Raw foodism (also know as raw vegetarianism) is a movement promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and organic foods, as a quiet large percentage of the diet. Such diet consists fully of foods which have not been heated above a certain temperature. The maximum temperature varies from 92ºF to 118ºF (33°C to 48°C). Raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat and unpasteurized dairy products (such as raw milk, cheese and yogurt).

A raw vegan is a person who consumes primarily raw food, or all raw food, depending on how strict the person is. Raw foodists typically believe that the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits. They generally believe raw food prevents and/or heals many forms of sickness and many chronic diseases. Freezing food is considered acceptable by many raw foodists; some choose to preserve nuts and seeds in a freezer.

Raw vegans believe that:

• Raw foods contain enzymes which greatly aid in their own digestion, freeing the body's own enzymes to do the work unimpeded of regulating all the body's many metabolic processes. Heating food degrades or destroys these enzymes in food, putting the onus on the body's own enzyme production.
• Eating food without enzymes makes digestion more difficult, deprives the body of enzymes, and leads to toxicity in the body, to excess consumption of food, and therefore to obesity and to chronic disease.
• Raw foods contain bacteria and other micro-organisms that stimulate the immune system and enhance digestion by populating the digestive tract with beneficial flora.
• Raw foods have higher nutrient values than foods which have been cooked.

Such diet includes the following advantages: a stable body mass index, clear skin, more energy, minimising a range of common illnesses, from the flu to obesity-related illnesses.

A raw food vegan diet may be defined in various ways, but usually entails at least 80% by weight being raw plants. Many people report feeling healthier and more energetic on adopting such diets, but there are too few long-term raw food vegans for direct evaluation of the success of raw vegan diets versus other diets. We can, however, evaluate such diets against known human nutritional requirements to gain a better understanding of the ways in which appropriate raw vegan diets could benefit health.

Raw vegan diets comprise three key food groups: sweet fruit, high-fat plants and green leafy vegetables. Raw food authorities differ in the proportions recommended, some suggesting that 2% of calories from green leafy vegetables (about 300 g of lettuce per day) is sufficient while others recommend that about 30% of calories should come from green vegetables. Similarly, recommendations on high fat foods such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils range from a few percent to about 40% of calories. The Hallelujah diet founded by George Malkmus puts particular emphasis on carrot juice and barley grass, which contribute about 15% of calories.

Many foods in raw food diets are simple to prepare, such as fruits, salads, meat, and dairy. Other foods can require considerable advanced planning to prepare for eating. Rice and some other grains, for example, require sprouting or overnight soaking to become digestible. Many raw foodists believe it is best to soak nuts before eating them, in order to activate their enzymes. Fermenting raw foods such as pickles, yogurt, and kim chee are often time-consuming and require long fermentation periods.