Raw Food Doesn't Last!

I buy so much fresh veggies and fruit every week that I do sometimes loose them - The cucumbers and Strawberries are usually the ones to go first - Kale also.  But I realize that "Raw Food Is Real" (Like Kristina says) and it's not going to last forever.  However, there are ways to extend the life of the raw food I buy and I wanted to share some tips I came across from Kristina Carillo-Bucaram from Rawfully Organic who I've been followings since I began my journey.  

As Kristina says "Raw Food doesn't Last" - But to help you keep your raw foods stored (sometimes up to 2 weeks) use these simple tips!

1) Bag Your Greens to Keep Them Fresh - use a zip lock bag, a biodegradable bag. Five them a spritz and twist the bag close and put it in the fridge.
2) Learn to Rotate Your Food - keep the older food in the front of the fridge, the newer stuff in the back
3) Store Fruits and Veggies Separately - items like apples/oranges/ bell peppers and tomatoes can be stored outside the fridge, berries should be stored in the fridge along with your greens.
4) Don't Block the Air Vents & Keep Temperature Consistent at 40F
5) Prepare as Needed - don't cut up your veggies right when you get home from the store. prepare them when you are making your dish, smoothie or juice. Remember when you cut, juice,blend or cook, the nutirents in the food begins to dissipate, so keep it together until you need it.
6) Real Food Does Not Last Forever! But it's Real and Good For you.

You want some more inspiration here is Kristina's tip video. 
on, follow Kristina Carillo- Bucaram!http://youtu.be/5hqQCa16crc

Salad In A Glass

Salad in a Glass - When I get done working at the end of the day. I'll usually spend about 1/2 hour chopping veggies for a very big salad.  I have the salad with other things for dinner and I'll have enough left over to take with me the next day.  One of the things I've discovered when making a fresh salad, is that if I keep the Salad Greens (Romaine, Spinach...) separate from the veggies until it is served, it helps to keep the greens fresh. 

Well the other morning I was getting ready to make my morning Super C Juice and I was out of Carrots - That recipe is - 5-6 Carrots, 1-red bell pepper, 1-beet and 1-orange (and it's delicious).  Anyway, I didn't have any carrots, but I had other stuff that I use for my evening salad. So I decided to create a Salad Juice:   1 Cucumber, 1 Beet, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Tomato, Handful of Spinach, 5 to 8 celery stalks, 1 orange, 1 apple (and a couple of strawberries for the dressing). 

Put them all through the Juicer and you have the MOST AMAZING Breakfast, Lunch, or Anytime Juice!  My recipe makes just a little more than 32 ounces, so the two of us drink it before we leave in the morning, and I bring the rest with me for later.

Making Juice every day is soooo easy and clean-up takes about 5 minutes.  The energy boost in the morning is great and it usually carries me until about noon. Then I'll have either my Mean Green Juice, or in today case I'm going to have my Salad Juice - I will probably also have some raw veggies with it. Then I'm set until I get home.  I'm not drinking juice at night (but I do on occasion), but I'll typically have Raw Garden Salad, with some other veggies and maybe a piece of fish or chicken. 

Once in awhile I finish off dinner with some homemade ice cream made with banana's I froze!  Pictured here is 2 bananas (that I chopped up, froze, with 3 or 4 strawberries that I also froze, I put them in the VitaMix and added about a teaspoon of Cocoa Nibs, blended on high for about 30 seconds.  I then topped it with Fresh blueberries and Fresh Strawberries.  NO OTHER INGREDIENTS! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this healthy eating or what?  I'm smiling every day!