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There are those Bright Line Eaters who have almost the same meal day after day and find themselves loving it so much that there’s no need for variation. Then there are many Bright Line Eaters who eat similar meals but get their variety from using different dressings, sauces, or salsas.
We’ve learned that not all delicious salad dressing has to have fat, that nuts ground and blended in a high-speed mixer with liquid add a creamy texture, and herbs and spices are our friends. Here are some of our Bright Lifer favorites. Enjoy!
Recipe by Julia Carol
Number of Servings: 8 | Serving Size: ⅛ of Recipe |
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EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 servings | 1 serving | 0 serving |
4 ounces walnuts
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Finely chop the walnuts.
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
Refrigerate.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Vicki Weik
“This is an absolutely fabulous-tasting salad dressing. I bring it with me whenever I will be having a salad!”
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup toasted organic sesame oil
⅓ cup walnut, flax, or avocado oil
Combine all the ingredients, except the oils, and mix together.
Combine the sesame and walnut oils in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the oils to the vinegar mixture, whisking to emulsify the dressing.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Teri Meggers
“This dressing lends itself well to the addition of many herbs and spices.”
Number of Servings: 4 | Serving Size: 1 ounce | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
2 ounces tahini
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
Whisk tahini and lemon juice together until well mixed.
Add 1 tablespoon of water to the dressing if you prefer a thinner consistency.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Tip
Keep individual servings in the fridge for dressing on the go.
Recipe by Julia Harold
“I never get tired of this dressing. The ume plum vinegar is what makes it so good.”
Number of Servings: 1 | Serving Size: Entire Recipe | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
2 ounces hummus
¼ ounce ume plum vinegar
¼ ounce balsamic vinegar
Place all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Whisk the ingredients vigorously until mixed thoroughly.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Heidi Stallman
“This dressing is especially good on a Southwest-style bean salad.”
Number of Servings: 1 | Serving Size: Entire Recipe | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
½ ounce olive oil
½ ounce apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch each of salt and black pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Mary Mazzone
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 2 ounces | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
¼ cup white miso
¼ cup unsweetened, unsalted sesame tahini
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Blend all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender.
Serve 2 ounces as your fat portion.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Lynda Dahl
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 2 ounces | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
3 peeled, pitted avocados
⅓ cup chopped onion
⅓ cup cilantro
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons chili powder
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed food processor until combined and smooth in consistency.
Serve 2 ounces as your fat portion.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Tip
If you do not have food processor, you can combine this sauce in a bowl with a spoon.
Recipe by Lisa Branic
“This sauce is delicious. You can pour it over veggies, tofu, chicken, or an omelet. It’s a lot of sauce for just one fat serving!”
Number of Servings: 4 | Serving Size: ¼ of Recipe | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 2 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
One 15-ounce jar roasted red peppers (or 3 roasted red peppers)
2 ounces slivered almonds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of salt
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Erin Wallace
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 2 ounces | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 0 serving | 0 serving |
6 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 jalapeños, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Stir all the ingredients together.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Note
Two ounces of this is a condiment. You can use more and count it as part of your vegetable serving.
Recipe by Susan Gilbert Zencka
Number of Servings: 1 | Serving Size: Entire Recipe |
Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 1 serving | 0 serving | 0 serving |
4 ounces almond milk
1 ounce raw cashews
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
¼ cup lemon juice
1 large handful basil
2 garlic cloves
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Susan Cook
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 1 ounce |
Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 1 serving | 0 serving |
1½ cups fresh basil leaves
2 ounces raw almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 ounces olive oil or avocado oil
Blend all the ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor until smooth.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Recipe by Leslee Feiwus
Number of Servings: Multiple | Serving Size: 2 ounces | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 0 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | 0 serving | 0 serving |
6 Roma tomatoes, halved
8 small tomatillos, halved
1 yellow onion, chopped
One 1-pound bag small yellow, orange, and red peppers, seeded and halved
4 garlic cloves
Cooking spray
Pinch each of salt and black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, peppers, and garlic on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 1 hour.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a mixing bowl and add the cilantro and lime juice. Blend with an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow the vegetables to cool and then blend in a high-speed blender or food processor.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
Note
Two ounces of this is a condiment. You can use more and count it as part of your vegetable serving.
Recipe by Ellen Eichen Weinman
“This sauce is so good over vegetables, meatballs, chicken, or pork.”
Number of Servings: 4 | Serving Size: ¼ of Recipe | Trigger Level:
EACH SERVING PROVIDES
| VEGETABLES | FRUIT | PROTEIN | FAT | GRAIN |
| 6 ounces | 0 ounces | 0 serving | ½ serving | 0 serving |
1 ounce butter
3 ounces finely chopped green pepper
2 ounces finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
One 15-ounce can tomato puree
One 3-ounce can sliced mushrooms, including liquid
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat.
Add the pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook until the vegetables soften.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomato puree and mushrooms.
Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes.
MEN’S OPTION No modifications.
STARTING DATE March 1, 2016
HEAVIEST WEIGHT 352 pounds
STARTING WEIGHT 338 pounds
GOAL WEIGHT ACHIEVED August 17, 2018
CURRENT WEIGHT 177 pounds
HEIGHT 5'6"
Since early childhood I have had a love-hate relationship with food. Foods I associated with special events or rewards became comfort food when I didn’t know how to handle emotions or situations. Flour, sugar, and fat in any form, including raw, quickly became my drugs of choice, and I would go to any lengths to get them. Healthy food was not celebrated. I knew I was destroying my body, health, mind, and spirit, but I could not stop.
I am an artist, so color stimulates my brain. Now that my brain is healing, it naturally gravitates to healthy foods. Fresh vegetables and fruits displayed in farmers’ markets now turn me on. Once flour and sugar were out of my system, all my senses reawakened, and my Bright Line meals beautifully displayed on my plate are very satisfying.
Monday morning my fridge is loaded with greens and vegetables of all colors.
I also prepare meals in advance so when I am on the go or have had a long day I don’t suffer from my diminished reserves. My affirmation is “I am what I eat. Fresh, Beautiful, and Healthy.”
My early Girl Scouts training of being prepared has served me well. I plan, plan, and plan some more so that I have what I need and extra for emergencies. I bring extra weighed and measured food to functions or restaurants or as a contribution to a group meal. When I take care of myself, I am free to really connect and be present with others. Usually, my selections are envied by others and I am empowered by my willingness to overcome what others may see as challenges. Planning minimizes stress and poor food choices.
Now I go to any lengths to maintain my success, by using the tools of keeping a food journal, committing my weighed and measured food, connecting with others in the Bright Line community, and celebrating every day by sitting down to eat my nurturing Bright Line meals, one day at a time.