Meal Prep Ideas: Easy Mason Jar Salads

I’m all about meal prep! I always have been. I tend to eat badly when I’m busy and stressed out. But if I take some time on Sunday to do meal prep then my week is instantly better and healthier. I love healthy food. However, it does take a little bit of prep to eat healthy. I’m always trying to find meal prep ideas and I love these easy mason jar salads.

They’re easy to prepare and hold up nicely for a few days. Lunchtime at work is so much more fun with these mason jar salads! Simply pull the jar out of the fridge and pour the contents in a large bowl. It’s seriously that easy!

Last Sunday I prepared 10 mason jar salads so James and I would each have a salad for lunch every day. It took me about 45 minutes to prepare them all. And it was so nice to have a variety of different kinds, too. That way it didn’t feel like we were eating the same thing every day!

I’m going to share some tips on the best way to make mason jar salads. I’m also going to share three different recipes, including homemade dressing. Okay, lets get started!

How To Make A Mason Jar Salads

Step 1: First add the dressing. I like to make my own dressing because they’re so easy and taste way better than store bought dressing. Here are three dressing recipes:

• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Avocado Cilantro
• Tahini Lemon with Turmeric

Step 2: Add the crisp ingredients like cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes. That way these ingredients will not get soggy from the dressing. Step 3: The third layers can be the softer ingredients such as beats, corn, beans and any grains. That way if they do touch the dressings, it’s okay. However, you don’t want them laying directly in the dressing. Step 4: Now you want to add your cheese or other soft ingredients and you definitely don’t want to get wet or soggy.
Step 5: Last ingredient should be the lettuce. I love to use a combination of different types of lettuce. Romaine, arugula and spinach are my favorites!

Three Mason Jar Recipes:

Greek Salad:

• Balsamic Dressing
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Chickpeas
• Tomatoes
• Red Onion
• Quinoa
• Feta
• Romaine and Arugula

Fiesta Salad:

• Avocado Cilantro Dressing
• Black Beans
• Edamame
• Corn
• Ground Turkey with Chili Seasonings
• Red Onion
• Tomato
• Red Cabbage
• Shredded Lettuce

Roasted Vegetable Salad:

• Tahini Lemon Vinaigrette
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Quinoa
• Roasted Beets
• Goat Cheese
• Arugula and Romaine Lettuce