What do you think?
Rate this book
Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body
Raw snacks are nature’s original fast foods — easy to prepare, delicious, and bursting with the ingredients you need to stay healthy and energized on even the busiest days. Stephanie Tourles offers 125 simple recipes for mouthwatering trail mixes, smoothies, energy bars, juice blends, vegetable chips, cookies, and more. Made from unprocessed whole foods like nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains, each of these snacks contain fewer than 250 calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and enzymes.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2009
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 25, 2016
This book has a lot of clean recipes in it. The first part of the book is a thorough explanation of all the different ingredients you would use or the different items you would need to prepare the different snacks in the book. Tourles breaks down the book into different types of foods - i.e. smoothies, bars, soups, etc.
Worth checking out if you are into eating healthier.
Worth checking out if you are into eating healthier.
September 6, 2014
I bought this on a whim on amazon last month for $3 as a kindle deal of the month. I'm glad I did.
So here's the deal: the last two years I've started getting really passionate about being healthy. I've always had weird health problems that are all unexplainable to the medical community (chronic fatigue, morning nausea, joint pain, etc. etc.). I thought I might be celiac and tried eating that way and felt better, my test came back negative, though. Two years ago D's cousin who owns a health store in UT put us on a whole body cleanse with a 3 month diet of ONLY vegetables and lean meats. All of a sudden I had energy coming out of my ears, I was happy and all of my other health problems went away.
That lead to essential oils and clean eating and learning about low-GI . . . and then we moved and I got a job working full time and it all went out the window. I did my best to cut out processed foods and slowly increase the amount of vegetables we ate each day. Under the influence of an awesome friend who started eating vegan I started green smoothies. I was very interested in never purchasing processed foods and going whole-foodist. I've heard about the raw-foodists and see them at the farmer's markets and I know they have good, healthy food - but this was my first time researching and taking a gander for myself.
This is a really good intro book. She goes over the basics of WHY someone would NOT cook their food and the benefits, as well as simple raw snacks, kitchen equipment, and pantry basics. The rest of the book is split into recipes for: Milks/Shakes/Smoothies, Juices, Energy Bars/Balls/Bites, Trail Mixes, Cereals & Parfaits, Veggie Chips/Dips/Spreads, Cold Soups, and Candy/Cookies. Just to give you and idea of all the ways you can incorporate RAW foods into your diet.
My favorite example of why to eat raw foods is when she was talking about nuts/seeds and she was talking about the importance of buying them RAW not Roasted - and she mentioned how just roasting it does more than just make it crunchier and yummier. If you plant a raw seed it grows, if you plant a roasted nut/seed, it will rot in the ground. Roasting changes its composition and removes the live enzymes.
The other reason I gave the book such a high rating (in addition to the information) is I love the author's attitude. She eats about 75% vegan including about 60% raw foods. The rest she uses local farm products. I've found that foodies and people who self-identify as an -ist tend to be a particularly passionate bunch - about what they and everyone else should be eating. The author includes some un-raw ingredients (natural peanut butter for one, with appropriate raw substitutes) in her recipes with the given that, come on, as a mom you have kids and a husband who need to be coaxed along the path at times to make the journey with you. She's very much a 'find a balance of what you want to eat and what works for you and go with it'.
Because it can be overwhelming trying to change how your family eats. And this gave me reassurance that I can go baby steps and that I don't have to be an -ist to enjoy RAW foods and start to be more healthy.
ps - looking forward to saving up for the baby steps of a processor, juicer, dehydrator, and vitamix. I think I'm going to have fun having the time as a SAHM to try this stuff out.
pps - get the paperback, this is one cookbook I'll want to have out quite a bit. kindle makes it a bit more difficult.
ppps - remember, be just a little healthier today than you were the day before :-)
So here's the deal: the last two years I've started getting really passionate about being healthy. I've always had weird health problems that are all unexplainable to the medical community (chronic fatigue, morning nausea, joint pain, etc. etc.). I thought I might be celiac and tried eating that way and felt better, my test came back negative, though. Two years ago D's cousin who owns a health store in UT put us on a whole body cleanse with a 3 month diet of ONLY vegetables and lean meats. All of a sudden I had energy coming out of my ears, I was happy and all of my other health problems went away.
That lead to essential oils and clean eating and learning about low-GI . . . and then we moved and I got a job working full time and it all went out the window. I did my best to cut out processed foods and slowly increase the amount of vegetables we ate each day. Under the influence of an awesome friend who started eating vegan I started green smoothies. I was very interested in never purchasing processed foods and going whole-foodist. I've heard about the raw-foodists and see them at the farmer's markets and I know they have good, healthy food - but this was my first time researching and taking a gander for myself.
This is a really good intro book. She goes over the basics of WHY someone would NOT cook their food and the benefits, as well as simple raw snacks, kitchen equipment, and pantry basics. The rest of the book is split into recipes for: Milks/Shakes/Smoothies, Juices, Energy Bars/Balls/Bites, Trail Mixes, Cereals & Parfaits, Veggie Chips/Dips/Spreads, Cold Soups, and Candy/Cookies. Just to give you and idea of all the ways you can incorporate RAW foods into your diet.
My favorite example of why to eat raw foods is when she was talking about nuts/seeds and she was talking about the importance of buying them RAW not Roasted - and she mentioned how just roasting it does more than just make it crunchier and yummier. If you plant a raw seed it grows, if you plant a roasted nut/seed, it will rot in the ground. Roasting changes its composition and removes the live enzymes.
The other reason I gave the book such a high rating (in addition to the information) is I love the author's attitude. She eats about 75% vegan including about 60% raw foods. The rest she uses local farm products. I've found that foodies and people who self-identify as an -ist tend to be a particularly passionate bunch - about what they and everyone else should be eating. The author includes some un-raw ingredients (natural peanut butter for one, with appropriate raw substitutes) in her recipes with the given that, come on, as a mom you have kids and a husband who need to be coaxed along the path at times to make the journey with you. She's very much a 'find a balance of what you want to eat and what works for you and go with it'.
Because it can be overwhelming trying to change how your family eats. And this gave me reassurance that I can go baby steps and that I don't have to be an -ist to enjoy RAW foods and start to be more healthy.
ps - looking forward to saving up for the baby steps of a processor, juicer, dehydrator, and vitamix. I think I'm going to have fun having the time as a SAHM to try this stuff out.
pps - get the paperback, this is one cookbook I'll want to have out quite a bit. kindle makes it a bit more difficult.
ppps - remember, be just a little healthier today than you were the day before :-)
January 22, 2019
had some really interesting and yummy looking recipes. Still have to try them, but I'll update this when I do.
I do wish, though, that there were some more versatile items; I felt that only a few could be used for more than one purpose... Unlike when I first opened the book, and read the introduction, this book only partially lived up to its hype, so that was a little disappointing to me. I had expected more smoothies and the like, and there weren't that many. I'm kind of disappointed. out of the whole book, only two recipes looked appetizing AND only one had reasonably available ingredients. I really wish this book had touched base on how to find/ where to get the more eclectic and not-so-common items (such as pure bee pollen)
I do wish, though, that there were some more versatile items; I felt that only a few could be used for more than one purpose... Unlike when I first opened the book, and read the introduction, this book only partially lived up to its hype, so that was a little disappointing to me. I had expected more smoothies and the like, and there weren't that many. I'm kind of disappointed. out of the whole book, only two recipes looked appetizing AND only one had reasonably available ingredients. I really wish this book had touched base on how to find/ where to get the more eclectic and not-so-common items (such as pure bee pollen)
September 12, 2021
This is a very thorough raw food guide!
This book focuses on ways to use and eat raw foods. The book dives into why raw food is good for you and how to consume more. The recipes felt a bit repetitive after a while. There are a lot of nut butters and nut-based foods.
If raw food is your thing this is the book for you.
This book focuses on ways to use and eat raw foods. The book dives into why raw food is good for you and how to consume more. The recipes felt a bit repetitive after a while. There are a lot of nut butters and nut-based foods.
If raw food is your thing this is the book for you.
October 31, 2018
If you’re into raw food this is for you.
February 13, 2021
great book for beginners
March 10, 2010
I was excited to learn I would be reviewing this Recipe Book. My husband is all about energy drinks, bars and things of that nature. I hate it that he consumes all that sugar in those energy drinks and I thought the Raw Energy Recipe Book would be a great way to get him to eat more healthy and still have his energy boosts threw out the day.
The first 2 chapters go over the raw snack basics and what you would need in the kitchen and items in your pantry and what they do for you. I Liked that it explained what each of the ingredient foods do for you what they contain. Example (Pine Nuts: High in Protein, healthy fat, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin B). I enjoyed reading about what the raw ingredients contain. Some of them I had no idea that they held so much nutritional value.
The Recipes were easy to follow and so very tasty when made. I made my husband some herbal energy balls (Page 144) to take to work for him during the day for a good tasting energy snack. He also enjoyed at home the Frozen Banana Sundae Bites (page 163) I made for him and so did the entire family they made about 24 bites and they didn't last very long. The were a wonderful source of natural sugars, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, fiber, calcium, zinc, copper, magnesium, B and E vitamins, and protein.
We really enjoyed the recipes we made out of this book. They were enjoyed by everyone in my family. I sure will get good use out of this recipe book. And what I like most of all its all natural and gives natural energy when eaten and it makes me feel a whole lot better sending my family these wonderful snacks I make instead of the store bought high sugared energy snacks.
The first 2 chapters go over the raw snack basics and what you would need in the kitchen and items in your pantry and what they do for you. I Liked that it explained what each of the ingredient foods do for you what they contain. Example (Pine Nuts: High in Protein, healthy fat, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin B). I enjoyed reading about what the raw ingredients contain. Some of them I had no idea that they held so much nutritional value.
The Recipes were easy to follow and so very tasty when made. I made my husband some herbal energy balls (Page 144) to take to work for him during the day for a good tasting energy snack. He also enjoyed at home the Frozen Banana Sundae Bites (page 163) I made for him and so did the entire family they made about 24 bites and they didn't last very long. The were a wonderful source of natural sugars, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, fiber, calcium, zinc, copper, magnesium, B and E vitamins, and protein.
We really enjoyed the recipes we made out of this book. They were enjoyed by everyone in my family. I sure will get good use out of this recipe book. And what I like most of all its all natural and gives natural energy when eaten and it makes me feel a whole lot better sending my family these wonderful snacks I make instead of the store bought high sugared energy snacks.
January 21, 2010
If anything, I enjoyed the information about raw foods in the beginning more than the recipes. The photography is beautiful and inspiring on every single page. She explains the nutritional content of everything... from the raspberries you snack on, to the chives that top your soup. I get writer's block when I'm forming a grocery list, now all I have to do is flip through the beginning of this. Now onto the recipes. The smoothies aren't anything too special. The chips and dips section however, was not long enough. Really good ideas. I want to make dehydrated sweet potato chips and zucchini chips. It was nice to have the nut milk recipes and the "quickie" nut milk alternatives, but even as a newbie to the raw world I know there is much more to learn about nut milks and the process of creating them. Another thing I'm dying to make is the Pumpkin and Sunflower seed brittle. Mmm. Oh, and I did not know you can make raw cereal! I'm a huge fan of oats.
June 21, 2011
Sadly this book is missing pictures for most of its recipes; however, there are tons of delicious ideas. I have used several with great success, and only one dud. The author does waste a lot of print space going on and on about how wonderful each ingredient is for you. Save that info for the intro chapters, and leave the recipe pages for only what we need to know to make each dish, please.
This has to go back to the library before I've made all the recipes I want to try! So, I'm marking the pages:
115, 117, 146, 148, 154, 185, 190, 192, 201, 208, 211, 214, 216, 217, 222, 228, 229, 234, 236, 243, 245, 254,256, 261
This has to go back to the library before I've made all the recipes I want to try! So, I'm marking the pages:
115, 117, 146, 148, 154, 185, 190, 192, 201, 208, 211, 214, 216, 217, 222, 228, 229, 234, 236, 243, 245, 254,256, 261
June 15, 2012
This was the first raw foods book I ever picked up and I love her recipes. It was a great intro to raw-vegan foods and it was fate that I bought it!
Even if you don't want to commit to a raw-vegan lifestyle, you can't argue that store bought, preserved, expensive energy bars aren't always "healthy" and the raw, organic, fresh recipes you can whip up at home are much better and cheaper!
I've gotten coworkers and family members interested in raw foods and healthier eating with her tasty havlah recipes.
I have an active lifestyle so the granola bar and cookie recipes were right up my alley!
Even if you don't want to commit to a raw-vegan lifestyle, you can't argue that store bought, preserved, expensive energy bars aren't always "healthy" and the raw, organic, fresh recipes you can whip up at home are much better and cheaper!
I've gotten coworkers and family members interested in raw foods and healthier eating with her tasty havlah recipes.
I have an active lifestyle so the granola bar and cookie recipes were right up my alley!
July 14, 2011
I've read through a lot of recipe books lately and so far this is one of my favorites. So often when I read through a healthy cookbook I think yuck I wouldn't eat that! Not the case with these recipes. I've picked out 20 recipes I want to try. This book has a lot of snack like foods but as my kids will be heading back to school soon I'm looking for healthy "treats" to add to the lunches they'll be taking to school so these recipes are exactly what I was looking for.
Although I guess my 5 star review is subject to change if no one will eat the snacks once they are made.
Although I guess my 5 star review is subject to change if no one will eat the snacks once they are made.
February 1, 2014
I checked this book out from the library and was impressed with it so much that I checked it out a second time. I find most raw food cookbooks intimidating, but this one uses mostly basic ingredients and what's more? The author talks about the nutritional value of different ingredients and why they are important. Not only did I find some yummy raw recipes, I learned even more about nutrition! It's a great book for anyone curious about raw food.
Not all the recipes are technically vegan. Most of them are though and that's good enough for me!
Not all the recipes are technically vegan. Most of them are though and that's good enough for me!
January 9, 2013
Very good. Hardly the quintessential book On raw dieting but still it has a lot of recipes that are accessible and extremely healthy for any reader. Though some recipes require a Dehydrator which novices and newcomers to raw dieting and cooking will probably not have, many of these recipes require no special equipment.
August 25, 2015
Probably the most helpful raw cookbook I've read, because it isn't like, "TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE BY NEVER COOKING ANYTHING AGAIN AND SPENDING THREE DAYS PREPARING EACH MEAL." Instead it's like, "Here's a nice little raw snack that you can make in five minutes and have for breakfast tomorrow, you know, if you want to."
January 20, 2015
Educational, for sure. I am not ready (or willing) to completely change my diet to entirely raw eating. Raw Energy did give wonderful recipes and brilliantly listed the benefits of most ingredients.
March 7, 2015
This book was a superb introduction to raw food and healthy, veggie-packed recipes. I do not intend to become vegetarian or vegan, but I do feel inspired to include more nutrient dense, plant-based foods in my diet after reading this book.
October 3, 2010
The downside of vegan is all the hard work involved with making the recipes, mores the pity. I photocopied 2 recipes for future experiments and gave it away to a more ambitious cook!
May 6, 2010
Healthy, easy and accessible recipes using all raw ingredients. Yum.
February 3, 2016
Simple. Small book, not intimidating.
August 30, 2011
I think there were about 5 recipes that I will try from this book. If I ever decide to buy things like agave nectar, tahini or spirulina this might be the book for me. I highly doubt it.
October 27, 2011
from the library
lots of great recipes i would like to try
good beginner book for anyone wanting to know more about raw food and how to incorporate into their lives.
lots of great recipes i would like to try
good beginner book for anyone wanting to know more about raw food and how to incorporate into their lives.
February 15, 2012
Great simple raw-food recipes and tips. Yum! Best Maple Nut Bar recipe ever.
Read
February 4, 2012Great recipes! But it's helpful to have a food processor and a dehydrator.
October 14, 2016
She's not over the top. I like that.
February 7, 2012
Can't stop making these recipes. Yum. God knows what I'll do with all this "raw energy", though. . .
September 25, 2012
Great book with tons of information. The recipes seem easy to do but some of the food items are in my normal shopping budget. Guess I need to revamp my grocery list. Totally recommend.
December 29, 2012
Love this book. Can't wait to read more of her books. Very good information that you will undoubtedly carry with you into the grocery store.
January 22, 2013
Would be excited to try all these recipes if it weren't for that pesky nut allergy...
I'm sure I can substitute some things or leave some out and achieve a similar result.
I'm sure I can substitute some things or leave some out and achieve a similar result.
January 27, 2013
Too many recipes dependent upon nuts and dehydrator. Not for me.
March 7, 2013
Got this at the library and it was inspiring! Got me excited about incorporating more raw foods in my diet. A quick but very inspiring read, for sure!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews