F.A.Q.

How long will The Abundant Bin last?
This depends on your general appetite, the amount of raw foods you are used to eating, what additional foods you are eating etc… The Bin contains items and is designed to generously last one person five- seven days with the addition of fresh fruits, salads and smoothies. If you have tried gourmet raw food dishes before, you probably know that most of the dishes come in servings smaller than regular cooked foods… Well, except for salads.  Gourmet raw foods are nutrient and protein dense and take much less to fill you up. Most people agree that smaller portioned raw food dishes are more satiating than regular cooked and processed foods.


Will Eating Raw Foods help me lose weight?
Yes, it can definitely help you lose weight in the most natural and enjoyable way. Eliminating processed foods (like processed sugar, flour, etc.), preservatives, and animal products will help your body cleanse, detox and come to its natural balance.

Basically it’s fresh vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, sprouts, herbs, nuts and seeds crafted into delicious meals. The raw ingredients we use that contain fat (nuts, olives, avocados and seeds) naturally contain an enzyme called lipase that digests fat and allows them to be metabolized by the body and not stored as fat. Since our food is not cooked, it maintains the lipase as well as other important enzymes (protease and amylase etc.). Ultra-low fat diets, those recommending below 10% of caloric intake from fat, have been shown to greatly increase the risk of deficiencies of essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are basic, essential nutrients important for heart health, mental function, skin health and many other body functions. Too little fat in the diet can also prevent the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, such as A,D,E and K.

If you want to eat healthier, reach your ideal weight and feel great; but don't have the time to spend on extensive meal preparation?  Let us do the work for you! You can have these healthy, delicious foods all week long!


Do I need to return the packaging? 
Yes Please!  The abundant bin and most of its contents are reusable and we'd appreciate if you could save it for us (including the foil-bubble lining and gel packs).  If we meet you at the time of delivery we'll kindly remind you about the box. If you're not home at the time of delivery, Please leave it out for a pick up. If you're not planning to re-order anytime soon, we can schedule a Monday pick-up so we can quickly return your packaging deposit.


Can I pick up my Abundant Bin? 
Currently, we don't have any pick-up locations. We will let you know once this option is available.


Can you define "raw" for me? We call food raw if it is: 
* Uncooked - never heated above 42 C/118 F degrees 
* Unprocessed - as fresh or close to the earth as possible 
* Organic - no irradiation, preservatives, pesticides or GMO


How can you make things like wraps and lasagna if the food isn't cooked? 
Our breads and crusts are made in a food dehydrator and dried at a low temperature (115 degrees) to maintain their nutritional integrity. Our cheeses and sauces etc. are artistically blended from fresh, raw, vegan ingredients!


How do you make things cheesy and creamy without cheese and cream?
All of our cheesy, creamy dishes use only vegan ingredients such as sprouted raw almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and sunflower seeds etc. blended in a way to create pure healthy decadence.


Can I order your Abundant bin if I have severe allergies?
We use almonds, cashews, coconuts, pecans, walnuts, sesame seeds and other nuts, seeds and potential allergens in a great many of our dishes and cannot guarantee the complete absence of any single ingredient we use in any dish that we serve. If you have been known to have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients we serve, we cannot in good faith, encourage you to employ our services. If you do so; it is solely at your own risk. Though we would love the opportunity to serve you; we hope you will understand that your health and safety is our chief concern.


Do you make substitutions?
No, we cannot offer substitutions or special orders at this time. For us to be able to offer hand-made, raw, gourmet meals made with the finest organic ingredients, at a reasonable price, we make only standard orders. 


Why is it healthier to eat Gluten-free?
Gluten has a irritating and negative effect on your health on many levels; it is linked to Alzheimers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and celiac disease. Gluten also leads to poor assimilation of nutrients since the intestinal tract does not properly absorb nutrients when irritated.  Even those with no known sensitivity to gluten might be surprised as to how good they feel once they eat gluten less often. 


Do any of these dishes contain legumes or grains?
We don't use any legumes for our raw food dishes. The only grain we use is raw oats (only in raw granola and a few desserts). Some dehydrated items might include buckwheat, but it is actually a seed and, in spite of its confusing name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is gluten free. 


Can I warm up the food?
If you prefer, you can slightly warm up the food but still have it raw.  One option is to plan in advance what you will have for lunch or dinner that day and take that meal out of refrigerator a few hours before serving, that way the food will be at least room temperature by the time you serve it. If you have a food dehydrator you can use it to warm up your meal (make sure to keep the temperature below 115-118F). You can also use your oven at a very low temperature for a few minutes.

You can warm up a raw soup in a small pot on a stove (low heat). As long as you can stick your finger in the soup and it doesn't hurt, it's raw! 


Can I freeze the food?
It’s probably not a good idea to freeze our gourmet raw food dishes. One exception is the desserts / truffles that are cheesecake like. I love frozen raw truffles!!!


What other healthy things should I eat if I want to stick to a mostly raw diet between Abundant Bin deliveries?
Start with a kitchen stocked with ripe fresh fruits and vegetables. Indulge in luscious ripe fruit whenever you have a sweet tooth.   Besides fruit my answer is most always, smoothies, soups and salads.  Take a look at the recipe page that we have provided for some simple and delicious ideas (lots more to come).  

I love soups and smoothies because they are easy to prepare with just a knife and a blender. Next, they are probably the healthiest raw foods you can eat. Your blender will masticate soups and smoothies better than you could with your teeth, no matter how well you chew. When blending, all the fibers of the food are completely broken down before consuming, making all of the nutrition totally bio-available to the body with little digestion required, leaving you feeling energetic and light.   

For salads start with the bag in your bin then once finished, pick up some local organic pre-washed mixed greens and stick them in your fridge for easy access. Chop and shred your favorite veggies and place them in the refrigerator - these will last about 7 days and are perfect for quick salad assembly.  


Can I give this as a gift?
YES!!!  The Abundant bin is truly a gift of love. Send a friend or a loved one a Gift Certificate for any occasion!  Just purchase the bin and state in the "note" area, "Gift Certificate".  We can also just deliver an Abundant Bin to whomever you wish, just include the correct address and a contact number. We are happy to include a gift card and ribbon for you.