So I think it was about time we just had an easy day. With Pat heading off for some of his work (well that’s the reason we are here in the first place), Manus and I headed off to the local Whole Foods in search of some more GREEN JUICE!!!

Manus enjoying a Lara bar in the background.

And spent at least an hour in the store, just pouring over their goodies:

KOMBUCHA!!! Every flavour you can think of.

Raw snacks like cakes and cookies and kim chi.

And a whole dry stores section dedicated to RAW FOOD.

This is what I walked out with but not limited to:

Although not raw, this vegan cheese makes awesome pizza topping, which will be making it’s way in my suitcase back to Saudi. Not very nice raw but yummy melted just like Kristen’s mum made for me on my last visit to her in Arizona here  (Whole Foods Long Beach even have a pizza bar where you can get made to order vegan pizza – ok it’s not the healthiest but nice to have vegan junk food options when the need arises).

Raw cheesecake

Salad bar complete with kale tangerine salad (YUMMO) and vegan egg salad made with tofu instead.

Organic & dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Reese’s eat your heart out!

Coconut water – great for hydrating and electrolytes however better if you can crack open your own coconut as this packaged stuff is pasteurised

Seriously. This tart is heavenly. I ordered these for my passengers in private flying days, 2 years ago, on a trip to Houston and they didn’t eat them all, so of course I took them home and shared them with friends – and myself They were amazing and remind me of Mint Slices – an Australian chocolate covered cookie/biscuit.

And some dairy free (but not raw nor sugar free) yoghurts to check out. I am determined to make my own version of almond milk yoghurt when I get back to Saudi. I have made my own coconut yoghurt plenty of times before, you can see my recipe here

LET’S CHAT

Even though I am going a little crazy (good crazy) with all the raw packaged foods that are a plenty here, as well as the gourmet raw and vegan restaurants, I just wanted to have a little chat about my style of eating raw.

Most raw foodies will agree, that it is very exciting to be in a location where raw food is recognised and there are plenty of options both for eating out and convenience snacks like lara bars and hail merry macaroons for example, however if I lived here full time, I would be making more of my own foods, and more simple raw foods. I would most definitely be taking advantage of the beautiful and organic produce that is aplenty here in California, and using these packaged and take out foods as treats.

I know that when I feel really loaded up with heavily processed and cooked foods, all I usually crave is a crisp apple or a green juice or smoothie, so as much as it feels that some parts of the world are lacking the amounts of choices I am showing you available in LA, it is nice to make your own food and know EXACTLY what is going into it.

People ask me all the time, where can they buy raw food in their part of the world, and I say, right where you buy your fruits and vegetables. Sure it is nice to have pre made raw cakes and drinks, but raw food at its finest is as nature intended.

I wrote more about being gourmet or simple raw foodie here.

But or course, it is nice to be treated to someone else’s ‘un’ cooking for a change

Your thoughts?