Four Tips for Hosting Your Own Raw Food Party
In a world where you’re constantly surrounded by fried and fattening temptations, gathering with others who are devoted to a raw food diet (or will at least pretend to be for a night) can be a fun and therapeutic way to stick to your goals while indulging in delectable dishes. Although the benefits gained from a raw food party are easy to see, it doesn’t come without a few challenges. To make sure your own event goes smoothly, consider the following tips to be a successful host at your next raw food party.
1. Plan for Everyone
When entertaining any large group of people, you have to make sure you have plenty of supplies and an organized itinerary to accommodate everyone who attends. Create a guest list and strive to get confirmations from each invited guest so you can plan accordingly. Make sure you have any necessary catering equipment for dealing with large crowds, utensils and other food handling supplies. Although you’ll most likely want to include a large variety of different dishes, you’ll need to shoot for the same amount of servings in each. This may limit the amount of dishes you can reasonably make. It’s unlikely that every guest will try every dish available, but you should assume they will so you can avoid leaving anyone out.
2. Keep the Food Fresh
Every adamant raw food-eater knows that raw foods tend to spoil much quicker than non-perishable food items, which can be a concern when you’re buying in bulk for a party. One way you can keep foods fresh is by storing fruits and vegetables in air-tight bags and/or plastic containers when placing them in the refrigerator. For fruits like bananas, strawberries and blueberries, you can also try freezing them until the day of the party to maintain freshness. During the party, consider decorative plastic coverings for the dishes to prevent exposure as much as possible.
3. Choose Dishes with Similar Ingredients
If you’re short on space and want to avoid racking up a huge grocery bill, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and blogger Gena recommends looking specifically for dishes that share ingredients. For example, if you are making a special avocado cumin dressing, look for another simple guacamole dish to double up on your ingredients. This not only saves you time and money, but maintains harmony in the stomach.
4. Focus on the Familiar
There’s a good chance that the majority of your guests won’t be well-acquainted with a raw food diet. You’ll want to avoid intimidating newcomers with odd-sounding dishes like seaweed soup and buckwheat bread, and instead stick to foods they’re familiar with like guacamole with romaine lettuce leaves and zucchini “pasta” with marinara sauce. Choosing simple and familiar foods will avoid alienating those who are used to cooked foods, which can encourage more raw food eating for people who may not have the guts to go all the way.
Society doesn’t always make it easy to maintain a healthy raw food diet, despite the fact that research proves that certain cooking methods can often remove important nutrients and enzymes from foods. Even if you don’t end up converting any of your friends to your health-conscious lifestyle, throwing a raw food party can give you the opportunity to celebrate healthy eating habits and gain the support of your friends for your difficult dieting choices.
References:
Gena. (2009, July 26). Raw Foods Tutorial: The Raw Cocktail Party. Retrieved April 18, 2012,
YouTube. (2010, April 19). How to Keep Raw Foods Fresh. Retrieved April 18, 2012,
Lund, G. (2011, April 4). Raw Food Diet– How to Transition from Cooked to Raw Food. Retrieved April 18, 2012,
Bio: Felicia enjoys browsing catering equipment online while prepping for her next raw foods party. She’s an advocate among her friends and family for raw foods.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhritz/
