Within the raw food movement,
there are many different methods, styles and ethoses - one of
which is Fruitarian.
At its most
basic, a fruitarian is someone who eats only fruit.
However the definition of "what is a fruit" varies greatly, even
between fruitarians, and many consider it to extend beyond the "laymans"
definition of fruit to cover the mature produce or seed of a plant,
so extending the range of foods covered to include grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
To this end, any food that involves damaging or killing the
plant is excluded - so whereas a "regular" raw food diet would
include things like lettuces, brassicas and carrots, these would
all be excluded under a fruitarian diet.
Though initially this may sound
incredibly restrictive, there are still a huge amount of foods
available under a fruitarian regime.
For example, a fruitarian can eat an avocado sandwich, a coconut milk shake or the purest coconut ice cream made from the milk and meat of the fruit, veggie burgers made of lentil or bean paste or tofu, a succotash of corn, limas, peas, and tomatoes, sweets made with pure maple syrup or date sugar, pecan pies made with fruit sugars, fruit shakes made of a mixture of orange and banana, pear and peach, pomegranate, papaya, and plum. A pizza of tofu, tomato, and pepper (not pepperoni), salads of tomato, cucumber, green and red peppers (but not lettuce, cabbage, or celery), nut butters such as almond butter or tahini, hummus
You need to
eat carefully if you choose a fruitarian diet, because it can be
more of a challenge to get enough essential protein in your
diet. There is also a danger of ending up with a diet that may
be excessively acidic (particularly if citrus forms a high
percentage of your daily intake), which can cause concerns such
as tooth enamel erosion and/or (according to many experts) major
health issues such as arthritis and cancer. As with any
diet, use your common sense, listen to your body and make sure
you do your research thoroughly and keep up with health advice.