Ever get stuck deciding what to have for lunch? Shake things up by learning how to make a salad in a jar.
They’re easy to pack, they’re portable and all you have to do is dump it out onto a plate. As part of my meal prep, I pack a lunch to bring to work, so why not give a salad in a jar a try? There are a gazillion ways you can make a salad jar, but here is my favourite.
First step, get yourself a large jar.
LAYER 1: DRESSING
Start with your dressing on the bottom. I used balsamic vinegar.
LAYER 2: HARD VEGGIES
I layered in some carrots and chopped apple, but you can try cucumber, peppers – anything that won’t absorb the dressing too much.
LAYER 3: CHEESE AND PROTEIN
You could add some chunks of white chicken, but I opted for cheese. Other great salad proteins include hard-boiled eggs, tuna and salmon.
LAYER 4: BEANS AND GRAINS
This is where your black beans, chickpeas, pasta, etc come into play. Be careful with really absorbent grains like rice and quinoa, those will be added later, further from the dressing.
LAYER 5: SOFTER FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Here I would add some tomatoes and avocado because a salad isn’t really a salad without avocado. This is also a good place to add things like citrus fruits and dried fruits.
LAYER 6: NUTS, SEEDS AND LIGHTER, MORE ABSORBENT GRAINS
This is where your quinoa or rice come into play. I opted out of grains, but I did add some sliced almonds.
LAYER 7: GREENERY
A salad isn’t complete without greens! To insure they don’t get weighed down or soggy, this is the last bit to add, and they should take up the most space in your jar.
Pack it in your bag, take it to work or wherever your schedule takes you, and when you’re ready, just dump it all out! The greens will then be on the bottom with all the fixins’ on top. You can give it a little shake before taking it all out, to help get everything together.
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 large carrot, chopped
- 1/2 apple, chopped
- 1/2 cup premium chunk white chicken (or protein of choice)
- small handful of tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 2 Tbsp almonds
- 1-2 large handful spinach (or greens of choice)
