some more at Aldi today, they were selling Natco coconut for 19p a packet (dated June 2013) so I'll use some up in the lemony bars recipe, thanks.

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Re: Raw food treats

Postby Renée » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:02 am

It's probably the oil content that goes a bit rancid. Aldi's price is a good one.

Welcome to the board, jaybird!

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