Before anything, some numbers.

Cooking typically accounts for between 7.2% and 13.8% of electricity demand in UK homes.

What does this mean for you?

That, out of every £100 you’ll spend on electricity, almost £14 is linked to your cooking. 

In this guide, we’ll share 5 energy-efficient raw food recipes. These are:

• Caprese Salad
• Zucchini Roll-ups
• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
• Overnight oats
• Spicy raw tomato + red pepper soup recipe

These recipes cost $0.00 energy-wise.

If you can replace 50% of your cooking with these recipes, that’s about 7% off your electricity bills.

The following raw food recipes are simple, quick, and budget-friendly. They are also gluten-free, keto-friendly, and vegan. You can customize them as you would like to meet your dietary requirements.

Low-Effort & Money-Saving Raw Food Recipes

1. Caprese Salad — an ideal raw recipe for lunch

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Number of ingredients: 5

• 3 vine-ripe tomatoes
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella
• About 1 bunch of fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Steps to prep

1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick slices.
2. Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on a large shallow platter.
3. Add a basil leaf between each layer.
4. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar (optional).
5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serving size: 4 to 6

This recipe is keto-friendly and gluten-free. To make this recipe vegan, substitute the regular mozzarella for vegan mozzarella.

If purchasing vegan mozzarella is expensive for you, you can make yours at home with just a few additional steps.

And don’t worry, the recipe will still consume less energy as making vegan cheese only requires a blender.

2. Zucchini Roll-Ups — refreshing raw food snack

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Number of ingredients: 6

• 1 large zucchini
• 8–10 asparagus
• 3 scallions
• 1 cup of cream cheese
• small bunch of fresh dill
• salt, pepper

Steps to prep

1. Slice the zucchini into thin strips with a mandolin or a sharp knife.
2. Trim the asparagus and then slice the tip end into pieces that are 6-8 cm in length (about 2–3 inches). Save the asparagus ends to make soup or stir-fry later.
3. Slice the longer, thicker stems in half.
4. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise and then cut them into smaller pieces.
5. At the end of each zucchini slice, place a dollop of cream cheese. Add dill, onion, and asparagus on top, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Roll up tightly and place seam side down on a serving plate. Repeat this with the remaining zucchini slices. With the remaining zucchini slices, repeat this.

Makes 15-20 rolls.

This recipe is keto-friendly and gluten-free. To make this recipe vegan, substitute the regular cream cheese for cashew cream cheese.

3. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting — delicious dessert raw recipe

Enjoy this raw food recipe as a dessert or snack.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Number of ingredients: 10

Raw foods needed:

• 2 cups finely shredded carrots
• 2 cups packed pitted Medjool dates (measured after pits removed)
• 2 1/2 cups raw walnuts
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (or sub-almond flour)
• 1/4 cup raisins

Raw foods needed for the frosting (optional):

• 1 1/4 cups raw cashews
• 1/2 cup coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 TB so maple syrup
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Steps to prep the cake:

1. Grate the carrots and set aside.
2. Add the pitted dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain or a ball form and set aside. If you are using small food processors, blend in batches to prevent overflow.
3. Add walnuts, vanilla, salt, and spices to the food processor and blend until a semi-fine meal is achieved.
4. Add the dates, and shredded carrots to the semi-fine meal and pulse in 1-second measurements until a loose dough forms and the carrots are just incorporated. Make sure to not over-blend or you will end up with a purée.
5. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add coconut flour and raisins. Stir to combine. This will help you create a lighter, less dense, more “cake-like” texture. Once well combined, set aside.
6. You can scoop the dough into balls and enjoy it as cake bites.
7. To make a cake add parchment paper along the bottom and sides to a 7–9-inch springform pan (or a large cake pan or an 8×8-baking dish with high edges).
8. Add the cake mixture, spread, and press down evenly to pack. Use a parchment-covered flat-bottomed object, such as a drinking glass, to help press everything into an even layer.
9. If you are not adding frosting, you can go ahead and enjoy the cake.

Steps to prep the frosting:

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Then rinse and drain.
2. Add the soaked cashews to a high-speed blender along with coconut cream, lemon juice, maple syrup, and vanilla and blend on high until very creamy and smooth scraping side as needed. Cover and refrigerate to chill until desired consistency is achieved.
3. After the cake is prepared, pour the frosting on and tap out any air bubbles.
4. Place on a baking sheet (to keep level) and freeze for 3-4 hours or until the frosting is semi-firm to the touch.
5. When ready to consume, let the cake thaw on the counter for 30 minutes should help. Use a hot knife to carefully cut out slices.

The cake yields 16 slices. You can refrigerate it for a week or freeze it for up to a month.

This recipe is keto-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.

4. Overnight oats — low-effort raw food breakfast

Overnight oats are extremely easy to make and customizable. It takes only 10 minutes to put together. Because of the different ways, you can make overnight oats, you can have it multiple times a week without it getting boring. And let’s not forget the added bonus of not having to cook breakfast in the morning.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Number of ingredients: 6

Popular raw foods used:

• ½ cup rolled oats
• A pinch of salt
• ½ cup berries of choice
• ½ cup milk of choice
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 1-2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Steps to prep

• Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
• Transfer the mixture to a jar or glass.
• Refrigerate overnight or for four hours.
• Top with nuts, berries, or fruits of your choice, and enjoy.

This recipe serves one person.

This recipe is keto-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.

5. Spicy raw tomato + red pepper soup recipe — a “hot” raw recipe for dinner

This refreshing raw food recipe is great for energizing your body in the summer.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Number of ingredients: 7

Raw foods needed:

• 4 small tomatoes
• 2 red bell pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• ½ cup cilantro, parsley, or basil
• a few chives
• red pepper flakes
• Himalayan salt

Steps to prep

1. Slice your tomatoes in quarters.
2. Core and de-seed the bell peppers and cut them into slices.
3. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor/blender and blend until a soup consistency.
4. Optional topping – Top with creamy avocado, red pepper, Pico de Gallo or Fresh Corn Salsa for color and texture.

This raw food recipe makes about 3 cups and serves 2 – 3. You can refrigerate the soup for up to 4 – 5 days in an airtight container.

This recipe is keto-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.

Can these Raw-Food Recipes save you Money?

Yes, about 7% of your energy bills plus additional savings on using fresh veg and fruit from your local grocer rather than processed foods from the supermarket.

The other big question to ask is, ‘which one should I try first?’ All five recipes are extremely delicious and nutritious. We recommend that you put together one of these recipes when you have guests over to share your recession survival recipe tips with them.

These recipes not only meet diverse dietary requirements but are quick and delicious. They are guaranteed to be the highlight of any party without costing you a fortune.

So, even in tougher economic times, you can spend some quality time with your loved ones without having to worry about the bills.

And if you ever feel too tired, you can head to McDonalds for some cheap snacks or visit one of the top restaurants in Canary Wharf.