Clean, Green Eating

Well as I said Will and I are working on including more raw foods in our diet with the goal, certainly in my case (and I do the cooking!) to eating almost entirely raw. The benefits of a raw vegan diet seem endless from improved energy level, hormonal function, circulation and properly functioning metabolism, as well as added superficial bonuses like clearer skin, shiner hair, and optimum weight. Sounds good to me! What I am concerned about it finding the right combination of foods to ensure that not only are we eating enough, and enough of the right things, but that we aren't relying on loads of imported food that are inappropriate for people living in our climate, for example high sugar, high carb raw food diets that feature heavily tropical fruits like bananas and papayas.
So, as I said in a previous post I am planning on growing as much veg as I practically can with the time, space and resources I have available to me. I have also done a little bit of research into what the best, greenest kind of vegetables to eat would be, and here is a list of my stars:

Potatoes - Now, obviously you don't eat potatoes raw. I suppose you could, but nobody would really enjoy that. However, when we are not eating completely raw meals potatoes seem a good vegetable to introduce. Will and I haven't eaten potatoes now for at least a year because we have avoided nightshades, however they are hard to ignore as an eco friendly option because despite being a tropical food they grow very very well here. They require a relatively small amount of water and fertiliser to grow and they are efficient at warding off pests themselves. So, while we are not 100% raw - and we may never be - potatoes are making a big comeback.
Apples and pears - Okay, not all year 'round, but apples and pears grow in the UK! Again compared to a lot of tropical fruits they take a very moderate amount of water to grow and they are easy enough to find organic in most supermarkets. Even better, we have our own mature apple tree, and have planted a pear this year as well - how's that for local?
Onions - It seems to me that if it tastes horrible it's generally relatively safe from pests. Onions are another one that require relatively little in the way of pest maintenance because they have their own defenses. Again, for a lot of the year it is easy to find onions that are both organic and grown in the UK, and for the rest of the year grown in western Europe.
Broccoli - Hurrah! Not only is broccoli good at fighting off the nasties, including cancers, in your body, it is also efficient at defending itself. Add that to the myriad of health benefits from eating broccoli and you're onto a winner. Another veg that is frequently available in supermarkets grown in the UK, and western Europe when not.
Beans - Another hurrah! Ditch the meat and eat more beans and you're already doing good. If you stick to beans that grow well in our climate, even better in your own garden, then they'e another nutritional star. And if anyone tried to convince you that bean eating vegans are more damaging to the environment than cows because of all of the methane they produce, feel free to catapult dried chickpeas at them.

Ivy is awake so that's my cue to call it a day - potatoes for dinner I think!