Tips For Making Your Own Mason Jar Salad

Tips For Making Your Own Mason Jar Salad

We are all huge fans of prepping healthy meals ahead of time so that we can take with us anywhere on the go, right? Planning ahead and prepping meals helps you stick to your nutrition and saves you a ton of time during the week.

Mason jars make a perfect home for storing salads in. I know what you're thinking, isn't everything going to get all soggy with the dressing in there? No, since the dressing will be at the bottom of the jar, with the greens at the top, so nothing gets soggy!

Here are few tricks to keep in mind when creating you perfect mason jar salad:

1) Dressing first
Pour the dressing in first to coat the bottom of the jar. Thicker dressings can stick to the jar so thinner dressings, like a vinaigrette, work best.

2) Layering is key
The secret to perfection is all in how you layer everything. Keep in mind that the first ingredients you add are what create a barrier between the dressing and the lettuce. Therefore, be sure to add hearty ingredients such as carrots, peppers, or beans, that won’t soak up the liquid.

3) Adding grains
The nice thing about whole grains like quinoa, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice, is that they will keep well for several days as well as add flavor, texture, and fiber.

4) Adding fruit
Fresh fruits are delicious, but they will spoil quick, so be sure to eat them sooner than later. To help prevent this browning from occurring, soak sliced fruits like apples and pears for a few minutes in salted water before adding them to the jar.

5) Pack layers tightly
In order to help keep your salad stay as fresh as possible for a longer period of time, you will want as little air as possible between layers.

6) Greens go on top
To help prevent wilting, remove as much moisture as possible from your washed lettuce. You will be surmised by how much you can fit in the small space so be sure to pack in your arugula, spinach, or other greens at the top.

7) Keep your jar upright
Remember what I said about having the dressing at the bottom? Keep this in mind when you are storing or transporting the jar.

8) Enjoy it!
So everything is tightly packed into your jar, looks pretty fancy right? Now how in the world are you supposed to eat this? First, just shake up your jar, then pour everything into a bowl! If you're in a pinch, you can just eat it straight from the jar, the ingredients just won't be mixed as well.