Happy Raw Foods Thursday! I’ve had a fabulous raw foods week, and I hope you have too. I am loving eating high raw/vegan, and Thursdays are the highlight of my week. This is when I learn from raw experts and newbies alike and plan my menu for the next week. Last week’s raw fun culminated with our Raw Foods Potluck. I’m sharing that experience in the linky below.

Raw foods have delighted me for years now. But every other time I’ve committed to a raw diet, I’ve gone all in, 100% raw for a specific amount of time, anywhere from 21 days to a month. I’ve done raw bootcamps, 21 day raw cleanses, one month raw challenges, and I’ve loved every one. But when it was over, it was over. But committing to high raw/vegan has been a refreshing decision. It isn’t militant or restrictive. I can enjoy my raw meals, but if I want some cooked quinoa or some hummus on a raw cracker, there is nothing stopping me. Right now, this is working. Well. And your submissions are helping me immensely! Just look at some of my favorite submissions from last week.

This gorgeous Cleansing Beet Salad by Kimmy of Rock My Vegan Socks is on my list for next week. Kimmy brilliantly mixes root veggies with arugula and fennel. What a flavor combination!

These Raw Paleo Strawberry Macaroons by Tessa the Domestic Diva are nut-free raw treats that you can feel good about.

This Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse by Dawn of Small Footprint Family is just another reminder that avocado and cacao are the “two great tastes” in the raw foods world.

I ‘ve been inspired to dehydrate fresh mangos for these Raw Mango Energy Bars by Janet of The Taste Space.

And berries, ginger, and beets in a smoothie? Yes! Try this Anti-Inflammatory Berry Good for You Smoothie by Erin of Sift, Stir & Savour.

These Raw Superfood Cookies by Sadie of Sweet Smart Vegan showcase gogi berries which are packed with antioxidants, carotenoids, and over 20 vitamins and minerals. Yes, please!

Just one more sweet treat…can you tell I have a bit of a sweet tooth this week?

Laura’s Wild Orange Chocolate Balls – a delicious combination of two classic flavors.

This week I’m sharing my post about last weekend’s Raw Foods Potluck. There are links to all sorts of amazing raw recipes that you’ll love! What do you have to share?

Here’s how you can participate:

• Simply link up a raw foods recipe (see What is Raw Food?), mention Raw Foods Thursdays, and link back to this post so your readers can join in the fun!
• Please link to the recipe, not to a blog’s home page, so we can all find your raw foods recipe.
• You may link up a recipe that you’ve made in the past. Just make sure to share something different each time you participate.
• Be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you are and what you’re sharing.
• Feel free to use the Raw Foods Thursdays blog badge created by the lovely, talented Heather Peters!

What are Raw Foods Meals?

• Plant-based meals that are not cooked.  Dehydrators may be used no higher than 118 degrees.  (The raw foods community has differing views on temperature, but the range is between 104 and 118 degrees.)
• Raw Ingredients: vegetables, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, gluten-free sprouted grains, beans, and oils.

What isn’t raw?

• Anything cooked above 118.
• Anything processed.  If it comes from a can or a package that lists more than one ingredient, chances are it’s not raw!

Welcome to Raw Foods Thursdays, the place where we share all things raw and delicious. In the last two weeks, I’ve gone back to a high raw vegan diet, so I’m not just looking at your submissions for fun. I am using them to plan my weekly menu!

Apologies, but this is not a typical, “come link up” post. I have a bit to share.

I truly do love eating a plant-based diet. It’s delicious, it resonates with me as an animal lover, and I know that I’m infusing my cells with high-quality, nutrient-dense, pure food. I feel fantastic, and I’m not the only one who has noticed a difference. Just yesterday, the Husband said, “I can tell that you’ve been eating raw. I see it in your face.”

If you’ve followed Gluten-Free Cat for long, you know that my diet has not been able to hold a label. As a Type A rule follower, I desperately want a label that has rules. Just tell me what to eat, and I will follow every detail. But as soon as I try to align myself with one dietary camp, my body seems to rebel. I’ve had two very long stints of vegetarianism. During one of them, I trained and completed my first (and only) marathon. But after each vegetarianism period, I woke up knowing that I had to eat meat that very day. I blame my blood type, Type O, which is the Hunter-Gatherer.

But here I am again, loving my raw/vegan diet, and feeling stronger than ever. I typically teach 4 fitness classes per week on top of my very physical job as a kindergarten teacher. Last week I took on two additional classes and felt just fine. Better than fine. I felt more energetic than I have in a long time. I did need to up my carbs and took pleasure in soaked raw oats and buckwheat groats breakfasts and adding sprouted quinoa to my salads. I feel fantastic, but I just keep waiting for that feeling that I need more protein.

Instead of worrying about when that’s going to happen, I’m going to enjoy. And here are a few things that are going to help me do just that.

Super Duper Raw Power Salad by The Spicy RD (I’ve already made this salad twice. YUM!)

Chocolate Protein Power Bowl by Quincy of Shugurcan (This is soaking in my fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast. Mmmm, sweet dreams!)

Creamy Green Calmer Smoothie by Sandra of Candida Diet (Now a family favorite.)

Raw Pear and Buckwheat Porridge by Alison of Om Nom Ally

Thick Raw Lemon Bars by Lauren of Oatmeal With a Fork

Mango Cucumber Sushi by Ves&Mork

Now it’s your turn. What do you have to share this week?

Here’s how you can participate:

• Simply link up a raw foods recipe (see What is Raw Food?), mention Raw Foods Thursdays, and link back to this post so your readers can join in the fun!
• Please link to the recipe, not to a blog’s home page, so we can all find your raw foods recipe.
• You may link up a recipe that you’ve made in the past. Just make sure to share something different each time you participate.
• Be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you are and what you’re sharing.
• Feel free to use the Raw Foods Thursdays blog badge created by the lovely, talented Heather Peters!

What are Raw Foods Meals?

• Plant-based meals that are not cooked.  Dehydrators may be used no higher than 118 degrees.  (The raw foods community has differing views on temperature, but the range is between 104 and 118 degrees.)
• Raw Ingredients: vegetables, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, gluten-free sprouted grains, beans, and oils.

What isn’t raw?

• Anything cooked above 118.
• Anything processed.  If it comes from a can or a package that lists more than one ingredient, chances are it’s not raw!

Whether you’re a weekly contributor or just stopping by for the first time, welcome! Thank you so much for joining our fun and for spreading the news about Raw Foods Thursdays. The more who link up, the better our opportunity to learn from each other as we plan our meals for the week and experiment with uncooked, plant-based creations. So, please share on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest…or just shout out the window…It’s Raw Foods Thursday!

Seriously now, this raw foods link up party is just 8 months old, and it has taken a while to build. While many of us create delicious, healthy, gluten-free meals on a weekly basis, they aren’t always raw. Weeks may go by when you don’t have anything to share. I get it! But I’m ever so thankful that you keep coming back. Last week we had a whopping 20 submissions!

This week I’m highlighting all of the recipes that I personally made from last week’s Raw Foods Thursdays. I loved every one of them.

Avocado Date Smoothie by Katja of The Savory Lotus

It’s like green pudding!

“Peanut Butter” and Caramel-Filled Chocolate Eggs by Gabby of the veggie nook

Here’s my version:

Yes, they’re all gone now.

Chocolate Raspberry Creme Smoothie by Tessa the Domestic Diva

My birthday breakfast! What a delicious way to start a special day!

And those are just the ones I’ve tried! The rest are pinned on our new Raw Foods Thursdays Pinterest board for later!

What do you have to share this week? I can’t wait to see!

Here’s how you can participate:

• Simply link up a raw foods recipe (see What is Raw Food?), mention Raw Foods Thursdays, and link back to this post so your readers can join in the fun!
• Please link to the recipe, not to a blog’s home page, so we can all find your raw foods recipe.
• You may link up a recipe that you’ve made in the past. Just make sure to share something different each time you participate.
• Be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you are and what you’re sharing.
• Feel free to use the Raw Foods Thursdays blog badge created by the lovely, talented Heather Peters!

What are Raw Foods Meals?

• Plant-based meals that are not cooked.  Dehydrators may be used no higher than 118 degrees.  (The raw foods community has differing views on temperature, but the range is between 104 and 118 degrees.)
• Raw Ingredients: vegetables, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, gluten-free sprouted grains, beans, and oils.

What isn’t raw?

• Anything cooked above 118.
• Anything processed.  If it comes from a can or a package that lists more than one ingredient, chances are it’s not raw!

Welcome back to Raw Foods Thursdays! Remember, this weekly event is for beginners and raw experts alike. Whether you are a raw foodie or you are just interested in adding more plant-based nutrients to your diet, there is so much that we can learn from each other. I appreciate each and every one of your submissions and comments. Thank you for your participation!

Here are some of the articles that I learned from last week.

Check out this fantastic tutorial on sprouting by Mellow of A Life Unprocessed.

Love sushi? Want to make it raw? Try this Sunflower Sushi by Betty Rawker. Her sunflower seed-based “rice” looks wonderful!

These Lemon Hemp Bites by Davida of The Healthy Maven look delicious. But check out her posts about  the nutritional benefits of three of our favorite raw seeds: hemp, flax, and chia. I hope you’ll learn as much as I did!

This week I’m linking up two of my St. Patrick’s Day inspirations:

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Raw Spicy Garden Soup

What do you have to share?

Here’s how you can participate:

• Simply link up a raw foods recipe (see What is Raw Food?), mention Raw Foods Thursdays, and link back to this post so your readers can join in the fun!
• Please link to the recipe, not to a blog’s home page, so we can all find your raw foods recipe.
• You may link up a recipe that you’ve made in the past. Just make sure to share something different each time you participate.
• Be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you are and what you’re sharing.
• Feel free to use the Raw Foods Thursdays blog badge created by the lovely, talented Heather Peters!

What are Raw Foods Meals?

• Plant-based meals that are not cooked.  Dehydrators may be used no higher than 118 degrees.  (The raw foods community has differing views on temperature, but the range is between 104 and 118 degrees.)
• Raw Ingredients: vegetables, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, gluten-free sprouted grains, beans, and oils.

What isn’t raw?

• Anything cooked above 118.
• Anything processed.  If it comes from a can or a package that lists more than one ingredient, chances are it’s not raw!