Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
My favorite healthy, real food condiment recipes for busy families can be found below. All recipes are grain-free, dairy optional and kid-approved. Need help meal planning? Check out my meal planning service!
Have you ever asked your child a question, with a pretty good idea of the answer you were going to get, and then be completely taken by surprise? How about a fervent request for hummus, carrots, and crackers for lunch?! Apparently, that’s just how good this roasted red pepper hummus recipe is! Obviously, my kids …
I always find it exciting when I learn to make a common condiment at home. When it’s something I use a lot and always seem to run out of, like honey mustard, it’s even more satisfying. Recently, I was going to be making ribs and I was out of BBQ sauce. Rather than making a trip …
I’ve recently fallen in love with Korean food and with gochugaru peppers in particular. I’ve used these slightly spicy red pepper flakes to make gochujang (a red pepper paste), gochujang mayo, and a sauce for Korean chicken wings. My latest experiment is to use gochugaru pepper flakes to make pickled radishes. If you’re a fan of …
Salad dressings are also the only way some parents ever succeed in getting kids to eat vegetables. They certainly have their place, but the store-bought ones are loaded with omega-6 oils and preservatives. Healthy salad dressings, on the other hand, can be a great way to get a good serving of healthy fats in. Favorite …
Honey mustard is a kid favorite at our house. My kids love it on homemade chicken fingers and on salads. I love it on spring salad with berries. No matter what we eat it on, I don’t care for some of the ingredients in store-bought honey mustard, so I make it myself. Homemade Honey Mustard This homemade honey …
I’ve been having fun exploring the flavors of various Asian cuisines. I was on a Chinese food kick for a while, and then switched to Indian, and have dabbled a little in Japanese. Most recently, my family has been enjoying trying Korean food. I’ve got one Korean recipe already on the site: Bulgogi (Korean beef) and I’ve …
When I was a child, my mom’s guacamole recipe was one of the first things I learned how to make. Today, it’s a recipe that my children make regularly. In fact, I can hardly call this a recipe because it is so simple to make! But it is a nourishing and easy snack, condiment, or topping that …
A few weeks ago I published a recipe for gochujang; a Korean red chili paste. This week I’m sharing a recipe for gochujang mayo, which uses that paste. What Is Gochujang Mayo and Why Would I Want to Make It? Gochujang mayo is a condiment that’s super easy to make and packed full of flavor. …
Ever heard of green goddess salad dressing? I’d heard of it, but never paid too much attention to what it was because it just seemed kind of weird. Turns out it’s a super simple, fresh, and delicious dressing that makes use of spring and summertime garden herbs. Since I make a lot of my own salad …
Sometimes the simplest recipes end up being our favorite. This yogurt fruit dip is one of those recipes. It’s so easy to make that it seems a little crazy to even call it a recipe. And since I make my own yogurt, making this yogurt dip was extra easy. Straining Yogurt: Whey and Greek Yogurt Have …
Ever heard of aioli? It has a fancy-sounding name, but it’s really just mayo with a couple of extra ingredients. I frequently make my own mayonnaise and use it in all kinds of things, so making aioli was no big deal. And you all know how much I love no-fuss recipes. So if I say it’s …
I love healthy, homemade condiments because they add flavor and excitement to familiar dishes. I’ve always loved the yum yum sauce (if you’re not sure what that is, read on!) at our local Japanese hibachi restaurant, but wanted to make my own healthy version at home. This condiment is well named… it turned out so well …
I’ve shared my recipes for homemade herb and spice blends before, and one of my favorites is homemade pumpkin pie spice. It’s simple to make and is an easy way to make sure there are fresh spices (and only that) in your blend. You can also adjust the recipe based on your family’s tastes and …
I recently posted a simple recipe for making roasted garlic. It is amazing! I just can’t get enough. I probably give off a garlicky enough aura to protect my whole household from vampires. Anyway, I promised in that post to share my recipe for roasted garlic salad dressing… and here it is! Garlic: The New Kitchen …
Garlic is one of my favorite ingredients for flavoring food. I use it fresh in all kinds of dishes. I also use garlic powder so frequently that I make it myself. So when I found out that roasted garlic was a thing, I knew I had to give it a try. Roasted Garlic: So Easy to …
Whipped cream is a fun and delicious addition to so many drinks, desserts, and breakfasts, but it’s not really an option for those that don’t consume dairy. Fortunately, it’s possible to make delicious dairy-free coconut whipped cream that tastes better than anything out of a can. How to Make Dairy-Free Whipped Cream Dairy-free whipped cream is made …
It’s no secret that we love southwest flavors in my family. This salsa verde recipe is a perfect addition to a variety of our favorite recipes, such as my lettuce-wrapped tacos. How to Make Roasted Salsa Verde Salsa verde is a salsa made with tomatillos and various peppers as well as aromatics like garlic and onion …
One of the hardest adjustments for me when adapting to our grain-free lifestyle was finding substitutes for the classic foods my Italian husband loves. Pasta was, of course, at the top of his list, so after much trial and error, I was finally able to make some healthy alternatives that taste even better. Basil Pesto …
I really like to make my own condiments and spices whenever possible, so when I wanted to try chipotle mayo in my fish tacos, making my own was a no-brainer! Homemade Chipotle Mayo I’ve been making my own mayonnaise for years now. I like being able to use healthy oils such as coconut or olive oil and I …
I never thought I liked curry powder. I’m not sure where my negative opinion came from, but I once added it to a soup by accident and discovered that I absolutely love it. The unique and complex mix of flavors makes an incredible addition to many meals. I now add curry powder to breakfast dishes like …
We don’t go out to eat often, but when we do, I love Japanese food. It’s relatively easy to find wheat-free dishes, and the salads and stir fry dishes are wonderful! There is even a local restaurant that cooks in coconut oil! One of my favorite things at our local Japanese restaurant is their ginger salad dressing …
I can get my kids to eat almost anything with ketchup or homemade ranch dressing on top… or if I season it with taco seasoning! In fact, I know many moms who keep taco seasoning packets on hand to use in the thousands of kid-friendly ways suggested by Pinterest. I lived in Texas for much of my …
Ever used ghee? It has the benefits of butter without the casein and proteins that some people react to in butter. so it’s basically the best of both worlds! What Is Ghee? In technical terms, ghee is a clarified, unsalted butter with the milk proteins removed. It has a high smoke point, making it perfect for cooking, …
Part of my mom’s family is originally from New Orleans and the times I’ve visited there, I’ve loved the flavors of Cajun seasoning and tried to recreate recipes that use it at home. For years, I bought pre-made Cajun seasoning, but realized it had MSG, anti-caking agents, and fillers in it (including gluten!). Since I …
