Can You Cook Anything on a Raw Diet? Understanding Raw Food Rules

November 25, 2025 •

3 min read

According to Healthline, a food is considered raw if it has not been heated over 104–118°F. This raises a key question: Can you cook anything on a raw diet while following these strict temperature guidelines?

Quick Summary

Raw food diets forbid cooking food above a specific low-temperature threshold, meaning traditional methods are out. Permitted preparations include blending, soaking, and dehydrating below the temperature limit.

Key Points

Strict Temperature Limit: Raw diets forbid heating food above 104–118°F, meaning traditional cooking is not allowed.
Allowed Preparation Methods: Techniques like soaking, sprouting, dehydrating, and fermenting are permitted as they stay within the low-temperature boundary.
Food Safety Risks: Consuming raw animal products like meat, fish, and unpasteurized dairy carries a significant risk of bacterial and parasitic contamination.
Nutritional Trade-offs: Cooking can destroy some heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., Vitamin C) but can also increase the availability of others (e.g., lycopene and beta-carotene).
Dietary Variations: While many raw foodists are vegan, variations exist that include raw eggs, dairy, and meat, though these are more restrictive and pose greater health risks.
Balanced Approach: Experts generally recommend a mix of both raw and cooked foods to ensure optimal nutrition and minimize health risks.

Defining 'Raw': The Central Rule

At the heart of the raw food diet, or raw foodism, is the principle that food should not be heated above a certain low temperature, typically cited as 104 to 118°F (40 to 48°C). This foundational rule directly answers the question: No, you cannot cook anything on a raw diet using traditional heating methods like boiling, frying, or baking, as these exceed the temperature limit. The reasoning for this rule, according to proponents, is the belief that high-temperature cooking destroys food's natural enzymes, which are considered vital for digestion and overall health. While science generally refutes the importance of food enzymes for human digestion, the practice defines what is and is not acceptable.

Permitted Preparation Methods

Despite the restriction on high-heat cooking, a raw food diet is far from just eating cold, raw produce. A variety of preparation techniques are used to make food palatable, digestible, and interesting. These methods include:

Soaking: Nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains are often soaked in water to soften them and make them more digestible. This process can also activate sprouting.
Sprouting: Soaked legumes and grains are allowed to germinate, a process that increases their nutrient content and bioavailability.
Blending and Juicing: A high-speed blender is a crucial tool for raw foodists, used to create smoothies, soups, sauces, and dips. Juicing extracts nutrients from fruits and vegetables.
Dehydrating: Using a food dehydrator, food can be warmed at a very low temperature (below the 118°F cutoff) for an extended period. This allows for the creation of crackers, fruit leathers, and kale chips.
Fermenting: This process uses microbes to break down food, creating fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha that are rich in probiotics.

The Spectrum of Raw Diets: From Vegan to Omnivore

Not all raw food diets are the same. The strictness of the diet can vary significantly, especially regarding animal products. The main types include:

Raw Vegan Diet: This is the most common and restrictive type, allowing only plant-based foods that are raw or minimally heated. It excludes all animal products.
Raw Vegetarian Diet: Excludes meat, fish, and poultry but permits raw or minimally processed eggs and dairy products.
Raw Omnivorous Diet: The least restrictive, including raw plant foods, eggs, dairy, and in some cases, raw or dried meat and fish. This approach carries significant food safety risks due to bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, which are destroyed by cooking.

The Dangers of Raw Animal Products

While some versions of the diet include raw animal products, this practice is strongly discouraged by health experts. Raw meat, poultry, fish, and unpasteurized dairy can contain harmful bacteria and parasites, posing a serious risk of foodborne illness. Cooking these foods to a safe internal temperature is the only reliable way to eliminate these pathogens.

Raw Food vs. Cooked Food Preparation: A Comparison


Aspect	Raw Food Diet Methods	Traditional Cooking Methods
Temperature	Strictly below 104-118°F (40-48°C).	Above boiling point (212°F or 100°C).
Equipment	Blenders, juicers, dehydrators, spiralizers.	Stovetops, ovens, microwaves, deep fryers.
Techniques	Soaking, sprouting, blending, dehydrating, fermenting.	Boiling, steaming, frying, baking, roasting.
Nutritional Impact	Retains water-soluble vitamins (C, B).	Can destroy water-soluble vitamins.
Nutrient Availability	May make some compounds less bioavailable (e.g., lycopene in tomatoes).	Can increase the bioavailability of some nutrients (e.g., lycopene, beta-carotene).
Digestibility	Can be harder to digest for some due to high fiber and hard-to-break-down cell walls.	Can be easier to digest as heat breaks down cell walls and denatures proteins.
Food Safety	Increased risk of foodborne pathogens, especially with raw animal products.	Eliminates harmful bacteria, improving food safety.

The Verdict: A Balanced Approach Is Best

Ultimately, a strict raw diet excludes all forms of traditional cooking. The answer to "Can you cook anything on a raw diet?" is a definitive no, according to the diet's core principles. However, the use of low-heat dehydrators and other non-thermal preparation methods provides a way to create complex and flavorful meals. For most people, a diet that incorporates both raw and cooked foods is recommended. Eating a variety of both raw fruits and vegetables and properly cooked foods offers a broader spectrum of nutrients, minimizes food safety risks, and provides a healthier, more sustainable approach to nutrition. You can find more information about balancing raw and cooked foods on the Healthline website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The core rule of a raw food diet is that food should not be heated above a specific low temperature, typically between 104°F and 118°F. Any food prepared above this range is not considered 'raw'.

No, traditional ovens, stovetops, and microwaves cannot be used on a raw food diet because they all involve heating food to temperatures far exceeding the raw diet's limit, which is typically 118°F.

Instead of cooking, raw foodists use methods like soaking nuts and grains, sprouting legumes, blending ingredients for smoothies and soups, and dehydrating foods at low temperatures.

Yes, variations exist, including raw vegan (plant-based only), raw vegetarian (includes raw eggs and dairy), and raw omnivorous (includes raw animal products). However, the latter two carry significant food safety risks.

Proponents of the diet believe that cooking food, especially at high temperatures, destroys natural enzymes and reduces the overall nutrient content. Scientific evidence supports that some nutrients are lost, but others are made more available through cooking.

Health experts strongly advise against consuming raw animal products due to the risk of dangerous foodborne pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella. Cooking is the only way to reliably kill these bacteria.

The evidence is mixed. While raw food retains certain nutrients like Vitamin C, cooking can increase the bioavailability of others, such as lycopene. Most experts recommend a balance of both raw and cooked foods for optimal health.

Yes, a strict raw food diet, particularly vegan versions, can be low in certain essential nutrients like protein, iron, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D. Supplements may be necessary to prevent deficiencies.