This is the best healthy green goddess dressing recipe that will add so much flavor to anything you put it on.
Eating balanced should be both nutrient-dense and delicious-dense!
One of the unique elements in our Foundational Five system for creating nourishing meals is the Flavor Factor, which is all about adding ingredients that help make your meal taste delicious and even more nutritious, including sauces, dressings, spices, and herbs.
Made with fresh herbs, yogurt of your choice, avocado or tahini, olive oil, and green onions — this green goddess dressing recipe will turn into your favorite dip, spread, sauce, marinade, and condiment for the summer.
It’s perfect for batch cooking and used in a variety of ways throughout the week.
How To Use This Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
You can use green goddess dressing as a salad dressing, of course, but also you can get creative using it as a sandwich spread, mixed into a nourish bowl, a dip for roasted or raw vegetables, a spread for crackers, a sauce for grilled fish, chicken, or baked tofu. The possibilities are endless and you can also replace one herb with another just in case you’re low on something or don’t have dill/parsley/mint at home.
THE FOUNDATIONAL FIVE FLAVOR FACTOR
In case you’re new to the NS Community and our method here, the Foundational Five is my simple process and system to make sure you’re nourishing your body with balanced foods to prevent cravings, combat stress, nourish yourself well, and enjoy what you’re eating.
There’s no counting involved, no need for tracking, and no need to eliminate any food group if you don’t medically need to. The Foundational Five is all about simplicity, balance, and being able to apply this system practically in your real life.
What Is The Flavor Factor?
What we call the Flavor Factor is a unique part of our food philosophy within the Mindful Nutrition Method™ — it’s purpose is to both celebrate the nourishment and the enjoyment factor of food.
Food is nourishment and also enjoyment!
An easy way to remember how to utilize the Flavor Factor is to check off if you have five of the flavors present, these include: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
Sweet flavor can easily come from sugary carbohydrates in your meal, salty can come from the obvious of salt or even seaweed or things like celery which taste salty, sour can come from things like fresh lemon juice or tamarind paste, bitter can come from things like dark leafy greens, arugula, dandelion greens, grapefruit, and umami can come from mushrooms, soy sauce, and miso paste.
One of the most frequent conversations I have with my clients when it comes to cooking is their reservation or lack of using fresh herbs in their cooking at home! It’s always a surprise, but it’s actually really common that most of us don’t think to add fresh herbs to our cooking, it completely transforms recipes from flavor, texture, to add a boost of nutrients.
Infusing flavor, texture, and aroma, fresh herbs are the fabric of a flavorful and well-balanced meal. Although they’re an optional addition to some recipes, herbs are the finishing touch that ties all ingredients together!
Do Herbs Have Health Benefits?
Yes! Yes, herbs across the board are nutrient-dense and some have very unique health benefits.
Herbs also contain a wide array of nutrients from vitamins, antioxidants, to minerals. Regardless of the amount you eat, adding herbs to your dishes can be a way to enhance flavor and enhance nutrition, easily.
Herbs are one of the easiest food items to begin growing at home and work great for small and large spaces a like. You can read our beginner-friendly guide on how to start a home garden (even if you have a small space)!
Beta-Carotene
Parsley is also a good source of beta-carotene which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
Mint
Mint, for example, has been shown to help promote brain function and mood, studies have also shown that peppermint can help relieve digestive issues, like an upset stomach, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Mint is a rich source of antioxidants and phytonutrients that can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
Vitamin C
The fresh herbs used in this healthy green goddess dressing recipe are dill, parsley, and mint. All of which have their own unique nutrient profile, let’s take parsley, for example, which is rich in vitamin C, which can help support our immune system to ward off the common cold to preventing cancer. Parsley is also a good source of beta-carotene which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.