Meal prepping salads just got easier by layering them in mason jars. It keeps all the ingredients fresh but there is a trick to how to prepare it to stay fresh. Check out these 4 delicious meal prep ideas creating a salad in a jar!
Mason jar meals are a simple way to eat healthy and get all the ingredients you love into one convenient place that is ready to go when you are!
These salad in a jar recipes are filled with flavorful produce, carbohydrates, tons of protein and it is always an option to add dairy if you’d like. Each salad recipe has the perfect ratio of crunchy, savory, sweet, and are bursting with flavor!
Lately I have started meal prepping my husband’s lunches in a mason jar! It is an incredibly convenient way to get all the nutrients you need to fuel your day properly.
Related: 3 Fast + Delicious Chicken Meal Prep Ideas
I set up a station with all salad ingredients, clean mason jars with lids and our favorite salad dressings. Then start packing them in the jars accordingly so they are ready for him to take to work in the morning. I also send him to work with a large container to dump the salad in when he is ready to eat it. This makes it way easier for mixing and keeps the salad from getting soggy because it stays in the mason jar layered.
Meal Prep Salad Ideas In A Mason Jar
Very Veggie Chickpea Crunch Salad
Southwest Salad
Sweet Arugula Chickpea Salad with Cranberries and Pepitas
Honey Mustard Chicken, Cucumber, Tomato and Egg Salad
How To Meal Prep Salads In A Jar
When it comes to gathering ideas to meal prep, making a salad is a mason jar is a great option! But it comes with 4 important rules to make it efficient and to prevent having a soggy salad.
- Choose a day to meal prep your salads a shop for all the ingredients, including dressings.
- Have large 32 oz mason jars ready and clean for assembling your salads. I used these fun Vintage blue mason jars from Ball Canning.
- Put out all the ingredients at once on a large baking sheet so when you create the mason jar salads they are quick and easy to put together.
- Make sure to layer the jars accordingly:
- First the dressing or salsa.
- Second the vegetables, legumes, beans followed by any fruit and tomatoes.
- Third add any nuts.
- Fourth add the lettuce and salad greens.
- Fifth add any guacamole, avocado slices or croutons either before or after the lettuce and greens. You just want to make sure not to weigh down the greens or let liquid get to them.
A great tip is to gather all your ingredients like in the above picture. Then start filling the jars in the layers as listed in the recipes. This also makes the clean-up incredibly quick!
It is important when meal prepping salads in a mason jar to make sure to start with liquids and then dense or heavier solid foods first, then work your way up to lighter foods and always having the lettuce last (on the top).
These meal prep ideas will help you save time, keep your weight loss goals in check, and helps prevent binge eating. We tend to overheat when we get too hungry and having a meal prepped and in place makes it easy grab when you are hungry. Make all four of these mason jar salads and have them ready for the next four days.
And they are not just good for lunches. I love to make these mason jar recipes to have a quick salad ready for dinners! Just take the filled mason jar and dump each salad into a large bowl, then toss it together to combine the ingredients. Enjoy!
More healthy salad recipes you may enjoy
- Fennel Apple Salad
- Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Cranberries and Persimmons
- Simple White Bean, Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Avocado Broccoli Dressing
- Chicken Spinach Strawberry Salad with Turmeric Almond Dressing
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4 Meal Prep Salad Ideas In A Mason Jar
Equipment
- 4 - 32 ounce Mason Jars with lid
Ingredients
Very Veggie Chickpea Crunch Salad
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chickpeas cooked, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup carrots chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion slices or diced
- ¼ cup edamame beans
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ¼ cup almond slices
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
Southwest Salad
- ¼ cup salsa
- ½ cup black beans cooked, drained and rinsed
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- ½ cup corn
- ¼ cup onion slices
- ⅓ cup guacamole
- 1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 tablespoons Mexican cheese blend, shredded (optional)
Sweet Arugula Chickpea Salad with Cranberries and Pepitas
- 3 tablespoons raspberry dressing (use your favorite kind, I like Annie's Organic)
- ½ cup chickpeas cooked, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup onion slices
- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 tablespoon pecans (whole or halves)
- 1 tablespoon feta cheese (optional)
- 2 cups baby arugula
Honey Mustard Chicken, Cucumber, Tomato and Egg Salad
- 3 tablespoons honey mustard dressing (use your favorite kind, I like Annie's Organic)
- 1 cup chicken cooked and chopped or shredded, preferably rotisserie
- 1 egg hard boiled, peeled and sliced
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- 1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
Instructions
Very Veggie Chickpea Crunch Salad
- In a mason jar layer the ingredients in the order listed. First the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then layer the chickpeas, carrots, onion, edamame, cucumber, almonds, cilantro and lettuce. Cover and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Southwest Salad
- In a mason jar layer the ingredients in the order listed. First add the salsa, black beans, tomato, corn, onion, guacamole and lettuce. Optional to add the cheese. Cover and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Sweet Arugula Chickpea Salad with Cranberries and Pepitas
- In a mason jar layer the ingredients in the order listed. First add the raspberry dressing, chickpeas, onion, cranberries, pepitas, pecans, arugula and feta cheese (optional to add the cheese. Cover and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Honey Mustard Chicken, Cucumber, Tomato and Egg Salad
- In a mason jar layer the ingredients in the order listed. First add the honey mustard dressing, cooked chicken, hard boiled egg slices, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. Cover and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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