If you’re looking to make lunchtime easier, then you’ll love the idea of mason jar salads!
Made ahead of time, portable, and fully customizable, they’re an easy and convenient way to eat healthier and up your intake of vegetables during the day. However, how you layer your jar is key to avoid ending up with soggy salads.
Tips for layering mason jar salads
To avoid your salad from getting soggy, the key is to put the dressing at the bottom, followed by heartier ingredients like cooked grains or raw vegetables, and leave the leafy greens for the very end. Here’s the order I usually layer my mason jar salads in (from bottom to top):
- Salad dressing
- Raw vegetables, grains, and proteins
- Fruits and cooked vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Cheese
- Leafy greens and fresh herbs
As for the jar itself, I recommend 16-ounce jars if you’re making smaller side salads and 32-ounce jars for larger lunch and dinner salads.
Spinach and Apple Mason Jar Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the apple cider vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad:
- ½ cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 small apple diced
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 1 ounce goat cheese crumbled
- 4-6 cups baby spinach rinsed and patted dry
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
-
In a small mason jar, whisk together the mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. While whisking, slowly pour in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
To assemble mason jars:
-
Set out two 16-ounce mason jars. Add 2 tablespoons of salad dressing to each jar. Next, add ¼ cup of chickpeas to each jar, followed by ½ a diced apple, 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds, and ½ ounce (about 1 tablespoon) of crumbled goat cheese. Finally, add 2-3 cups of baby spinach to each and seal with a lid.
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Store salads in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Ingredient ideas for mason jar salads
Salads are a great way to use up leftover ingredients and those that are already in your fridge or pantry. Here are some ingredient ideas that work particularly well for meal-prepped salads.
Salad dressings
I recommend making your own salad dressing so that you have full control over the amount of sugar and sodium.
The recipe above uses an apple cider vinaigrette. For other options be sure to try these two Lose It! recipes:
- Orange Vinaigrette
- Fresh Basil Vinaigrette
Grains
- Farro
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Wheat berries
Protein ideas:
- Canned beans or chickpeas
- Baked tofu
- Leftover cooked steak, pork or chicken
- Rotisserie chicken
- Canned tuna or salmon
Fruits:
- Apples
- Pears
- Berries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Orange or grapefruit segments
- Dried fruit, like apricots or raisins
Vegetables:
- Shredded carrots
- Cucumber or celery slices
- Radicchio
- Shredded cabbage or brussels sprouts
- Chopped broccoli florets
- Sliced radishes
- Leftover roasted vegetables
Nuts and seeds:
- Almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia, or cashews
- Peanuts
- Hemp hearts
- Chia or flax seeds
- Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Leafy greens and herbs:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Arugula
- Butter, romaine, or green leaf lettuce
- Baby mixed greens blend
- Fresh herbs, like basil or mint
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