For the average person, a raw foods diet is drastically different from what he or she is used to eating. When it comes time to figure out exactly what you are going to eat during a Dherbs cleanse, the lack of familiarity with this diet can incite panic and fear. People think about adding cheese, meat, croutons, or processed dressings to salads, for example, but these ingredients are not allowed. Those are the ingredients that negate all of the health benefits of a salad. In order to provide assistance and ideas during your raw food journey, we have outlined what you can and cannot have in your salads while cleansing. If you have any other questions that aren’t answered here, please feel free to call us, chat with us, or email us.
What Kind of Lettuce Should I Use?
We advise using romaine, green leaf, red leaf, or butter lettuce varieties as your salad bases; you can also use spring mixed greens as the base for your salad. These kinds of leafy greens contain more chlorophyll and nutrients in them compared to iceberg lettuce, which should never be eaten. Iceberg lettuce is grafted, meaning man-made! The origin of the name is due to the fact that it was made to grow in and withstand cold weather, even snow. Iceberg lettuce contains no nutrients whatsoever.
What Vegetables Can I Add To My Salad?
As long as the vegetables are raw, you can add whatever you like to the salad. You can add things like spinach, carrots, radish slices, parsley, cilantro, red or green cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, celery, kale, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli. Be inventive with your flavor combinations. If you are strict in regards to not eating grafted foods, avoid eating carrots. Unless you buy organic, however, acknowledge that most fruits and vegetables in the United States today are grafted. So if this is important to you, you may need to start growing your own vegetables. If you want more information about vegetables you can eat, click here.
What Fruits Can I Add To My Salad?
When it comes to mixing fruits with vegetables, you don’t need to be too strict, unless of course you have a sensitive digestive system. If you experience digestive discomfort when you combine certain fruits and vegetables, please refer to the food combining chart. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados are commonly exempt from this “fruits can’t be combined with vegetables” rule. The best tomatoes to use in your salad are organic Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or vine tomatoes. Make sure your cucumbers are not waxed. If they are, cut off the outer skin before slicing them. Look for organic cucumbers and organic Persian cucumbers. Note that if you are having a fruit salad, refer to the food combining chart.
Can I Add Olives Or Jarred Vegetables/Fruits To My Salad?
No. Even though a lot of salads, especially at restaurants, have olives, pepperocinis (banana peppers), artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers, these are not allowed on salads while you are cleansing. They contain preservatives and other ingredients that are not cleanse approved.
Can I Add Nuts, Seeds, Beans, and Legumes To My Salad?
You can add raw nuts and seeds to your salad, but you cannot add beans and legumes. You’ll increase your protein intake when you add things like raw sunflower seeds, raw pecans, raw walnuts, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sesame seeds, or raw cashews to your salads.
Can I Add Vegan or Vegetarian Cheese To My Salad?
No. Not in your salad while detoxing or performing a cleanse. Vegan and vegetarian cheeses are processed and therefore not classified as raw. One thing that you can add to salad dressings is nutritional yeast, which gives the dressing a cheesy flavor. It is also a great source of folate and vitamin B12. Try our cleanse approved cashew Caesar dressing to see what we’re talking about.
Can I Add Eggs To My Salad?
No. Eggs are not raw and they are derived from chickens. One reason for detoxing is to remove animal products from your system, provided you consumed animal products prior to cleansing. If you’re craving protein, there’s protein in green vegetables, certain fruits, and nuts and sees, all of which you can add to your salads.
Can I Add Salad Dressing To My Salad?
You are not only bound to making the sample dressing that we provide in the instructional booklet that comes with your cleanse. There are a lot of salad dressings that you can make. In fact, you can visit this recipe section to see a variety of dressings that give your salads new life. If you frequent health food stores, you may discover that certain brands like Bragg make raw salads dressings.
Can I use Herbal Seasoning or Spices on My Salad?
Of course, and we encourage it! Herbal seasonings are made from herbs, but read the ingredients on the label if you are purchasing an herb blend or special seasoning. While you cannot use regular table salt, you can season your dressings with sea salt or Himalaya pink salt. And coconut aminos make for a great salad dressing addition if you are trying to achieve some Asian flavors. Don’t use soy sauce!
Can I Add Croutons To My Salad?
No. Croutons are comprised of refined grains and they are processed. Avoid them. That is all.
Can I Add Vegan Bacon Bits To My Salad?
No. Vegan versions of Bacon Bits (“Un-Bacon Bits”) are processed and not raw. Avoid them while on your cleanse.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
