Guest guest Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Here in LA there seems to be a proliferation lately of companies offering raw vegan foods at health food stores, with an especially large selection at a store called Erewhon; at farmer's markets and fairs, where raw food companies set up booths; and companies delivering and catering raw vegan food. From my viewpoint, they all have two things in common: They are prohibitively expensive, and their portions of any one menu item are tiny. The staples of my diet are fresh fruits, but occasionally I've gotten a hankering to try some of the gourmet raw foods out there. I have tried them a couple of times, at farmer's markets where at the end of the day I've been able to deal them down to a less exorbitant price, though still very expensive. But the food is barely enough for a few bites, and I was just as hungry after eating as before. I've wondered too who buys these foods, who can afford them, who keeps these companies in business. I agree that one would have to spend at least $100 at a time with these companies to get enough food to make a meal. It's clearly impossible for us poor folks. And I find these prices incongruous with what I think of as the raw vegan way of life, which is hopefully one of ever simplifying one's life, divesting oneself of the materialism and artificiality, and therefore the ambition to amass ever more money. These companies, by contrast, must appeal to celebrities, executives, and other capitalist power brokers. The expensive raw gourmet foods are certainly a good introduction for these folks to raw, and hopefully it might turn them permanently into raw vegans. But for the rest of us, I think we need to stick to do-it-yourself recipes. By contrast, when I get to the farmer's markets, I can usually find lots of fruit at the end of the day that is a bit soft, or not as perfect looking, and can get a bargain. For example, I got a huge box of organic white peaches last Sunday at the farmer's market for $5. This is the other end of the spectrum, the totally simple, filling, naturally moisture-laden, foods made by Nature. It is not only possible to live cheaply on raw vegan food, but it is the most economical of all, since one does not need to rely on processed, human-prepared food. If you make your staples fruit meals, and salads, they are very simple and inexpensive, and you can treat yourself to a raw gourmet meal now and then, which you can also make yourself, maybe experimenting with recipes. BTW, I love nuts, and can't see the sense in a diet that devotes itself to being " nut-free " . Fruits and nuts are our most natural foods. And if I ever did have the money to spend on these outrageously priced meals, I would want some nuts in there for all that money Zsuzsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Zsuzsa, Thank you for the post. I am a distributor of raw foods, and will do my best to explain from " behind the curtain " what takes place in regards to prices. High prices are far to often blamed on the companies which make and produce the foods, when in actuality there distribution prices are quite low. What one fails to see, and understand, is that the markets see a huge demand for the raw foods in which they distribute, so they mark it up accordingly to current demand. This markup is never less than 30%, and with raw foods, as you are experiencing, often exceeds 45%!I have spoken to so many people about this subject, and it is truly a shame that the companies making the foods are being blamed, for most are barely getting by. The best thing one can do is speak to the markets, now knowing this information, you have something to back your requests. Respectfully, Burke Bryant LifeForce Foods www.livingintheraw.com P.S get ahold of LifeForce Foods and I will be more than happy to get food to you at a low cost --- southladogs <southladogs wrote: > Here in LA there seems to be a proliferation lately > of companies > offering raw vegan foods at health food stores, with > an especially > large selection at a store called Erewhon; at > farmer's markets and > fairs, where raw food companies set up booths; and > companies > delivering and catering raw vegan food. From my > viewpoint, they all > have two things in common: They are prohibitively > expensive, and > their portions of any one menu item are tiny. The > staples of my diet > are fresh fruits, but occasionally I've gotten a > hankering to try > some of the gourmet raw foods out there. I have > tried them a couple > of times, at farmer's markets where at the end of > the day I've been > able to deal them down to a less exorbitant price, > though still very > expensive. But the food is barely enough for a few > bites, and I was > just as hungry after eating as before. > > I've wondered too who buys these foods, who can > afford them, who > keeps these companies in business. I agree that one > would have to > spend at least $100 at a time with these companies > to get enough > food to make a meal. It's clearly impossible for us > poor folks. And > I find these prices incongruous with what I think of > as the raw > vegan way of life, which is hopefully one of ever > simplifying one's > life, divesting oneself of the materialism and > artificiality, and > therefore the ambition to amass ever more money. > These companies, by > contrast, must appeal to celebrities, executives, > and other > capitalist power brokers. The expensive raw gourmet > foods are > certainly a good introduction for these folks to > raw, and hopefully > it might turn them permanently into raw vegans. But > for the rest of > us, I think we need to stick to do-it-yourself > recipes. > > By contrast, when I get to the farmer's markets, I > can usually find > lots of fruit at the end of the day that is a bit > soft, or not as > perfect looking, and can get a bargain. For example, > I got a huge > box of organic white peaches last Sunday at the > farmer's market for > $5. This is the other end of the spectrum, the > totally simple, > filling, naturally moisture-laden, foods made by > Nature. It is not > only possible to live cheaply on raw vegan food, but > it is the most > economical of all, since one does not need to rely > on processed, > human-prepared food. If you make your staples fruit > meals, and > salads, they are very simple and inexpensive, and > you can treat > yourself to a raw gourmet meal now and then, which > you can also make > yourself, maybe experimenting with recipes. > > BTW, I love nuts, and can't see the sense in a diet > that devotes > itself to being " nut-free " . Fruits and nuts are our > most natural > foods. And if I ever did have the money to spend on > these > outrageously priced meals, I would want some nuts in > there for all > that money > > Zsuzsa > > Mail is new and improved - Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Burke, Thank you for your response. I am aware that the health food stores do mark up what they sell, and the producer of the food has no control over that; also, I see from your website that your products are available at Erewhon, and in general, I find Erewhon expensive, so I know that the prices there for raw food will be premium. But there are many other sources of raw foods than the retail markets. As mentioned, there are farmer's markets, at which the producers of the foods have their own booths and I believe they can charge what they wish. Also as I mentioned, there are many who cater, or hold their own raw food events, also with little or no overhead, and they can set their own prices, such as with the " nut free cuisine " , which began this discussion. Yet these are just as high as the prices in the health food stores, in fact, often higher. How do we explain that? I realize that gourmet raw food, designed to provide raw vegan analogues to cooked, non-vegan foods, is labor-intensive, and may take more time and effort to prepare, what with all the chopping, grinding, soaking, sprouting, dehydrating, etc. I also realize that by the time they get done doing all that to the food, there may not be that much left, i.e., it has evaporated, and/or it is higher quality, and the bulk " raw materials " may be therefore more expensive to begin with. Nevertheless, I believe that at the prices of most raw prepared gourmet foods, it is prohibitively expensive for most people. I wonder if it might be due to the somewhat faddish, designer-food role that raw food is seen to be playing among the wealthy folks. Whenever I read a review of an ordinary SAD diet restaurant that is popular, the meals are easily $100-$200 per person. Someone is paying these prices for these businesses to boom, and the gourmet raw food producers are probably tapping into that same market. Your website looks lovely, and I do hope to try your food sometime. I did not see any prices on your site, but perhaps you are still in the process of developing it and your business. I wish you much success! I appreciate your offer, and hope to take you up on getting some gourmet raw food at a good cost. Right now, however, I am eating only fruits and a bit of nuts, very simple meals, and trying to stick to it. But if I begin to include other raw foods again in my diet, you'll definitely hear from me Zsuzsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Isn't part of the higher cost just kind of the nature of the beast? Have you read some of the recipies for Raw burgers, and other dishes? There are 20+ ingredients in most cases you need 3 or more recipies to complete the recipie you started. Then there is usually dehydrating involved, etc. There is a lot of work involved. I know there are some simple recipies out there but most of what you see in the restaurants isn't simple. I still think it is outrageous and would only spend that kind of money for a very, very very special occasion. Also I doubt most of the recipies you run into adhere to proper food combining. rawfood , Burke Bryant / Lifeforce Foods <burkebryant> wrote: > Zsuzsa, > Thank you for the post. I am a distributor of raw > foods, and will do my best to explain from " behind > the curtain " what takes place in regards to prices. > > High prices are far to often blamed on the companies > which make and produce the foods, when in actuality > there distribution prices are quite low. What one > fails to see, and understand, is that the markets see > a huge demand for the raw foods in which they > distribute, so they mark it up accordingly to current > demand. This markup is never less than 30%, and with > raw foods, as you are experiencing, often exceeds > 45%!I have spoken to so many people about this > subject, and it is truly a shame that the companies > making the foods are being blamed, for most are barely > getting by. The best thing one can do is speak to the > markets, now knowing this information, you have > something to back your requests. > Respectfully, > Burke Bryant > LifeForce Foods > www.livingintheraw.com > > P.S get ahold of LifeForce Foods and I will be more > than happy to get food to you at a low cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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