Researching and Thinking with Questions

Hello. I have just begun researching a raw diet lifestyle. I have a couple of questions (I realize these are elementary question, please forgive my ignorance on the subject):

1) I noticed that several of the recipes call for a dehydrator. What does dehydration do to the nutritional value of foods?

2) I don’t have a dehydrator and the lowest setting on my oven is 170. Can I dehydrate at 170 for a shorter period of time?

3) What is the general feeling about things like cooked beans, rice, oatmeal, etc.?

Thanks in advance, Catherine

Comments

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Cdorsey, I can’t give you all the answers to your questions, but I will do my best:

    1) If you dehydrate below 115-120 degrees, it maintains the “life” in the food, therefore it is not “cooked”. Many raw fooders, especially in transition phase, use dehydration to make crackers, breads etc. to ease in the transition to raw. Dehydrators are also a good way to slightly warm foods such as raw soups and drinks.

    2) A better way to dehydrate if you don’t have a dehydrator is to just put the food in your oven with the pilot light on. This usually heats the oven to around 90 degrees and you can just dehydrate to desired texture, consistency, etc. depending on the recipe.

    3)Most high raw people do not eat cooked beans, rice, oatmeal, etc. People transitioning to raw do though. There are also people who never intend on being fully raw, and then of course those foods are options for them.

  • Thanks, spiritedmama,

    My oven is an electric oven, therefore no pilot light. I’ll have to research this a little more. I might just have to splurge for a dehydrator.

  • I think I heard on this site that one person leaves they’re electric stove open just a bit with a dishcloth and that the oven light warms up the oven enough to dehydrate.

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    I meant the oven light not the pilot light, sorry for the confusion.

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