A diet that is high in plant foods tends to offer up plenty of heath benefits, but if you aren’t eating your fair share of raw food you are missing out. But this doesn’t mean that you have to turn yourself into a raw food guru or commit yourself to a life without anything cooked. In fact, implementing a healthy balance between raw and cooked is a great way to fill yourself up and take advantage of everything good nutrition has to offer.

Don’t worry about including so-called “superfoods” into your diet in hopes of upping the ante in the health department, because the truth is that you can consider all raw food are superfoods, and for a few good reasons. So feel free to choose the fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that you love and leave the rest alone.


Here are five reasons simple raw foods are your superfoods:

1. They’re Very Cleansing

Raw food is filled with fresh water to help cleanse the toxins that might be lurking in your blood and gut. Raw food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, also have tons of fiber that sucks up impurities in the body and eliminates it for good. And because fresh fruits and veggies offer up so much energy for your body to use, you’re more likely to exercise regularly which also helps to cleanse the body through your lymphatic system, which can’t function properly without plenty of body movement.

Great way to really cleanse your body is to add at least one juice a day when possible. Something perky like a cranberry apple detox juice is the perfect way to start and energy-driven day. A “not your average carrot juice” makes a great snack to hold you over until your next meal.

2. They’re Nutrient Dense

Raw fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that you can’t find in cooked foods because heat tends to destroy some of the nutrients within them. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the ultimate multivitamins that will keep you strong and healthy for a lifetime. For the best nutrition benefits, include fresh foods with each meal within your day whenever possible. Sides of fruit, salads, and crudités as appetizers are all great options.


You can also create salads that incorporate cooked foods into them so you get all the nutrient benefits of fresh produce without sacrificing the comforting feeling you enjoy when eating your meal at the end of the day. Try a curried kale and quinoa salad, or a protein packed option featuring chickpeas, lime, and cilantro.

3. They Help Fight Disease

Because of all the nutrients, water, and fiber found in raw foods, they do a great job of fighting diseases of all types. There are a myriad of people who have healed everything from cancer to diabetes with the help of raw foods. Consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is the most effective ways to prevent the occurrence of diseases so you don’t ever have to face the challenge of trying to get rid of any disease later down the line. And focusing on fresh raw produce leaves a lot less room for the bad stuff that might find its way into your diet from time to time. In today’s world where more than 70-percent of many peoples’ diets are made up of processed foods, it is more important than ever to embrace the superpowers of fresh, ripe, whole fruits and vegetables.

4. They Come From Nature

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most natural food in the world for us human beings. We happen to thrive on their nutrition, and they help us to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle which is crucial for our overall wellbeing. Whether it’s a goji berry, cacao pod, dandelion greens, or mangoes, anything made by Mother Nature is sure to make its way into the superfood category.

5. They Taste Fantastic!

Fresh fruits and veggies naturally taste great so that we will be inclined to include them into the bulk of our diets. Granted, today’s processed food is created to taste even better than the natural foods that we’re meant to eat, so it will take a little time to appreciate the true flavor and texture of fresh fruits and vegetables if you aren’t used to enjoying them at every meal. But once your taste buds and body adapts to the natural benefits and flavors of raw food, it is easy to understand why they can all be considered superfoods.


Don’t get caught up in the all the fads and trends of “superfoods.” All the superfoods you need at located right in the produce isle at your local grocery store. Pick the foods you love the flavor and texture of, and enjoy them as often as possible!

Lead Image Source: Summer Berry Vanilla Cream Tarts/Flickr