A Vegan Guide to Big Island Eats (Whole Food, Raw, and Gluten-Free Grinds)

My family has been on the Big Island for nine months now, and life out here hasn't always been exactly as we have anticipated. We thought we would have some land and be growing a lot of our own food, but ended up moving into a condo on a golf course. We still grow food on our lanai, but mainly just herbs, tomatoes, and a few avocado plants which have a few years before they will be ready to produce fruit.

Luckily for us there are some wonderful businesses out here that keep my family fueled, so I thought it might be nice to highlight some of what is out there for any travelers with plant-based diets. Not all of these restaurants are strictly vegan, but all have vegan, and even raw vegan options (don't be afraid of your smoothies and juices) available. We are based in Waikoloa, so we have more recommendations for the Kona side than for the Hilo side, but hopefully I will have more advice of where to go in Hilo after a few more visits!

Under the Bodhi Tree- A Waikoloa-based MUST for raw vegans visiting the Big Island, as it is more or less the only place to get raw gourmet meals, although after hearing talks given by the owner/ head chef on nutrition, I trust the cooked gluten-free/ vegan options as well. Under the Bodhi Tree offers a raw pad thai, salads, and soups, as well as cooked veggie burgers and stir-fries. Everything on the menu is vegetarian, but not everything is vegan, although this can be helpful when traveling with family and friends that may not cater to your exact diet. Don't forget to check out the raw dessert options, and if you go for dinner get there early. They close at 7 PM, but there is a hula show that starts in the same shopping center then on Mondays and Thursdays.

Racha Thai- All organic, gluten-free, dairy-free Thai food stand in Waikoloa Village that has many vegan options. I asked for an order of several dishes to be made without fish sauce (as I have gotten in the habit of doing at Thai restaurants) and the said they never use any! Also of note, this stand has the BEST smoothies I have had in my life, my favorites being banana ginger and chocolate mac nut.

Lotus Cafe- Another AMAZING Thai restaurant (there are several out here, and it is tempting to list them all) that is all organic and can make anything on the menu vegan at your request! Even if you aren't in the mood for Thai food it is worth stopping in here if you are hanging around Kona to taste their delicious coconut milk gelato.

Sea Dandelion Cafe- Run by a kind and community-driven family, the Sea Dandelion Cafe offers vegetarian food with many vegan options. Delicious juice options and kava evenings highlight this locale, but the vegan poke (the only vegan attempt at traditional Hawaiian flavors I have seen) is a tasty dish which introduced me to sea asparagus. I'm a big fan! Also the veggie burger sliders are nothing to shy away from. This cafe is the heart of Honoka'a, and a great stop if you decide to visit the beautiful Waipi'o Valley (pictured above).

Sweet Cane Cafe- If you are in Hilo, get a smoothie here! Why here, when you can get smoothies almost everywhere on the island? Two words: Durian Cacao... drooling!!!

Farmer's Markets- Honestly there are WAY too many to list here. There are 4 that happen in Waimea on Saturday alone! Luckily, I have a link right here that should help you find one where you are! Many of these markets offer prepared food, as well as familiar and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables.

Hope you find something on this list to help you on your travels!

Candy Twizzle Juice

Even adults can get some not-so-adult cravings. And just because a candy is vegan does not mean it is healthy. Certain food colorings (especially red and yellow) have been linked to ADHD. Processed sugar can rot your teeth and lead to overgrowth of yeasts, molds, and fungus inside the body. But there is always nature's candy!

Sometimes there is a certain flavor that you just can't get by eating fruit whole, but if you own a juicer you are able to become a culinary Willy Wonka! Most candy flavors got their inspiration from fruit. Jackfruit is responsible for inspiring a certain famous gum... just try some fresh and guess which kind!

In this recipe I was inspired by a certain red licorice rope we are all familiar with. This is a great way to get kids into juicing! Ask them their favorite fruity candy and get creative with your interpretations!

1 small fennel bulb with stalks
3 red delicious apples (including skins and cores)
1 small beet (standard purplish color, but if red beets are available even better for color)
1 small handful of red grapes
1 1/2 inch cube of ginger
water

In a juicer combine all ingredients. Dilute with water to desired potency. Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Coconut Kimchi "Noodle" Soup

When you are sick or going through a detox, nothing hits you better than a spicy soup. When I first started experimenting with raw foods I thought cold soup sounded really unappealing, but the more I have the more I love it! Just because a soup is cold doesn't mean it can't warm your body up. Hot peppers are an easy solution, but I also get a warming feeling from the living cultures in this soup.

I make my own kimchi, but you can also use the juice from any store-bought living kimchi (just make sure it is vegan). If you don't have kimchi on hand you can also use sauerkraut juice and add extra paprika and cayenne.

I also made the coconut milk for this myself, which is easier than it sounds. Simply throw one part dried coconut flakes in the blender with four parts water. Let it soak and blend. Strain through a nut milk bag and you are done! Or you can short cut with some store-bought cocnut milk, if need be, but try and find one that is free of additives!

2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 1/2 cup kimchi juice (or substitute with sauerkraut juice with paprika and cayenne)
2 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
dash of cayenne
pink Himalayan salt to taste
1 zucchini
meat from 1 young coconut
1/2 an avocado
small handful of cilantro
sprinkling of black sesame seeds


In a blender, combine tomatoes, kimchi juice, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut aminos, lime juice, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Blend until smooth. Using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler, strip zucchini into thin noodles. Add to stock mix. Scoop small bits of coconut (roughly 1" scrapes), and add to soup. Pour into bowls. Top with avocado, cilantro, and black sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.

Raw Vegan Soursop Banana Breakfast Pudding with Blueberries and Coconut Flakes

I know, it is winter. Many of you are looking out the window to piles of snow and menacing icicles. Seasonal fruits and veggies can be hard for anyone this time of year, so don't feel bad about falling back on a few imports.

Now that I am in Hawaii imports mean a very different thing than they used to. In this recipe my local stars are soursop, apple banana (tiny bananas with a slight tartness), and of course coconut flakes. Blueberries are now a very decadent splurge, but thanks to Costco I didn't exactly break the bank.

Soursop may be a new fruit to many of you. This green spiky monster looks similar to a durian, but tastes a bit like lemon-flavored ice cream. If you can find one where you live they are a great addition to smoothies, as they have a thick, creamy texture.

 Pudding:

1 small or 1/2 a large soursop
1 apple banana or other small banana
2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup, or coconut nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Toppings:

1 cup blueberries
small handful of coconut flakes

Carefully cut open soursop and remove all large seeds. Cut away from the green skin and put into a blender. Peel banana and add to blender. Add remaining pudding ingredients and blend until smooth. Top with blueberries and coconut. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Raw Vegan Apricot and Orange Marmalade

Sometimes just some simple flavors are all you desire. You aren't craving junk food, but eating fruit and salad can get downright boring. Sauces, sides, and spreads are the answer!

It is citrus season and every farmer's market in Hawaii is loaded with oranges! They are great for eating alone or juicing, or for making this simple recipe. If you are eating completely raw and unsure of what to do with marmalade if you aren't spreading it on toast, no worries! It tastes great on sliced banana, as a topping for coconut-almond "yogurt", or swirled in a chia bowl. Top it on your favorite raw crackers or cookies for some extra hydration. Use it as a topping on your banana whip or even in your smoothies.

Break out the Paddington and the British accents, this not only tastes better than the real thing, but is much better for you! With only 3 ingredients you can enjoy this ever tea time, Enjoy!

2 oranges, peeled
1 1/2 cups dried apricots
2 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup, or coconut nectar)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

What Raw Foods Have Taught Me About Cooked Foods

If you are here for 100% fully raw recipes, this might not be the post for you. If you are a person on a path, constantly changing, to find the best version of yourself this may be the post for you.

For the past two years I have been eating a 99% raw diet. Recently that has dropped to about 80%. Some people might find relevance in this, others may not. Some of the reasons for this shift relate to our adjustment to moving to Hawaii. While fruits and vegetables are plentiful year round, we also live in the northern portion of the Big Island, where in winter the selection at the farmer's market shifts a bit to greens, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins, as opposed to the mangoes and pineapples prevalent in the summers and more in the south. The truth is it is expensive to live here, and a $5 pumpkin can be enough to feed my family for 3 days. But this isn't a posting to excuse any behaviors. It is one to help people learn that cooked food doesn't have to be the root of all evil. A plant-based, whole foods diet is another healthy path to explore for those who don't feel that being 100% raw works for them.

While I recommend a raw foods diet for cleansing and detoxing, a whole foods diet can be nourishing and comforting. I would also argue that a raw diet is not always healthier than a whole foods diet. For example, in what way is a cashew agave pie a more healthful option than a plate of lightly steamed spinach? Each has its time and place, so I decide not to live my life by labels or absolutes, but do the best I can and continue to make better choices based off of experiences and obtained knowledge.

Here are some lessons that raw foods have taught me that I have now incorporated into my occasionally cooked diet. I hope you find them useful, no matter where you are on your path to wellness.

1. The only oil which is not harmful to the body when heated is coconut oil. There are countless studies scattered across the internet that all seem to agree on this point. While olive oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, and a few nut and seed oils can be digested properly raw the heating process makes them difficult for our body to take. For some reason coconut oil is one of the magic foods that goes against these rules. It is still a fat, so don't overdo it, but if you decide to cook with oil coconut is the only one I recommend.

2. Steaming is the best way to cook. Again, this is a matter of science. Compared to baking, grilling, broiling, or boiling the one cooking method which keeps food's nutrients most intact is steaming. After steaming you can always add sauces after the fact.

3. Some foods are better for you cooked. If you decide to cook food, look out for which foods might actually be healthier or more nutritious after being cooked. Cooking mushrooms removes carcinogens. Cooked spinach is higher in anti-oxidants. Certain foods like taro leaves (a new treat to me here in Hawaii) are inedible raw, as they have mild poisons which are only removed by the cooking process. Doing your research can help you make better choices as to what you should or should not cook.

4. If you can replace something with vegetables, do it. Just because you are eating cooked food means you dive into a diet of pizza and burgers. A plant-based, gluten-free, vegan diet can be healthy and rewarding. Mix cauliflower into your rice or quinoa to get more vegetables along with your grains. Add zucchini into your pizza crust. Use zoodles instead of wheat noodles. A few changes go a long way.

5. Raw and cooked are not mutually exclusive. The benefit for me of the raw foods diet was that I upped my intake of fruits and vegetables. Just because I am not 100% doesn't mean my plate has to look like it came from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I can have a large salad along with some steamed sweet potato and quinoa, and the next day go back to being raw. Balance is key.

6. Be kind to yourself. Is starving yourself kind? No. Is engorging yourself kind? No. Is guilt, restriction, inconsistency, stress, obsession, or binge eating kind? No. Respect and listen to your body. Not other people. Not society. Not parasites. Your body, telling you what you need. And you tell that body right back that it is beautiful and you love it, because it is the gift of a vessel which allows you to experience this glorious life.

Fermented Kombucha Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce often gets overlooked at Thanksgiving. Overshadowed by both main and side dishes, cranberry sauce is like the ketchup of Thanksgiving. Many people opt for a gelatinous can-shaped glob instead of the real thing. What if I told you with a little time and consideration your cranberry sauce could be like a fine wine?

A lot of people are afraid of fermentation. It involves bacteria, and that sounds scary, but let me let you in on a little secret... fermenting is EASY! In two years of fermenting I have only had one case where something went off. Open your eyes and your nose. If something seems like it is really not right, toss it. But most of the time this stuff is actually hard to mess up!

You can also make this recipe with store-bought bottled kombucha, if you don't make your own. Just try to go for a less carbonated brand and one with flavors that would compliment the recipe, like ginger or orange. If you don't have two weeks to ferment you could also make this recipe immediately, but believe me, the two weeks are worth it!

2 cups fresh cranberries  
1 inch cube of ginger  
4 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey, agave, or maple syrup)  
1/2 cup kombucha

1 additional tablespoon liquid sweetener (for blending)

In a glass container combine cranberries, ginger, sweetener, and kombucha. Put a lid on loosely to cover top, but not screwed tight. (Fully screwing on top will lead to carbonation.) Allow to sit on the counter for one to two weeks. Pour mixture in a blender and blend to desired texture (chunky or smooth). Add remaining sweetener, stir, and serve.