Raw Vegan Olive Tapenade

This raw vegan olive tapenade recipe is the perfect way to stretch my olive stash a little longer. I bought a few pounds of olives in the last two weeks and eaten them directly out of the container. I added almond meal to this one. It is a great way to fill out the recipe and add a little protein with no change in the flavor or texture of the tapenade. Yummy!!!

I have to come clean, I have been having some cravings for the first time since I started my raw food experiment in April. For the last week or so I have had a powerful craving for olives. Now I have always loved olives but to be perfectly honest they are not something I eat regularly at all. So imagine my surprise when I cannot get olives off of my mind. Finally last weekend I looked up what an olive craving means. Most experts believe that it is a need for additional sodium in the diet.

Apparently if you are on a Paleo or raw diet (no processed foods) you can actually get too little salt in your diet. Surprise! I have known that we definitely need salt in our diet but because most of us eat so much processed food with so much added sodium (even many things that primarily taste sweet), doctors and nutritionists have advised us to cut back on salt. Something like 70% of the average American’s sodium intake is from processed foods

When we eat a primarily whole food diet, it is actually more challenging to get enough sodium. I also read an interesting article about how in a balanced diet cravings are actually an important way to detect vitamin and mineral deficiencies. So if you are having a salt craving satisfy it with this raw vegan olive tapenade. Serve it on any cracker or chip.