Easy and elegant snacks without cooking (which are also very healthy)

Consuming fresh products, which have not been subjected to any type of cooking, allows you to take advantage of all their nutritional value.

The World Health Organization recommends eating five raw foods a day. Incorporating them into menus is easy, since they are the basis of multiple original, tasty and nutritious recipes. In this article we propose easy appetizers to include in your menus that are eaten raw and are delicious.

WHY HAVE EASY RAW SNACKS

Cooking destroys vitamins (vitamin C, provitamin A, folic acid…) and important digestive ferments present in raw foods; evaporates trace elements such as iodine, essential for many organic functions, among which the development of the fetus and the growth of the child stand out; and according to Bircher-Benner, following the work of Nobel laureate Dr. Erwin Schrödinger, it alters the “ordinal quality” or “vitality of food”.

Raw vegetables, including algae, are at the base of the food pyramid, they are the producers, the transformers of solar energy into nutrients necessary for our body; And in them that energy is maintained with the maximum possible order (ordinal quality), which reaches our interior transmitting that same message of vitality, balance and healing.

For all these reasons, naturists recommend raw diets to cleanse and regenerate the body, and also advise that more than half of the usual diet (ideally two-thirds) is composed of raw foods: fresh fruits and nuts, vegetable salads, sprouted foods (such as seeds, cereals and legumes) and natural fruit and vegetable juices.

EASY UNCOOKED SNACK RECIPES

EASY APPETIZER: BREAD DIPPED WITH MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 1 round wholemeal rye bread
• 80 g sheep-type vegetable cheese
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 12 yellow tomatoes
• 8 zucchinis in bloom
• 20 black olives from Aragon
• 8 pickled onions
• 40 ml olive oil
• fresh thyme

For quince aioli:

• 1 small quince roasted in the oven
• 1 small apple, peeled and pitted
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 100 ml virgin olive oil
• vinegar and salt

PREPARATION (35′):

1. Cut the top of the bread, as if it were a lid, and empty the crumb, trying to make it whole so you can dice it. Toast these cubes lightly in the oven.
2. On the other hand, roast the quince and remove the skin and seeds. Mash in a blender with the oil, garlic, apple, salt, egg and a slice of bread dipped in vinegar. It has to look like a mayonnaise. Store in the fridge.
3. Cut the cheese into cubes or into small triangles.
4. Wash the tomatoes and, if they are a little large, cut them in half. Also wash the zucchini and cut them into thick slices. Reserve the flowers.
5. Mix all the ingredients of the salad, adding the olives and onions, and season with salt, fresh thyme and a little oil. Spread the bread inside with a little aioli sauce or a little oil and fill with the salad. Garnish with thyme and zucchini flowers, and serve with quince.

VARIANTS:

• Instead of zucchini flowers you can use fresh rosemary or rose petals.
• The salad can also have peppers or celery.
• Individual small rolls can be chosen.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 11 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fat: 47 g
• Cholesterol: 96 mg
• Calories: 572.

EASY APPETIZER: GARGOUILLOU OF SEASONAL VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 4 white endive leaves
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery branch
• 100 g shelled tender beans
• 6 radishes
• 12 bunches of broccolis
• 100 g tender or sprout spinach
• 50 g yellow pepper
• 50 g red pepper
• 20 g pumpkin seeds
• 1 wide strip of wakame seaweed
• 2 fresh basil sprigs
• 40 ml olive oil
• salt

PREPARATION (30′):

1. Before starting to handle the vegetables, prepare the dressing. Lightly toast the wakame seaweed in a paella, over high heat and without oil for a few seconds, making sure it does not burn. Once the seaweed is removed, roast the pumpkin seeds, in the same way and without stopping stirring until they swell a little. When the seaweed cools, crush it in a coffee grinder and arrange in a bowl. Also crush the seeds, once cold, and mix with the algae.
2. Then prepare another dressing by crushing the clean basil leaves with a little salt and olive oil.
3. Wash the endive and the rest of the vegetables and peel those that require it, such as carrots and onions.
4. To start, cut the spring onion into slices, obliquely. Finely julienne the celery, reserving its most tender leaves whole.
5. Cut the carrot into long strips, which can be rolled in a showy way. The peppers, in julienne. The radishes, thinly sliced. Chop the endive discarding the thicker parts.
6. Mix all the vegetables with the beans, broccoli and tender spinach, or arrange them decoratively on a flat plate, and season with the seasoning of pipes and algae and with basil oil.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 9 g
• Carbohydrates: 18 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 214

EASY APPETIZER: TOMATO TARTARE WITH GARLIC AND MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 500 g fleshy red tomatoes
• 8 pickled pickles
• 2 medium leeks (200 g)
• 400 g mushrooms
• Fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• half a lemon (its juice)
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 40 m olive oil
• salt, pepper

PREPARATION (20′):

1. Finely chop the pickles and place them in a deep dish, covered with a little olive oil.
2. Crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle and mix with oil, as if it were mayonnaise. Emulsify the mixture without mounting.
3. Peel the tomatoes with a fine knife or by lightly blanching in boiling water. Cut into cubes, salt and pepper and place on a drainer so that they lose all the natural liquid (you can recover this liquid to dress pasta or salads). Once drained, mix with the pickle, add the fresh oregano and garlic emulsion.
4. Wash leeks and mushrooms carefully to remove dirt. Discard the green part of the leeks and cut the white part into very thin slices, or if you prefer, into very small squares.
5. Separate the mushrooms once cleaned from the earthy foot and cut them into slices. Mix with leek, season with salt, sugar, lemon juice, a little soy sauce and olive oil.
6. Serve the tartare on a plate with the help of a ring that serves as a mold. Place the sweet and sour mushrooms on top and garnish with fresh oregano. Finally, it is bathed with the garlic emulsion.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 7 g
• Carbohydrates: 14 g
• Fat: 11 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 179.

EASY APPETIZER: BEETROOT SASHIMI

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 2 beets
• 1 lettuce
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• 200 g tofu
• 4 tender garlic
• 100 g sprouted alfalfa
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 20 g lightly toasted sesame
• 1 tablespoon soft mustard
• 50 ml olive oil

PREPARATION (15′ + 1H. REST): VARIANT:

1. Blanch the beets, peel and cut into cubes. Top with soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger and let macerate for at least an hour in the fridge.
2. Dice the tofu and macerate in the same mixture for about 20 minutes. Drain and recover the liquid.
3. Wash the lettuce. Separate its large leaves and spread them whole on a flat surface. Spread with tahini (sesame butter), roll over themselves and wrap in plastic wrap. Reserve in the fridge.
4. Then wash the tender garlic and cut into diagonal slices.
5. Emulsify the maceration sauce with olive oil and soft mustard.
6. Combine the beetroot and tofu cubes. Finely cut the lettuce roll and accompany with sprouted alfalfa, sesame, soy sauce and oil.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 13 g
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 310.

EASY APPETIZER: FRUIT SPLASH WITH MELON CREAM

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 1 small cantaloupe melon
• 1 golden apple
• 1 red apple
• 1 kiwi
• 1 pomegranate
• 4 dried plums
• 20 g pitted raisins
• 4 apricot apricots
• 8 walnuts
• 2 tangerines
• 1 plain yogurt
• 60 ml Muscat
• 1 tablespoon honey

PREPARATION (20′):

1. Cut the plums and apricots into strips and mix in a bowl with the raisins and nuts, peeled and cut into four pieces. Sprinkle everything with a splash of muscatel and set aside.
2. Add the pomegranate berries to the bowl.
3. Peel the melon and cut half into cubes. Crush the other half mixed with a tablespoon of honey and plain yogurt.
4. Cut apples cut into unpeeled quarters. Peel the kiwi and dice it. Peel and break the tangerines.
5. Mix all the fruits with the preparation of the bowl, distribute in wide glasses or in transparent bowls and cover with the melon cream. You can decorate the salpicón with fresh mint.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 203.

THE MOST NATURAL DIET: FOOD IN ITS PUREST FORM

Raw, crispy and very fresh, is there a more natural and healthy way to eat?

Raw foods retain their nutritional value intact and are an indispensable source of minerals and vitamins that the body needs to regulate its functions, obtain vitality and enjoy an optimal state of health.

With the current model of life, marked by stress, fast foods and very manipulated foods, it is not easy to keep our body in shape. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate raw foods into the diet.

Nature provides us with foods loaded with vitamins, minerals and natural enzymes that promote digestion. When subjected to a cooking process, and especially if it is at temperatures above 54 ºC and for a long time, these enzymes and most water-soluble vitamins are often lost.

Minerals can be preserved if little water is used or if cooking is steamed, as are most fat-soluble vitamins, which are more sensitive to oxidation.

Cooking makes animal proteins more digestible, but when it exceeds 85 ºC or lasts too long it can also make essential amino acids disappear. In addition, raw animal fats do not deteriorate, which is important in the case of fish.

It is also true, however, that without being transformed by fire certain foods cannot be digested nor can their nutrients be synthesized. This is the case of legumes and some tubers.

But keep in mind that raw foods are the ones that most activate the enzymes responsible for the body to digest and those that provide a rich and effective intestinal flora.

It seems indisputable that the primordial diet of the human being consisted of raw foods, specifically vegetables, since fire, hunting tools and kitchen utensils were not yet part of man’s life.

That man was originally raw food would explain the phenomenon of “digestive leukocytosis” when cooked food is consumed. The increase of white blood cells in the digestive mucosa for a couple of hours would be, then, a defensive response of the organism.

Raw foods retain all their aroma and flavor, increase vital energy because they keep their own intact, eliminate bacteria that cause putrefaction, regenerate flora and enzymatic activity, do not irritate the internal mucous membranes, are depurative and do not cause heavy digestion. The advantages are many.

You don’t have to be “raw food” to enjoy all the benefits of raw foods.

It is enough to regularly include in the diet foods not subjected to high temperatures to provide the body with the doses of regulatory nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes it needs for its proper functioning.

HOW TO ENJOY RAW IN THE DAILY DIET

Increasing your consumption of fresh and raw foods is easy. Throughout the day there are many occasions to choose this healthy option.

RAW SNACKS

A fruit, carrot sticks, celery or cucumber sticks, or nuts are tasty and quick snacks, which hardly require preparation. It is also a very good snack a natural juice of freshly squeezed fruit.

But why not half an avocado seasoned with salt and lemon, or a peeled cucumber seasoned with oil and fresh mint?

SNACKS WITH FRESH FOOD

A good whole wheat or rye bread is chosen and stuffed with lettuce, avocado, tomato slices, finely cut cucumbers, grated carrot or radishes.

If you want the sandwich to provide protein, you can add cheese, tofu, sesame, peanut or almond creams.

SALADS, STAR DISH

It is the right dish to taste the freshest foods: lettuce leaves of all varieties, vegetables, fruits, seeds, quality oils … A small side salad should be included at each meal.

They are easy and quick to prepare, and their possibilities are multiple and varied.

NATURAL JUICES

A good freshly squeezed juice is another way to enjoy the advantages of raw foods. From the classic orange to tomato seasoned with salt, pepper and tabasco, the options are very varied and include vegetable cocktails and tropical fruits.

It is convenient to make them with fresh fruits, organically grown if possible, and clean them thoroughly.

To prevent oxidation, they are sprinkled with lemon juice. In addition, if you do not want to lose your precious vitamins, they should be consumed at the moment.

An excellent idea is to combine the liquefied juices with seeds and spices that give flavor:

• Beetroot, apple and celery with sesame paste
• carrot, orange and almond, with a hint of curry
• banana, oat milk and cinnamon

BREAKFAST FRESH FOOD

A fruit salad with yogurt, a banana smoothie, a tropical fruit salad, a crunchy apple tasted in bites or a good muesli with nuts and pieces of fresh fruit are excellent suggestions to increase the consumption of raw foods.

The fruit salads of varied fruits are delicious, full of nuances of flavor and very depurative. You can play with seasonal fruits and make mixtures to taste.

The dressing can be sugar -better rapadura or whole cane-, vanilla, cinnamon and even a touch of ginger. To prevent oxidation, a splash of lemon.

Some examples of original fruit salads:

• Mango, pear and raisins
• Mango, avocado and banana
• kiwi, strawberry and pineapple with honey
• apple, orange, sugar, cinnamon and pine nuts

COLD SOUPS BEYOND GAZPACHO

Gazpachos are more desirable in summer, but cold soups are at any time a good excuse to taste raw foods.

A melon cream, an ajoblanco or a seasoned vegetable soup, for example, are very tasty.

SAUCES TO ACCOMPANY RAW APPETIZERS

Tomatoes of different colors accompanied with cheese and olives, endive leaves with guacamole, canapés with cheese and spring onion, cucumbers stuffed with olives, tapenade … They are small ideas to give freshness to our diet.

An assortment of crudités offers us the possibility of also tasting delicious sauces that accompany them. The most popular are avocado, dip of tomatoes seasoned with herbs, tartar with onion and pickle, herbs and garlic oil, aioli or beetroot with mayonnaise.