There is a lot to say in favor of meal prepping. It cuts down on food waste. It eliminates the need to conjure up some imaginative recipe in your head when your long day at work has already turned your brain to mush. It saves you major time throughout the week when you’re too busy doing life to slave away at the stove. I love my meal prepping time and its tremendous payoff. But meal prep has its downside, too. It can feel tedious to have to eat the same dish over and over, making your delightfully easy and delicious meal seem more like a chore to get through than a blessing.

That’s why I like to shake up the meal prep game by preparing individual staples rather than complete dishes all the time. By doing so, I allow myself the flexibility of mixing and matching ingredients to create unique dishes, while still saving myself time and effort by having prepped the ingredients ahead of time.

As I’ve been mastering meal prep for my own family, I’ve come to realize the power of homemade sauces. Creating a variety of healthy and delicious sauces makes all the difference in creative flexibility and ease. A simple blend of zesty herbs or a creamy concoction can totally transform your meals and your meal prep experience as a whole. Sauces can elevate a grain bowl, enliven every vegetable out there, and ramp up your protein into that dinner the restaurant would put you out a pretty penny for. Plus, eating clean, homemade sauces is a level-up for your health, too, as you’ll be avoiding the extra oils, sodium, and unpronounceable science-project-preservatives so prevalent in store-bought sauces.

Most sauces require only a few ingredients and the exciting whirl of a blender. That means big reward for very little work. And the fact that they keep well in the fridge means you can keep creating easy, delicious meals for days to come.

This recipe for Clean Green Goddess dressing is beyond simple to make, has a luxuriously creamy consistency, and packs a punch of fresh, herby flavor for all your meal prep needs. Coat your Mediterranean Cous Cous or pasta, dress a leafy green salad, spread on your sandwich, or marinate your tofu, portobello, or whatever protein you choose with this delectable dressing.

Clean Creamy Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup parsley, destemmed
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3 T miso paste
• 2 T tahini
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Dressing will be thick. Transfer to a lidded jar, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.