Nutrition experts Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina once again provide the essential information needed to safely embrace a new dietary lifestyle. As they did for vegetarians and vegans in Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, they present the first authoritative look at the science behind raw foods. More people are jumping onto the raw foods bandwagon either to lose weight, fight chronic health problems, or simply to benefit from the high level of nutrients found in uncooked or sprouted foods. The authors offer science-based answers to tough questions about raw foods and raw diets, furnish nutrition guidelines and practical information, and show how to construct a raw diet that meets recommended nutrient intakes simply and easily. Chapters include: *the history of raw diets by food historian Rynn Berry * the health benefits of raw diets and negative consequences associated with cooked foods * individual sections on calories, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals in raw foods * a comparison of nutrients in various raw diets * what science says about popular raw diet claims * the safety of raw foods, sprouts, and dehydrated and fermented foods * what foods and equipment are needed to get started and what raw food preparation basics are good to master A section of over forty-five recipes provides dishes for any time of day and every occasion.