After I have a raw meal I don’t have the same feeling of fullness, but I also don’t get hungry right away either. Things like cold pressed olive oil, avocado, and raw nuts goes help. And a lot of raw meals incorporate nut “cheeses” which help a lot too. It seems like the more fibrous greens like kale and chard are more filling than plain lettuce. And depending if you go raw vegan or not there are some great raw cheeses out there.

Russ — I too have had some good raw food — I especially like the “sushi rolls” and yummy chocolate mousse at Juliano’s Raw. I didn’t mean to imply that raw food’s always inferior — I just meant that they are inevitably different!

For ex, a “pizza” at Juliano’s or a “burger” at Rawvolution doesn’t even look like a regular pizza or a burger, much less taste like one. That’s why I specifically pointed out the items I did — Greek Pizza, Spinach & Cheese Quiche, and Homemade Apple Crumble — because those are all things people generally associate with bready toasty warmness, among other characteristics, that’s just not gonna translate well into a raw dish.

Sometimes, I think the raw restaurants would do well to call their products something else altogether, so as to avoid the disappointment of newbies who order pizza and are given what’s essentially a salad instead :P

Taste aside, I’m wondering — Do you have the same feeling hungry a few minutes after eating raw food issue that I do?

I’ve never tried any of these as I’m not in LA (and probably would opt to enjoy a night out at a restaurant or just stay in and make food rather than get delivery), but I wanted to add my two cents about raw foods. I’m not fully raw, but I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting lately, and I have to say, contrary to your experience at Rawvolution, I’ve had some raw meals that not only match their traditional counterparts, but exceed them. Especially deserts, some raw deserts are absolutely amazing, not only are they filling and satisfy a sweet tooth, but are totally guilt free. I will say that some raw foods take an acquired taste, but there are some that I would take any day over their cooked counterparts!