These healthy sauces, salsas, dips, & dressing recipes are an easy & delicious way to jazz up chicken, vegetables, pasta, rice, & more. Prep them ahead of time when you want to get a nourishing meal on the table in a hurry!
You can thank my client, Jessica, for this delicious round-up of healthy sauces, salsas, dips, and dressings!
We had been cooking together for awhile when Jessica asked me for some easy sauce recipes as a delicious way to jazz up healthy meal staples like vegetables, grilled chicken, fish, pasta, rice, and more.
Jazz up your healthy staples with one of these mouth watering sauces, salsas, dips, and dressings!
I thought this was a FABULOUS recipe round-up idea, because sauces, salsa, dips, and dressings are an incredibly healthy AND delicious way to add flavor to your favorite easy meals.
What to Pair Your Healthy Sauces, Salsas, Dressings, & Dips With
- Omnivore: Grilled Chicken, Roast Turkey, Steak, Burgers, Pork Chops, Lamb Chops
- Pescatarian: Seared Salmon, Baked Halibut, Fish Tacos, Grilled Shrimp, Seared Scallops
- Vegetarian: Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, Quesadillas
- Vegan: Roast/Steamed/Raw Vegetables, Salads, Pasta, Falafel, Rice & Grain Bowls, Polenta, Fruit
These Healthy Sauces Will Up Your Nutrition Game Too!
- They’re a delicious way to eat more veggies! And, yes, salsa counts as a vegetable serving IMO 🙂
- Zesty herbs and spices are rich in compounds that fight inflammation & reduce cellular damage to boost health.
- Your picky eaters will SWOON to eat their veggies. Bring on the ranch dressing!
- If you’re cutting back on calories, sauces & salsas are a delicious way to add flavor without adding a lot of calories.
What sauces are low calorie?
Many of these healthy sauces, especially the salsa recipes, provide a delicious nutrient boost, while keeping the added calories low. Others may not be super low cal, but serve up healthy fats to fill you up & promote longevity and good health.
Nutrient dense, and bursting with flavor, these sauces, salsas, dips, and dressings are inspired by cuisines around the world including Asian, Greek, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, South American, and more!
Keep these ingredients stocked in your pantry to whip up healthy sauces anytime!
- Heart healthy oils. Extra virgin olive oil, garlic infused oil (for low FODMAP sauces) nut & seed oils, avocado oil, & expeller pressed high oleic sunflower oil
- Zippy vinegars. Apple cider, balsamic (traditional & white), rice, red/white wine, fruit infused (raspberry, peach, passionfruit, & more).
- Fresh citrus. Lemon zest, lime juice, orange & grapefruit.
- Fruits & veggies. Berries, cherries, greens, mango, onions, peaches.
- Pantry staples. Jarred & canned: artichoke hearts, beans, capers, ketchup, gluten free tamari, mayo, mustard, olives, sun dried tomatoes, & diced tomatoes.
- Probiotic rich yogurt + cheese. Greek, Skyr style, goat & sheep milk, & lactose free yogurt. Blue, Feta, & Parmesan.
- Nuts & Seeds. Almonds, hemp seeds, pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, & more.
- Anti-inflammatory rich herbs & spices. Just a few to have on hand include basil, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper, rosemary, & turmeric.
Props! What You Need to Make & Store Your Healthy Sauces
- Blender. I LOVE my Vitamix, but some other top rated blenders my clients love include this Blendtec Blender and Nutribullet Blender.
- Food Processor. For years I used my trusty Cuisinart. When it broke, I purchased this Breville Food Processor that I love. And, for smaller jobs, this mini Kitchen Aid food processor is hard to beat!
- Mason jars. Stock up on jars and lids for easy storage of your pourable healthy sauces & salad dressings.
- Glass storage containers. For thicker sauces & dips, these are great to have on hand!
- Freeze leftover sauces in an ice cube tray ~ such a great idea!
Let’s move on to all the delicious recipes!
All of these healthy sauce, salsa, dip, and dressing recipes are gluten free and vegetarian. Plus, many of them are vegan & paleo as well.
THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OF MY DIETITIAN & FOOD BLOGGER FRIENDS FOR SHARING THEIR DELICIOUS RECIPES! Be sure to click on the links to the recipes you want to try the most or pin this post~there’s a perfect sauce for everyone!
Before you go! Want even more healthy sauces, salsas, dips, and dressings? Check out all my favorites here at The Spicy RD–> Dips, Dressings, & Sauces Enjoy!
