Healthy Dressings

Think of this unique chickpea guacamole to be a combination of hummus and avocado. Rich in both healthy fatty acids and healthy protein, this side dish can easily be a part of a satisfying meal when combined with your favorite grain dish. We love it with brown rice or quinoa.

This simple and delicious black bean tahini dip is abundant in calcium, folate (folic acid), manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and vitamin B1.

This dip is also rich in healthy protein, including an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is helpful for promoting restful sleep and good nervous system health.

Guacamole has long been one of my favorite dishes. It's rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, phytonutrients that are good for keeping our eyes healthy, and a number of other health-enhancing nutrients. Best of all, guacamole is simple to put together and goes well with just about anything.

As I mentioned in my post on eating calcium-rich plant foods to promote optimal bone health, sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, all of which your body needs to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. So if you want to ensure that you optimally nourish your bones and teeth as you age, consider mastering the following Asian-style sesame sauce recipe. Depending on how much water you use, this recipe can produce a light salad dressing, a dip for raw vegetables, or even a rich alternative to mayonnaise.

One of the most common health concerns that people consult with me for is how to prevent osteoporosis. I routinely review bone scan results and food diaries of people who diligently follow conventional recommendations on calcium intake, and are discouraged by worsening test results.

In my experience, the most common mistake that people make is eating too much dairy. Many health practitioners routinely advise their patients to get anywhere from 1200 to 1500 milligrams of calcium every day, and many people turn to milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products to meet this requirement.

If you enjoy cream cheese, I encourage you to give the following dairy-free and healthy cream cheese recipe a try. It calls for sweet cashews, a touch of fine olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs as an optional ingredient.

Cashews are rich in a number of health-promoting nutrients, including magnesium, copper, tryptophan, and healthy fatty acids. A diet that is rich in high quality cashews can help keep your teeth and bones healthy, and help prevent high blood pressure.

When I design dairy-free dietary programs for clients, I often recommend eating small amounts of raw, organic cashews on a regular basis, as cashews are extremely dense in health-promoting nutrients, and their natural creaminess and sweetness make them an excellent substitute for many dairy-based foods and snacks.

The following creamy cashew dressing recipe creates a rich dressing or sauce that goes well with vegetable salads and pasta dishes. It's naturally abundant in healthy fatty acids, magnesium, and tryptophan, making it a healthy choice for your cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems.

This all-raw, nutrient-dense dip is an excellent substitute for dairy-based dips that are commonly served with vegetable platters. The creamy substance of this dip is provided by raw, organic cashews, which are naturally abundant in magnesium, healthy fatty acids, copper, and tryptophan.

Try serving this creamy dip alongside a bunch of celery sticks, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli & cauliflower florets, raw zucchini sticks, bell pepper slices, and any other raw vegetables that you enjoy.

Sesame SeedsIf you love hummus but have a hard time digesting chickpeas, this chickpea-free hummus recipe is definitely worth trying. It calls for raw organic tahini (ground sesame seeds), but if you can only find tahini made with roasted sesame seeds, it's no problem to use that instead.

This raw hummus is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, and tryptophan. Because of its high tryptophan content, when eaten along with a healthy carbohydrate-rich food, it's an excellent evening food choice for promoting a good night's rest.

When made with raw, organic milk, butter can be a healthy food choice, since it's naturally rich in healthy fatty acids, healthy cholesterol, and vitamin A.

If your body can't tolerate high quality dairy butter, you can still enjoy butter by mastering the following dairy-free butter recipes; extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil are used as bases to create buttery goodness.