Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

then, don’t most salad dressings mirror their health-promoting qualities? Not one commercial salad dressing fit Thrive Diet parameters. Many are based on low-quality processed oil, and most contain refined sugar.
     
    The price of commercial salad dressings varies greatly depending on the type of oil used.
    The cheaper varieties generally use a base of cottonseed, palm, or safflower oil. Soybean, canola, and olive oil-based dressings are one level better, yet still far from ideal. Extra-virgin olive oil is generally the best oil source found in commercial salad dressing.
    The processing of oil—the way in which the oil is extracted from the seed, olive, or whatever the primary source may be—can be the difference between good and bad. Some extraction methods for cheaper oils involve high heat, which can actually cause the oil to convert to trans fat. Other extraction methods use chemical solvents to separate the oil, usually done with low-grade oils. When selecting oils, be sure to choose ones that are labeled “cold pressed” or “raw.” This will ensure that the proper measures have been taken when extracting the oils to maintain the integrity of the oil. Don’t assume that most salad dressings are raw—most are heat processed.
    Quality is often compromised when low-quality oils are processed. To increase shelf life and prevent the oil from becoming rancid once bottled, heavy solvents are often used. Since taste and smell are altered by the use of these chemicals, the oil is then heated to high temperature, to eliminate any unpleasant odor and taste left by the processing procedure. Oils that have been through that process are particularly unhealthy and should adamantly be avoided. Unfortunately, many commercial dressings, dips, and spreads include ingredients that have been subjected to this treatment.
    Since I eat at least one big salad a day and base the Thrive Diet on greens, I found I needed several good salad dressings, for variety. My recipes are designed for their health-promoting ingredients as much as they are for taste. Because of their nutrient-rich properties, using these dressings with other foods is a good way to enrich their value also. Since oil is obtained from a seed, its nutrition value often very closely parallels the nutrition of the seed itself or plant that it would grow into. However, the oil is in a highly concentrated form and therefore offers a wealth of intense nourishment.
    Blending ground sunflower seeds, black beans, or black-eyed peas into the dressings will thicken them so they also can be used as dips, spreads, and sauces. Try them as a pizza crust sauce, a burger topping, a dip for Garlic Oregano Yam Oven Fries (p. 244) or raw vegetables, and even as a sauce on Zucchini Pasta (p. 243).
    Feel free to experiment with dressings of your own, too. As long as the base consists of a high-quality oil such as hemp oil or, better yet, the EFA Oil Blend (p. 210), along with a high-quality vinegar such as balsamic or apple cider, you can’t go wrong. Lemon juice is another high-quality base ingredient.
     
    Salad Dressing Procedure Follow this procedure for all the salad dressing recipes, unless otherwise specified:
     
     
    In a blender, blend all ingredients together. The flavors will take up to a day to combine completely. I make a bottle of three or four flavors and store in the refrigerator to have them on hand; they stay fresh for up to a month.
     

     

Cayenne Dill Tahini Dressing
     
    This is a full-flavored dressing with a bit of bite. The tahini offers a good amount of calcium, and the cayenne pepper helps get the blood flowing.
     
    1/2 clove garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup hemp oil or EFA Oil Blend (p. 210)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Sea salt to taste
     
     
    Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
     

Creamy Ginger Dressing
     
    This is a thick, creamy dressing with a strong flavor. Only a small amount needs to be used on salad to boost its flavor. By doubling the amount of tahini and nutritional yeast, it can also serve as a dip for Garlic Oregano Yam Oven Fries (p. 244), or be drizzled over a burger.
     
    As with all recipes containing nutritional yeast, it is high in B vitamins. With the ginger, it also helps reduce inflammation and aids in digestion, making it especially good to have with cooked food.
     
    1/2 cup hemp oil or EFA Oil Blend (p. 210)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
2 tsp