Going “Raw” at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op

Heidi Garrabrant has been eating raw food for almost 3 years – and now teaches others how to prepare delicious meals using raw ingredients. She recently taught a four-part series of classes at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op in Grandin Village, including sessions on breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Garrabrant is a wellness team member at RNF.  The classes were held in the Co-op’s new community room kitchen. Many people “have tried raw food,” she said, but couldn’t stick with it “because of a lack of knowledge of how to prepare the food.” People were enthusiastic and there was an “overwhelming amount of questions” in her first class.

What is a raw food diet exactly? “Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and greens” according to Garrabrant, who doesn’t eat any soy, except for miso, which is fermented soy. She doesn’t eat dairy foods or animal protein, so it’s a true “vegan” diet.

“I like the fact that it’s raw nutrition,” said Robert Keitzer of Fincastle, who attended the desserts class with his wife Jeannine. “The tapioca really tasted like tapioca. She didn’t use regular [prepared] ingredients.”

Everett Craft and his wife Mary Sue learned a lot from the classes. Everett, who also teaches a health class, said he was eating “85% raw” beforehand. Mary Sue found it to be a healthy change from all the “comfort foods” with high fat content that Americans typically eat. “This is wonderful. This really is,” she said.

Linda Pratt of Roanoke County heard a lot about the “Hallelujah Acres Diet” which is 85% raw and 15% cooked. “Raw food can taste good and can be cooked for the family,” she said. Pratt said she was interested in learning more.

Garrabrant first heard about eating “raw” through word of mouth and began doing some research. She read books and searched the Internet for information. She decided to try eating a raw food diet for a month and has stayed with it ever since. Initially, Garrabrant said she went “cold turkey,” starting out with salads, and gradually incorporating more recipes as she went along.

Health benefits of raw food include a stronger immune system and healthier digestion. Garrabrant’s skin cleared up and she has increased energy. “A raw food diet is environmentally friendly,” she also noted.

At first she experienced cravings for non-raw foods like cheese and bread. “There are addictive substances in cheese,” she said, and “bread is comforting.” After beginning the raw food diet she had additional yearnings for comfort food like macaroni and cheese and peanut butter, all urges that were overcome.

In the desserts class she demonstrated using a dehydrator and a blender. “The internet is a good place to purchase dehydrators,” Garrabrant told attendees. She put blueberries in the dehydrator for a blueberry tart, and ground almonds in a blender for the crust. She also used ground dates and cashews for this recipe. She prefers a bamboo cutting board because it won’t “dull your knives so fast.” Another tip: ceramic knives won’t oxidize fruit as quickly.

Garrabrant’s cooking classes weren’t the Co-op’s first. Christopher Parkhust taught three classes in August that included recipes for summer vegetables, beans and grains. “Everything went well,” he said. Seating is limited to 20 people, so classes fill up quickly. Co-op owners (members) attend for free and non-owners pay $5 per class.

Garrabrant said she recently bought a home that is temporarily without a kitchen due to remodeling, so she’s been preparing her food in the RNF community room kitchen. She spends one day a week preparing staples–like bread and crackers–to get ready for the week.

After growing up on meat and potatoes, Garrabrant is sold on the raw food diet.  Her parents “always love” the raw food recipes she shares with them, but when visiting she takes her own food, since they aren’t sure what to prepare for her meal.

For information on raw foods, Garrabrant recommends the website www.goneraw.com.

People looking to buy raw food should try www.rawguru.com. To sign up for an upcoming cooking class, call Roanoke Natural Foods at 343-5652 and speak to a representative at the customer service desk.