Raw food enthusiasts can enjoy a lot of the same foods as everyone else – some recipes just require a little tweaking. The classic stuffed pepper (usually cooked with meat and white rice) is easily adapted to a raw preparation. Paired with a leafy green salad, it’s a quick and healthy lunch that’s elegant enough to serve guests.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating your own recipe –

  • Choose red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppers, plus any fresh vegetables and herbs you like.
  • Simply slice off the top of the pepper near the stem, seed it, and fill it with a combination of chopped uncooked veggies like zucchini, carrots, cucumber, corn, red or green onion, tomato, minced garlic, and mashed or diced avocado.
  • Add fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or chives, and freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.

For crunch, toss in some raw almonds or walnuts, or seeds like sunflower or pumpkin. You can also get create combos inspired by different cuisines, like Mexican-style peppers with avocado, mango, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Top your stuffed pepper creation with raw Vitamix recipes such as:

If you’re not adhering to a strictly raw diet, you can also experiment with mixing different grains into your stuffing, like rice, quinoa, bulgur, barley, or wheat berries. Quinoa is a great option for those who are gluten free.