Copyright © 2010 by Brandi Rollins

Front cover design by Brandi Rollins

Interior design by Brandi Rollins

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 Book Outline*
*Updated as of 10/15/10

Forward

Preface

Section 1: Introduction
Chapter 1: My journey on raw foods
Chapter 2: Eating raw foods on a budget: An introduction FREE TO DOWNLOAD

Section 2: Strategies for Eating Raw Foods on a Budget

Chapter 3: Change how you buy food Available to BUY NOW
Chapter 4: Change where you buy food Available to BUY NOW
Chapter 5: Change how you store food Available to BUY NOW
Chapter 6: Change how you prepare food Available by 10/24/10
Chapter 7: Change the way you eat Available by 10/31/10
Chapter 8: Change the way you think Available by 11/7/10
Chapter 9: Grow your own food Available by 11/7/10

Section 3: Raw Food Start-Up Costs

Chapter 10: Equipment start-up costs Available by 11/21/10
Chapter 11: Food start-up costs Available by 11/28/10

Section 4: Create Your Raw Food Budget!

Chapter 12: Create your budget – part 1 Available by 12/12/10
Chapter 13: Create your budget – part 2 Available by 12/12/10

Section 5: Recipes
Juices, smoothies, and nut milks
Breakfast
Entrees and sides
Soups, salads, dressings, and dips
Breads and crackers
Desserts
Preparing dried and frozen foods

INDEX
 Section 1

Introduction
 Raw Foods on a Budget: An Introduction

You may be asking yourself, “Can I really eat a raw foods diet while living on a tight budget?” The answer
is YES! It’s a myth that most people cannot afford a raw foods diet; instead, the reality is that most people just
don’t know how to do it while on a tight budget. Many of the raw foodists I know struggle with their grocery
bills, and most raw food newbies have trouble buying the fruits, vegetables, nuts, raw food products, and equip-
ment required by most raw food cookbooks. In fact, the high costs of the raw foods lifestyle is a topic that many
raw food enthusiasts brush to the side until they realize that by ignoring this issue, they have led themselves into
debt. But, here is the great news…eating raw foods on a budget is simple, and this book will show you how!
Raw Foods on a Budget was designed for readers like you to provide the first comprehensive guide to eat-
ing raw foods on a budget. Designed as a workbook, this book goes beyond just listing the various ways to find
low-cost raw foods and, instead, takes a more holistic approach. Learning to eat raw foods while on a budget is
about changing how and where you buy food; how you eat, prepare, and store food; and your overall relation-
ship with food. This book provides strategies and hands-on activities to help you master these dimensions of
eating raw foods while on a budget, a detailed guide to help you create your own raw foods budget, and over 75
delicious, low-cost recipes to get you started. There is even a chapter about growing your own food!
In the next section, “Strategies for Eating Raw Foods on a Budget” (section 2), I will present over 40 de-
tailed strategies and plenty of fun activities to help you learn how to eat raw foods while on a budget. Chapter 3,
the first chapter in section 2, shows you how small changes in how you buy food can significantly reduce your
grocery bills. In fact, this is probably the most important chapter in the whole book because changing how you
buy food will allow you to take advantage of the low-cost food sources provided in the following chapter. In
chapter 4, we will journey through all the different ways you can access high-quality, low-cost fruits and veg-
etables from farms, health food and grocery stores, the Internet, and other unexpected sources. These strategies
will help you lower your grocery bills while supporting your local farms and community.
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 teach you how to get the most out of the fruits and vegetables you purchased. Chapter
5 shows you how to store produce, nuts, and seeds to keep them fresh longer. Chapter 6 presents innovative
ways for substituting low-cost ingredients for more expensive ingredients in your raw food recipes. Lastly,
chapter 7 shows you how small changes in the way you eat can lower your grocery bills and maximize the ben-
efits of a raw foods diet.
Chapter 2: Raw Foods on a Budget: An Introduction 1
 In chapters 8 and 9, you will learn strategies to help you change the way you think about budgeting and
enhance your overall relationship with food. It’s a common response for people to feel restricted and constrained
when they are on a budget; however, it doesn’t have to be this way. Chapter 8 will show you how to feel good
about your budget. In chapter 9, you will learn all the ways you can start growing your own food right now. In
today’s world, there are so many ways for people to garden that don’t require a backyard or access to a plot of
land. Gardening will not only provide you with high-quality, low-cost fruits and vegetables, it will also enhance
your understanding, appreciation, and love of food.
In section 3, “Raw Food Start-Up Costs”, chapters 10 and 11 provide a comprehensive overview of the
equipment and food start-up costs associated with the raw foods diet. This is an overlooked topic that really does
impact your budget, and if you are not careful, you could end up with a lot of expensive equipment and raw food
products sitting on the shelf gathering dust (I know I did!).
Section 4, “Creating Your Raw Foods Budget”, brings together what you learned in chapters 3-11 and helps
you create your own monthly raw food budget. In chapter 12, you will set realistic spending goals and create
the foundations of your raw foods budget, using my own food budget as an example. In chapter 13, you will
finalize your budget by choosing from the strategies presented in section 2 and creating a reasonable plan to
implement them. Because so many strategies are presented in this book, picking and practicing the ones that fit
your lifestyle is a strategy within itself, and this chapter will show you how.
Section 5, the final section in the book, presents over 75 tested, low-cost, delicious raw food recipes for
juices, smoothies, nut milks, breakfast, entrees and sides, soups, salads, dressings, dips, breads and crackers,
pies, ice cream, sorbets, cookies, and even recipes for preparing your own dried and frozen foods. These reci-
pes are simple and don’t rely on many fancy raw food products, because I truly believe that the best raw food
ingredients are the ones you already have access to through local farms and health food stores. In addition, each
recipe includes detailed instructions, recipe cost estimates that can also be used as a shopping list, nutrition
information based on the United States Department of Agriculture nutrition database, and tips for reducing the
costs of the recipes even more!
Raw Foods on a Budget is a great resource for individuals who already eat raw foods, desire to eat more
raw foods, or simply want to find new ways to access high-quality, low-cost fruits and vegetables. Some of you
may be long-term raw foodists and need help in reducing your grocery bills. Others may be new to raw foods
and are struggling with the seemingly high costs of fruits and vegetables and ingredients that many raw food
books require. This book is unlike any other book out there because it was designed by readers like you who
want to enjoy the benefits of eating raw foods without breaking the bank. I am confident that you will find what
you’re looking for in this book!

2 Section 1: Introduction