SCampillo
Interested in a 21-Day raw food cleanse meal plan? Well, you have come to the right place!
I have been living a raw lifestyle for the past 10 years and have no regrets. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined eating a raw food diet that was all plant-based.
As it is, I already thought I was living a healthy lifestyle. Little did I know, I was so far from it.
It wasn’t up until I decided to become a certified holistic nutrition and natural health practitioner that I realized the truth about cooked foods and what truly goes on behind the plate.
Needless to say, transitioning was a no-brainer!
Just like you, I came from a meat-eating, cheese-loving lifestyle so it wasn’t easy. But as I learned more about living raw vegan and eating a raw food diet, I knew I needed to do some major shifting.
And I am beyond grateful I did.
I was able to clear my skin from recurring acne and acne scars, heal my sciatica and back problems, increase my energy levels, and most importantly, embarked on a journey that has changed my life in the best way possible.
This lifestyle has been a Godsend and I can’t recommend it enough.
Living a raw vegan lifestyle is more than just your eating habits. It’s a healing journey of the mind, body, and spirit. This means taking care of the whole body and not expecting there to be a magic pill that will do it for you.
But we all have to start somewhere, right?
Experiencing a 21-day raw food diet plan is a great way to get started.
Get ready to fuel your body with 21 days of healthy, delicious, fresh foods that are going to make you feel amazing!
In order to make your cleanse a success, you’re going to need essential kitchen tools. Some you may already have and others you may need to invest in or borrow from a friend.
Most of the raw vegan recipes in this cleanse are going to require a high-speed blender, a juicer, and a food processor to make tasty, delicious vegan meals.
Without them, it’ll be hard to fully make it work without getting discouraged.
If you don’t have these tools or are unable to invest in them at this time, ask friends or family before starting the cleanse if they would be willing to let you borrow theirs if they have what you need. It will make your life and cleanse a whole lot easier!
The following are tools I use for this cleanse and for my raw food recipes in general. I would highly recommend investing in them if you don’t already own them. Especially if you intend on transitioning to the raw food diet or incorporating more raw foods into your life.
Kitchen tools you will need –
- cutting board
- sharp knives
- high-speed blender
- food processor
- juicer
- veggie spiralizer (optional)
- mandoline slicer
- vegetable peeler
- measuring spoons and cups
- 32oz mason jars
- non-plastic storage containers
- small and large bowls
Now on to the food!
Raw Vegan Grocery List
Planning ahead and preparing for your meal plan in advance is going to be critical to your success in this raw vegan 21-day cleanse.
Shopping lists are an integral part of the raw food planning process so putting your list together before going on your grocery store trip, will ensure you don’t forget a thing.
Additionally, you should have weekly shopping lists ready to go so you save time and buy only what the recipes require. Make sure to buy organic ingredients when possible.
Keep in mind that the key to a healthy and successful food shopping trip is to know beforehand what it is that you are there to get.
Go through the recipes to plan out your weekly meals. Then, write up your shopping lists with all the ingredients you will need. This way when you get to the grocery store you go directly to the items you need and keep from deviating.
Can I find all of the ingredients I need at the grocery store?
Yes. You can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store or farmers market.
If for some reason, you have a hard time finding some ingredients, opt for whatever is available. Feel free to also modify recipes as you like.
Raw Food Cleanse Recipes
All recipes in this cleanse are 100% raw plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and are intended to provide you with nutrient-dense whole-body nutrition.
Recipes are easy to prepare and will not require you to cook. Best of all, they are delicious!
It won’t be long before you feel a difference in your health and at the end of the 21 days, you are going to feel amazing!
Will the recipes satisfy my hunger and give me all the nutrients I need eating raw foods?
Absolutely. Raw food is extremely rich in nutrients. It’s not only healthy but essential for the body to fully thrive and heal.
Following the cleanse accordingly will ensure you are always full and fueled with more energy than ever before.
Rest assured you will not be hungry and will be feeling great before you know it!
Benefits of a Raw Food Cleanse
This raw food cleanse will allow you to experience the benefits of a true healthy lifestyle. Additionally, your whole body will feel the difference. Plus, you will also experience healthy weight loss in the process.
So what are some of these benefits?
This raw vegan cleanse will help you –
- eliminate toxins
- reduce blood pressure
- increase energy levels
- help you lose weight
- improve skin tone
- sleep better
And so much more.
Prepare Yourself for Detox
You will need to start preparing your body for detox 1 week before you begin the cleanse.
The next 21 days of detox are going to be greatly beneficial and cleansing to your body as you begin to incorporate more raw food into your diet.
As stated in the disclaimer, you may or may not experience high or moderate detox symptoms as you move forward in the cleanse, depending on the level of acid and toxicity in your body.
This is all perfectly normal and occurs when the body begins to cleanse itself.
The reason for this is that the body is dumping toxins into the bloodstream faster than the body can push them out. It’s important to recognize these symptoms, breathe through them, allow yourself plenty of rest time, and stay hydrated.
Symptoms usually last 3-4 days for most people. If you feel you are experiencing symptoms that are worse than the symptoms listed please contact your primary care physician.
Before jumping into your raw vegan meal plan and cleanse, you’ll want to start cutting back on the low-energy foods that are weighing you down at least 7 days prior to your starting point.
These foods include:
- animal products
- processed food
- cooked food
- junk food
This will help make the transition a lot smoother and minimize some of the detox symptoms you may experience.
I encourage you to partner with a friend (or two!) to help keep each other motivated and push through to the end. It will make a big difference in your progress.
There is tremendous power in teamwork so the more the merrier.
21-Day Raw Food Cleanse Meal Plan
This raw food diet plan and vegetarian cleanse is a 21-day detox that consists of nutrient-dense raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds – all naturally gluten-free.
You can also use it as a guide should you decide to continue with a raw vegan lifestyle.
Let’s get started!
Days 1-7: Smoothies and Salads
In the first week, you’ll be easing into detox mode with all raw living food both in liquid and solid form. This is important in order to allow the body to adjust, accept raw, plant-based foods successfully, and eliminate the cravings for junk foods.
Sample Meal Plan
BREAKFAST: Fruit Smoothie
2 cups fresh fully ripe pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 fresh fully ripe mango
1/4 cup goji berries (optional)
1/2 cup of 100% coconut water (or distilled water)
LUNCH: Green Smoothie
2 cups fresh organic spinach
3 ripe bananas (speckled)
1 ripe mango
1-2 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup 100% coconut water (or distilled water)
DINNER: Cabbage/Veggies Salad
3 cups shredded cabbage (purple, green, or both)
1-2 cups romaine lettuce
1 large carrot, shredded
1 small cucumber, diced
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 small avocado, sliced
DRESSING:
Juice of one lime
Juice of 1/2 sweet orange
Mix well and pour over the salad
Days 8-10: Juice Fast
The second week will start off with 3 days of juicing to rest the digestive system and allow your body to continue pushing out toxins with ease. During this healing process, you will instantly be drenching the cells with abundant nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
On the 4th day, you will proceed with a 16/8 intermittent fast to help boost your body’s ability to heal, cleanse, and maximize nutrient absorption.
For the last 3 days, you will incorporate smoothies and mono-meals to continue boosting the cleansing process and recharge your digestive health. This will help alleviate bloating, gassiness, and fuel your energy reserves.
Meal Plan
BREAKFAST: 1 grapefruit, 3 oranges, 1 lemon.
LUNCH: 1 head of romaine, 1 cucumber, 6 stalks of celery, 1 lemon, 1-2 green apples (depending on desired sweetness).
DINNER: Handful of cilantro, a handful of parsley, 3 kale leaves w/stems, 6 carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 small beet, 1 lime, 1 red apple
Alternative Option: If you don’t have a juicer, blend 1 medium-large watermelon per day – This will be a watermelon fast which is also extremely nourishing and alkalizing.
These will be the same for all 3 days.
Your body is your temple. Keep it pure, clean, and well-nourished. It's the only place you have to live.
Day 11: Intermittent Fast
This type of fast is most commonly done daily for a period of 7 days, which usually also consists of a 24-hour fast; some do it longer.
One of the best ways to start intermittent fasting is to do it once a week and gradually increase it to 7 days. But for the purpose of this detox, we will be doing it for one day to introduce you to how it works and boost the detoxification process even further.
Some of the benefits of this fast include:
- reducing the risk of cancer and disease
- cleansing and detoxifying the mind, body, and spirit
- boosting weight loss
- increasing energy
- boosting mental clarity
An added benefit is that it eliminates the stress of having to prepare an additional meal.
For today’s meal plan, you will have two meals within an 8-hour period; then, proceed with a 16-hour fast.
So, for instance, if you eat breakfast at 6 a.m., you will stop eating at 2 p.m. If at 7 am, you will stop at 3 pm, and so on… You decide the schedule that works best for you.
During this fast, you will only eat 2 full meals, so make sure they are filling!
Meal Plan
BREAKFAST: Fruit smoothie or fruit bowl.
For a fruit smoothie you can combine 1/2 pineapple, 1 apple or pear, 2 cups of frozen blueberries, 1 cup frozen jackfruit, 1/2-1 cup 100% coconut water
For a fruit bowl, you can combine 3 mangoes (diced), 1 cup fresh blueberries, 1 cup strawberries (sliced)
LUNCH: Green smoothie. Make this one your own. You can select from one of the Raw & Alive recipes or create your own.
DINNER: 16-hour fasting period
*Image Credit: Women’s Health Mag
Days 12-14: Mono-Meals and Smoothies
For the next 3 days and the remainder of the week, you’ll be eating mono-meals and drinking smoothies. Mono-meals consist of the consumption of one single fruit and are another effective way to eliminate toxins and keep your organs from overworking.
This combination of smoothies and mono-meals will continue to optimize digestion and fuel your energy reserves allowing your body to feel alive!
Meal Plan
BREAKFAST: Fruit bowl. Choose a single fresh fruit of your choice and eat as much as you’d like until you’re fully satiated. If feeling hungry after 2-3 hours, eat another mono-meal.
Melons and mangos make great mono-meal options!
LUNCH: Fruit bowl. Choose a single fresh fruit of your choice and eat as much as you’d like until you’re fully satiated. If hungry after 2-3 hours, eat another mono-meal.
DINNER: Green smoothie. Choose 3 fruits and 2 cups of leafy greens of your choice. If desired, you can try my all-time favorite below.
Ingredients: 4 bananas, 1 avocado, 1-2 Medjool dates (pitted), 1/4 cup raisins, 3 cups of spinach, 2 tbsp cacao nibs, 1 cup distilled water.
Instructions: Blend all ingredients until smooth (except cacao nibs). Then, add in cacao nibs and blend on medium for about 25 seconds. Enjoy!
Days 15-21: Smoothies and Salads
This is the third and final week of your cleanse and detox. By now you should be feeling your body full of life and energy.
The next 7 days will be similar to the first week.
You will re-introduce solids to help your body readjust and ease out of detox mode. You will also continue to incorporate smoothies to proceed with the body’s revitalization process.
For this last week, you can use the same recipes from days 1-7, choose from the other cleanse recipes, or use them as a guide to create your own.
Eating raw food is a daily detox. Have fun getting creative with recipes as you create an abundantly thriving, healthy lifestyle!
21-Day Jumpstart Detox Program
Raw Food Diet: Foods to Avoid
If you decide you want to continue with the raw food diet and vegan lifestyle, it’s important to note that just because something is vegan and plant-based, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
A raw, plant-based diet is for health and a vegan diet is strictly for the animals. I explain these differences in my YouTube video.
Unprocessed real food such as raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are all healthy food and what a raw vegan diet consists of.
Foods to Avoid on a Raw Food Diet:
- Cooked and processed foods
- Animal products
- Refined sugars and sweeteners
- Refined grains and flours
- Processed oils
- Caffeine and alcohol
Raw Food Diet Benefits
The raw food diet offers amazing benefits. It helps reduce the chance of developing illnesses and diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and many others.
It also helps to balance the body’s acid-alkaline levels. When the body is acidic, it weakens the immune system and puts it at risk for developing Acidosis which in turn reduces the oxygen levels in the blood.
Oxygen is essential for heart and brain function. Without it, can lead to dangerous health complications. So, eating raw alkaline, plant-based raw food helps to restore an acid/alkaline balance and minimizes the risk of Acidosis.
Who is the Raw Food Diet Good For?
The raw food diet is good for anyone who wants to create a true healthy lifestyle. And while raw food meal plans are not a requirement, when you’re starting out, it will help to have a meal plan to follow for guidance.
Once you become a pro at creating your own recipes, you won’t need raw food meal plans to determine what you eat. Eventually, eating raw will become second nature!
What to Do When You Feel Like Reverting Back to The Standard American Diet
As you start out, there will be times when you will feel like “cheating” or falling for temptations that were once a part of your life’s conditioning. Plus, it’s what you’ve kept in your ‘eating’ repertoire for years. That’s natural.
That’s when you have to remind yourself of ‘why’ you decided to embark on this journey in the first place. When your reasons are strong enough, you will push through the weakness and regain momentum.
After a while, these weak moments will become less and less.
Here’s a YouTube video I created on how to transition to a raw food lifestyle to give you a better understanding of what I mean.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to eat 100% raw foods and follow the cleanse perfectly to see results?
The cleanse does not require “perfection” but it does require eating 100% raw food in order to reap the rewards of this detox. The consumption of raw food is cleansing and will allow the body to detoxify from toxins and acid build-up.
What if I don’t have a lot of cooking experience?
It’s okay. Cooking won’t be necessary during the cleanse or in living on a raw food diet. In fact, it’s super easy and all you have to do is prepare your meals versus cooking it.
How much weight can you lose on raw food diet?
Weight loss can vary depending on the person as well as several different factors such as your metabolism, intake of calories, and activity level among other variables.
However, some can experience losing 4-15 LBS in one month while others can potentially lose up to 30 LBS.
Personally, when I first embarked on my raw vegan journey, it took me 1-2 weeks to lose the 5 lbs I tried years to lose but never could. That’s when I knew that the key was eating wholesome raw foods.
Is eating raw good for losing weight?
Absolutely. It’s the way to go 100%!
Weight loss can come quickly and easily on a raw diet but it’s important to eat a sufficient amount of raw foods to lose healthy weight while nourishing your body at the same time.
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Sandra Campillo
Sandra Campillo is an eco, vegan lifestyle and travel blogger and entrepreneur. Join Sandra and her community of readers on SandraCampillo.com to learn how to live a healthier, more sustainable, and compassionate way of life while creating a passive income lifestyle.
