Published : Aug. 31, 2012 - 20:04
Amber Shea Crawley knows she is eating in a gray area.
While her cookbook “Practically Raw” (Vegan Heritage Press; $19.95) extols the virtues of eating a plant-based diet, she refuses to get wrapped up in the ethical, moral or political aspects of a strict raw vegan diet.
“Eating raw food is not a black-or-white decision, but rather a matter of proportions,” Crawley states in the introductory chapter. “Every raw snack, side dish, or meal you add to your day will benefit your body.”
“Practically Raw” by Amber Shea Crawley features raw recipes for anyone, including this zucchini hummus. (Kansas City Star/MCT)
A more relaxed approach is catching on as a growing number of raw vegans embrace an “80/20” diet ― 80 percent raw and 20 percent cooked foods. “I kind of cheat on the whole idea of raw, but the point is you’re using unprocessed ingredients,” Crawley says in an interview. “And I don’t see anything wrong with using a conventional oven.”
While vegans avoid all animal byproducts, including eggs and dairy, vegan raw foodists also avoid cooking their food. That means consuming fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts in their unprocessed state with the goal of preserving maximum nutrition.
There is disagreement as to whether foods that are not heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit contain more enzymes and are therefore healthier, but even mainstream nutrition experts agree that adding more whole foods to the American diet is a good thing.
There’s a fair amount of rigidity over what constitutes a vegan diet. Crawley declares in her book that readers are entering a judgment-free zone with plenty of flexibility.
“Who am I to say that locally or organically raised meat is wrong if someone has gone about it in an ethical way?”
Crawley, 27, graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in linguistics. She started eating a raw diet when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, a disorder that affects the thyroid. Since 2008, Crawley has been blogging about her culinary journey at almostveganchef.com. In 2010, she graduated from the Matthew Kenney Academy in Oklahoma City as a certified raw and vegan chef.
Today Crawley considers herself 99 percent vegan, but she doesn’t expect everyone to eat the way she eats, nor is she offended by people who occasionally eat meat, eggs or dairy. She insists her flexible approach is attracting a more mainstream audience interested in eating for health and longevity.
Still, eating more raw foods can be a time-consuming proposition that includes straining nut milks, mixing alternative flours and sprouting seeds to make bread. The 140-plus recipes in “Practically Raw” ― everything from Flaxjacks With Miso-Maple Butter to Mushroom-Nut Burgers to Almond-Butter-Banana Ice Cream ― are designed to be quicker, easier and more affordable in terms of time and money.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, used to “bake” or evaporate liquids from foods, look for recipes in her cookbook marked “CO,” or made in a conventional oven.
If you’re in a rush to get food to the table in 30 minutes or less, choose a recipe marked “