3 Easy recipes to make healthy dressings – for Salads & Vegetables

I’m not a fan of pre-packaged salad dressings which are loaded with sugar and “bad” fats. And I’m often asked how to make salads and vegetables tasty. Here are some tips for healthy anti-inflammatory dressings which I use both on salads and vegetables – in summer and winter!

As you know, I’m not into low fat dressings and I rec...ommend only using fats which aid the brain, metabolism, and reduce inflammation in the body and brain. Most of the ingredients contained in these dressings are rich in healthy fats which I recommend using as much as you want to. Don’t be afraid! These fats’ are really good for you!

My standard “go to” dressing:

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup flax-seed oil (store in fridge as goes rancid easily)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon seeded mustard
½ crushed garlic clove
Pink Himalayan sea salt (pinch) and pinch black pepper
Place all in a jar and shake. High in healthy anti-inflammatory fats and digestive stimulating bitter tastes – so helps digest raw salads. Alkalising on the body therefore anti-inflammatory. Lasts for weeks in the fridge. I put this on steamed vegetable and salads.

Simple dressing for steamed veg:

1/2 cup olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic
Salt and pepper
Pour over steamed broccoli, beans and asparagus for extra boost of nutrition and taste.

Creamy Sesame salad dressing

1/3 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Tahini (sesame seed paste available at the health food section of supermarket)
1-2 garlic clove crushed
Salt and pepper
1/3 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Place all ingredients in a jar and shake. Store in fridge.

What I throw into a salad:

Seeds or nuts: I lightly fry in a fry pan, sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds in Tamari (wheat free soy sauce). I do it in bulk and store in the fridge. I throw 1-2 tablespoons over the top of a salad to make it more crunchy and yum. I also may add raw walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts (handful of a combination of these)
Olives
Chopped veggies – finely sliced red cabbage (rich in detoxing sulphur), radicchio lettuce (bitter and beneficial for the digestion), baby spinach leaves (rich in easy to absorb folate), thinly sliced fennel (good for digestion and settles a tender tummy), cucumber (cools the blood), red, yellow or green capsicum (vit c), baby tomato, etc…
chopped apples
Pomegranate seeds (heart health, gut health – anti-parasitic)
Protein: grilled or baked chicken; sliced steak; any type of cooked seafood
At times I add goats feta
Or all of the above!
As you can see, my salads are a meal on their own. All these ingredients feed your good bacteria in your gut microbiome aiding your immune health, your mental health and your hormonal health.

You can pre-organise your lunch salads that you take to work, by putting these separate ingredients into individual containers stacked in the fridge. Plus make your dressing in bulk.

In the morning build your salad by throwing a handful of each pre-prepared ingredient into your lunch container. Take a small amount of dressing to work to put on just before serving. Things are so much easy if we pre-prepare our work lunches. This method is also great if you come home late and want a quick, healthy and easy dinner.

Enjoy! X

www.higherhealth.com.au

Yours in health,
Maria Lucey, Nutritionist