As I’m running out the door to work, bringing lunch is the last thing on my mind. I’m not organized enough to think ahead plus I often change my mind about what I’m going to eat. The trendy mason jar salad solves these problems. They are portable, healthy, easy to make ahead of time and offer room for variety. It’s the perfect solution, because I can layer so many vegetables and grains in the jar, and mix and match so many different ingredients that I never get bored.
The mason jar salad keeps your greens from getting dressed until you’re ready to mix it up. All you have to do is put the salad dressing in first and layer in ingredients one by one, leaving the salad greens on top. You should start with the heaviest, most non-absorbent ingredients first.
Check out how to make the perfect mason jar salads for any meal, anywhere.
It’s all about the layering. To avoid eating a soggy mess, there is an art to this mason jar salad. Keep your dressings and soft food items at the bottom and your soggy prone ingredients at the top. Here is the order of ingredients to use as a general rule:
- 1st Layer – Dressings and marinades are always on the bottom
- 2nd Layer – Meat, beans, nuts, quinoa,and other protein rich items (less likely to absorb moisture)
- 3rd Layer – Fruits & Vegetables (excluding sprouts & greens)
- 4th Layer – Cheeses or Non Dairy Cheese Alternatives
- Final Layer – Greens & Sprouts (the ingredients that tend to get soggy first stay on the top!)
Make sure to screw the lid on tight so your salad can stay fresh up to 3-4 days. When it’s time to eat, either shake it up and eat from the mason jar or grab a bowl! Turning the mason jar upside down into the bowl will leave you with the greens on the bottom and all other ingredients on top, including dressing! Perfect!
You can fill your mason jar with the ingredients of your choice. If you need help getting started here are 3 delicious and nutrient dense recipes!
- Spring Salad in a Jar
- 1 cup cooked chickpea, thoroughly rinsed
- ½ cup grated carrots
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, left intact they will preserve longer than sliced
- 1 cups sprouted spring peas
- 1/2 cup almond slivers
- handful diced romaine lettuce
- 1 cup fresh broccoli sprouts (or sprouts of your choice)
Vinaigrette
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste
- Quinoa & Beet Salad
- ½ cup cooked red or white Quinoa
- ½ cup roasted red beets, cut into bite sized pieces
- handful of organic spinach or arugula
- 10 crushed walnuts
Vinaigrette
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- Mediterranean Salad
- chopped red bell pepper
- 4 quartered artichokes
- ¼ cup black olives
- ½ cup cannellini beans
- ¼ cup diced cucumber
- handful pine nuts
- mixed greens
Vinaigrette
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. fresh oregano
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- sea salt and pepper
