It's only natural that at this time of year what you put in your shopping basket is going to be very different to what you put in it during the summer. But what exactly IS good to buy and eat during the colder months when you want to eat raw but the fruit in the shops has never been less ripe and the salads somehow just seem too watery and unsubstantial? And how on earth do you avoid the classic raw foodist error of relying daily on the good ol' dried fruit and nuts combo which only ends up knocking you off balance, fills you up on too-sugary- too-fatty snack foods and never truly satisfies you?

For those of you now wondering what to put in your kitchen store cupboard and refrigerator now that the cold dark nights are well and truly here, this is for you.

Step 1: Choose Your Recipes
You could be forgiven for thinking that step one might have been "buy your produce" and then gone on to detail what produce is best to buy at this time of year. Well, we will be getting to that, but experience tells me to start with the actual recipes that you want to be making, especially if you are new to this. Yes, there are definitely going to be some raw food groups that you are going to be leaning on more heavily than others, but there's no point in buying in lots of winter-friendly food and then wondering what on earth to do with it! So step 1 is indeed "Choose Your Recipes" and so I recommend that you pull out your raw recipe books, and also make full use of the internet to find some great winter recipes that really appeal to you and that you feel 100% confident that you will want and be able to make. Your task here is to choose 10 really good "I want to make this" raw recipes that you can photocopy, put in a binder and keep in your kitchen both for the purpose of making the recipes and also for the purpose of compiling your shopping list. Naturally I want you to make sure that you choose recipes that you feel will be perfect for the time of year and climate, so yes, this likely means that you'll be eating heavier, probably more nut, seed and grain-based recipes, but so be it, this is all part of the diversity that can be experienced when you choose to eat more live natural foods.

Step 2: Create Your Shopping List
So what comes next is not a surprise! The second step is to go through those recipes you've selected and compile your shopping list from them so that you have everything you need. Very likely many if not most of the ingredients will be "dry" goods, that is things in packets, jars or shells, and of course there will also be the need to intentionally include a very generous amount of green leafy vegetables, if you've not already done so, together with a very health dose of other fresh stuff such as the classic tomatoes, bell peppers, avocadoes and other fresh raw favorites. When you're done, I'd like you to run your list through a quick check to make sure you have enough diversity in there (read: nutrition).

Step 3: Warm Up Your Kitchen!
Whether you're eating all raw or more raw this winter, there's a good chance that you'll also need to tweak or revamp your kitchen to accommodate your changes. Mostly it will simply be a case of deciding which equipment you're going to be using more often and perhaps swapping some locations for practical reasons and ease of use, but if you're still new to raw foods and are going for it, then this might be the time to have your spring clean a bit early! Your criteria is simply to ask yourself "What 5 changes can I make to my kitchen this weekend that would really make my winter in the raw easier, tastier and more enjoyable?" and then do what's required. An example? Well, I tend to make a lot of smoothies in the summer but in winter tend to want vegetable juices a lot more, so I'll be swapping my Vita-Mix and Champion around, so that my juicer is nearer my sink as I'll be using it more often. I'm also much more drawn to sprouting in the winter so I'll be setting up a more active and easily accessible sprouting area within my kitchen so that I have some on the go all the time. Whatever 5 changes you commit to making, also bear in mind that any changes made are best done against a nice clean backdrop, so if there's any binning or donating to be done, now's the time to do it!

Step 4: Go Shopping
So you have your list and your kitchen is all geared up for the new foods and meals that it'll be seeing soon, now it's time to buy the stuff! Yes, I want you to buy what you set out to buy, but I also want you to keep your eyes and senses open to any other new foods that are on sale that you might never have seen or tried before. Now might be the time to try persimmons for the first time (also known as Sharon Fruit), or to have your first raw experiment with cranberries. Just be open to adding one or two surprise ingredients, just to see.

Step 5: Get To It!
Once back home with all your goodies it's time to stash everything away safely ready for using. This is the time to see if there's any way you could better use your space now that you have everything you need and can physically see the volume of it. For instance, do the cupboards need rearranging so that all the food is in one place or near corresponding equipment? Would your dried goods, now that there are more of them, be better located in your carousel (if you have one), like mine are, rather than your pots and pans?

When you're done, it's time to choose your first recipe! Yes, you're actually going to make this happen! So, what's first up on this week's menu? You know you have to take action now!

This Week's Recipe
Winter Cabbage Wraps with Garlic-Ginger Dip

Raw cabbage? Not necessarily my idea of fun - or at least it wasn't until I tried this recipe! Cabbage doesn't always "feel" right in summer, but at this time of year when lettuce loses some appeal, this is the perfect replacement.

I invite you to suspend disbelief long enough to make this and eat it... you'll be very glad you did!

Ingredients

For the wraps:
* White cabbage leaves
* Avocado
* Tomatoes
* Black pitted olives
* Coriander (cilantro)

For the dip:
* Olive oil
* Water
* Lemon juice
* Lime juice (optional)
* Coriander (cilantro)
* Garlic
* Fresh ginger

Directions

To make the wraps:
1) Open the cabbage leaf and make a thick column of avocado slices down the middle, leaving a fair amount of space either side.
2) Pile on slices of fresh tomato, pieces of black pitted olives and top with a generous amount of fresh coriander.

To make the dip:
1) Pour a small amount (about 3 tablespoons) of olive oil into a small bowl.
2) Add the juice of half a lemon, and, if you have one, the juice of a lime.
3) Add about 20 stalks of finely chopped fresh coriander, a small piece of ginger finely chopped, and half a bulb of garlic, finely chopped.
4) Add water to make the mixture less oily, but obviously do not water it down too much, or the taste will be spoiled.
5) Serve the dip in a tiny dipping bowl and your cabbage wraps laid open or secured with a cocktail stick. Prepare for true winter decadence: )

Use this dip to give an oriental twist to the cabbage wraps.

RAW COACH'S TOP TIPS:

* Don't like avocado or don't want to use it? Nothing to stop you using a raw pate or cheese in your wraps