Salad In A Jar Recipes

Mason Jar Salad For Meal Prep + A Killer Clean Honey Mustard Dressing

Add more salads into your weekly meals and make these delicious mason jar salads for the entire week in just a matter of minutes. Trust me that youll want to slurp up this killer honey mustard dressing!

To be honest, it took me a shockingly long while to get on the whole mason jar salad bandwagon. Not that I have anything against mason jars I use them for mason jar meals like this chia pudding and these overnight oats like ALL the time. And I love salad recipes. And you know Im all about meal planning. Mason jar meal prep is so fun and easy. But, for whatever reason, I never tried mason jar salad recipes.

Then, one day, I just decided to make a salad in a jar and see what all the fuss was about. And Im SO glad I did. GUYS! Mason jar salads are amazing theyre super easy, delicious, and really do keep everything nice and fresh until youre ready to eat them. Salad meal prep was something I never used to do because I hate soggy lettuce. I mean soggy lettuce = eww, right?

Mason jar salad recipes completely solve this problem because you put the lettuce at the very top so you dont have to worry about it getting touched by all the dressing and entering the dreaded mush zone.

So, when its time to enjoy your salad, just grab it out of the fridge and shake it out into a bowl. Your salad will taste like you just made it and youll continue on your delicious, clean eating lifestyle one that gets to enjoy tasty and clean salads for lunch. Woot!!

Mason Jar Tex Mex Quinoa Salad

Serves: 5Nutrition: 508 calories, 24.6 g fat, 5.2 g sat fat, 50 mg sodium, 57 g carbs, 15 g fiber, 5.3 g sugar, 20 g protein

Shake up your lunchtime routine with this tangy, Tex-Mex inspired salad. It’s filled with avocado, fibrous black beans, quinoa, tomatoes, satiating spinach and a delicious homemade Greek yogurt-based dressing that’s sure to make your taste buds singwithout derailing your weight loss. Better yet, this salad provides nearly a half day’s worth of vitamin C, a nutrient that helps fight off workday stress and subsequent belly fat storage.

Get the recipe from Fit Foodie Finds.

How Do The Greens Not Get Soggy

The basic idea when packing salads in jars is to start with the heaviest and most non-absorbent ingredients with the dressing on the bottom of the jar and work your way up through the lighter ingredients until you end up with the salad greens themselves. As long as your jar doesnt accidentally tip over in your bag, the delicate greens will be well-protected from the dressing until youre ready to eat.

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How Do I Prevent My Salad From Going Soggy

The easiest way to prevent your salad from getting soggy is to layer the more delicate ingredients such as greens and lettuce away from the dressing. In fact, that is the main purpose of mason jars! When you use regular containers for salads and try to take them for lunch, you end up with soggy lettuce because all the ingredients are mixed together.

Mason jars are also great for salad and ensuring crisp lettuce because you don’t need to pack an extra container for the dressing. As long as the veggies are layered on top and the proteins/dressing are on the bottom, you won’t have a problem with soggy salad.

Red White And Blue Mason Jar Salad

Serves: 2Nutrition: 278 calories, 16.4 g fat , 289 mg sodium, 22.4 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 16.8 g sugar, 10.1 g protein

This fruit and feta salad is patriotically red, white and full of blueberries. Featuring these heart-healthy blue fruits in your mason jar can help you get rid of those pesky love handles by turning on your get-lean genes, according to researchers from the University of Michigan. In their study, rats fed a blueberry-enriched diet for 90 days showed significantly reduced abdominal fat than the control group. And, as an added bonus, blueberries will help boost brain power and lower your blood pressure.

Get the recipe from The Cookie Rookie.

Also Check: Soup And Salad Recipes For Weight Loss

What Is The Best Mason Jar Salad Size

In the US and Canada, the standard Mason jar opening comes in two sizes: regular and wide mouth . The wide mouth jar is generally a better choice for salads because its much easier to get ingredients in and out of the wider opening.

Mason jars come in a variety of sizes, but the ones most commonly used for salad recipes are the pint and quart size jars. I’ve used the 16 oz size mason jars for the recipes pictured.

How Do You Eat Salad From A Mason Jar

Some people eat their salads straight from the jar. A few minutes before eating, tip the jar upside down and let gravity do its thing the dressing will slowly trickle down through the salad. Right before you eat the salad, give the jar a few good shakes and then take off the lid and enjoy!

However, if youve packed your salad nice and tight , then this might not work. If this is the case, then grab a bowl and pour the salad into the bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients and enjoy!

Also Check: Carbs In Fresh Fruit Salad

More Healthy Mason Jar Salad Recipes

The thing with mason jar meals is that they are so quick and easy to make they become addictive. This is what happens with all mason jar recipes. Mason jar salads included. I can guarantee! But the thing is, I dont want you to be bored, which will happen if you make the same salad in a jar every week. So more mason jar recipes are in order then.

Chopped Kale And Chickpea Salad With Tamarind Vinaigrette

Chickpeas are a great source of protein which is perfect to add to your vegetarian diet. Not only do they provide you with amazing health benefits but they also make for a delicious meal any time of the day.

This chickpea salad in a jar is ideal for increasing your chickpea intake as it tastes really good and satisfying. The key to making this salad even better is the dressing.

Its simply made with fresh dressing ingredients in honey, olive oil, and tamarind vinaigrette.

Recommended Reading: Market Salad At Chick Fil A

What To Put In Your Salad

There are so many wonderful things you can put in a salad in a jar.

I like to add different lettuces. My favorites are arugula, bibb, and romaine. For me, this is the perfect combination of greens.

Here are other salad goodies I like to add to my salad in a jar

• shredded carrots

• salad dressing
• anything soggy or anything that creates excess liquid

Put any protein like hard-boiled eggs or chicken on your salad just before serving. And do the same for any marinaded veggies like artichokes or giardiniera.

Add the salad dressing to the salad in a jar just before serving. I put the salad dressing in the jar, screw on the lid and give the jar a good shake to distribute the dressing.

Mason Jar Salads That Are Almost Too Pretty To Eat

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You probably know were nuts about mason jar salads around here we cant help it! Salads are the perfect light meal to bring to work, a road trip or to a picnic, and jars are by far the safest way to carry them around. Packing in mason jars not only prevents the fruits and veggies from altering, but its also eco-friendly.

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Basic Mason Jar Salad Recipe

• Add dressing to the bottom of a clean pint and a half jar.
• Next, add in any grains you have/ beans/soft chopped fruits and veggies.
• Layer the firmer veggies like cucumber on top of those to keep them crisp.
• Add meat, nuts, and seeds.
• Top it off with your greens of choice. Pack it tight so things don’t move around and get soggy!

Layer : Pasta And Grains

This salad layer is where you add your pasta, quinoa, and other grains if using. At this point, the other 1-2 layers should keep the dressing away from this layer.

However, if by some chance dressing does make its way to this layer, no worries! Everything should be fine.

You can use any type of pasta, rice, couscous, or quinoa for the pasta and grains. Anything would work, so get creative.

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More Salad Recipes To Try

I have lots of other delicious salad recipes on my blog. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Ranch Taco Chicken Salad this salad is loaded with good stuff. Filled to the brim with beautiful colors and simple flavors.
• Burger Salad Bowl this takes all the best parts of a traditional burger and turns it into a salad. Its YUM!

Easy Meal Prep Salad Recipes

The great part about meal prepping salads is that you can add a little bit of variety to each one without buying a ton of new ingredients. Add bits of cheese and vegetables that you already have in your refrigerator, along with a homemade dressing made from your pantry, for a delicious meal.

You will notice a few of these salad in a jar recipes include a baked crunchy element. The best part is that they are all baked at 400°F for 10-15 minutes. So toss the tortilla strips, pita wedges and cubes of bread on one sheet pan and bake them off together for an easy meal prep shortcut.

Also Check: Chicken Salad Recipe Using Greek Yogurt

Good Mason Jar Salads Can Be Eaten Again And Again

If youre looking for a salad for lunch, thats great. However, if you find a great salad, you can have it more than once and save cash putting together a weeks worth of salads in bulk.

Thats what mason jar salad recipes are all about. The opportunity to eat quality food at a lower price without spending hours in the kitchen. So you need to experiment on what salads you dont mind eating again and again.

Grilled Shrimp Tomato Avocado Salad In A Jar

Shrimp and avocado salad gets a sweet and citrusy makeover with orange juice dressing. It is made even more satisfying with extra slices of peeled oranges.

To make the dressing, simply mix orange juice and lemon juice with shallots, salt, and ground pepper. Youll love this salad straight out of a jar!

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Salad In A Jar Tips And Tricks:

• Put the salad dressing in first. Add your protein, add your fixins, and then add your greens. No matter the recipe, placing your ingredients in the jar in this order is best. Keep the moisture of the dressing away from your lettuce and greens for best results.
• Salad in a jar can last 3-10 days in the fridge. Three days for any salad in a jar that includes meat and up to 10 days for salads that have firm veggies and no meat. I like to keep things like eggs, cucumbers, and avocado out of my jar. Ill add them when Im ready to eat if I want them. Those things tend to get old the fastest.
• Homemade dressing is king. Dont get in a rut though! Here are 9 of my favorite homemade salad dressings. These recipes only make about a cup too, so you arent stuck with tons and tons. Now you can try more kinds. I recommend the roasted garlic. Its my favorite!
• The size of the jar will determine the servings. I like using wide mouth jars because they are easier to fill, eat from, and clean. Use a pint jar for a lunch/single serving and use a quart jar for large dinner servings or a side salad for a family meal. All of todays recipes are for a quart/large serving. You can see an example of two smaller servings salads in a jar here. If you are new to salad in a jar, try making 2-3 of each size and see how you quickly you go through them.

Now lets get to it!

Berry Chicken Salad with Feta Salad in a Jar

How To Pack The Perfect Salad In A Jar

We love our canning jars for everything from storing grains in the pantry to shaking cocktails in the park. But by far one of our most favorite ways to use our pint- and quart-sized canning jars is to pack them with salads. Yes, thats right, leafy green salads. Dressing goes on the bottom, veggies and other salad goodies get piled on top. Everything stays separate and dressing-free until you toss the salad together in the bowl never eat another soggy lunch salad again. Even better, these salads last for days in the fridge so we can make a weeks worth of lunches ahead of time.

Read Also: Container To Keep Salad Fresh

How Long Do Mason Jar Salads Last

• Vegetarian mason jar salads: As long as you use fresh ingredients, vegetarian mason jar salads should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Mason jar salads with chicken or other meat: I would recommend prepping this kind of salad only up to 4 days in advance maximum, though its a personal choice. Some recipes indicate up to 3 days is best. Usually this depends on the ingredients, but its mostly up to your preference. I prefer to eat cooked chicken within 4 days.
• Not sure if I have to say this but I will: This is not a freezer meal!

Now that weve set some mason jar salad ground rules, lets get our creativity flowing and find some inspiration with these 10 Simple Mason Jar Salads!

Chicken Cobb Mason Jar Salad

Another great salad in a jar is this Chicken Cobb Mason Jar Salad. This salad is healthy, clean, and packed with nutrients.

This Chicken Cobb Mason Jar Salad is a great way to transform chicken cobb salad into a grab-and-go lunch. Plus you get tips for how to make chicken cobb salads healthy. And dont even get me started on the healthy homemade ranch dressing. Its so good! Get the recipe.

Recommended Reading: Where Can I Get A Chef Salad

Can You Freeze Mason Jars

You can freeze mason jars but I don’t recommend that you do it for salads You just can’t ensure the same level of freshness since you are eating salad. I definitely freeze other types of recipes in mason jars such as soups and stews, but salads don’t work.

That said, you can freeze components of the salads such as cooked chicken, rice, quinoa, etc.

Tips And Tricks For Making Mason Jar Salads

Thats it! When you know these simple tips and tricks, you can easily make your own creations! To get you started, below are six delicious mason jar salad recipes to try at home. In each recipe,I reference one of the salad dressings I used in my blog post about healthy homemade salad dressings. Feel free to swap them out for a different one if theres something you like better. Like I said earlier, these salads are really forgiving it doesnt matter what you use, theyll still taste great!

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How To Layer Mason Jar Salads

To keep your salad fresh and crisp, make sure you layer your ingredients properly! Here’s the exact order in which you should be layering everything.

How To Serve Mason Jar Salads

And now the fun part! There are two ways to serve mason jar salads, and will probably depend on where you are when you are eating it.

You eat the salad right from the jar if you want! Just shake up the salad to mix it up, grab a fork and enjoy. This works well for an on-the-go lunch!

Or, if you are at home, go ahead and pour the salad into a bowl. You likely wont need to toss it, since the dressing is coming from the bottom.

Recommended Reading: Tuna And White Bean Salad

What Are Mason Jar Salads

Mason jar salads are the perfect make at home lunch. They’re not only a great way to use up leftovers, but also so easy to prep ahead of time. In order to make a mason jar salad that’ll hold until lunchtime, you’ll need a go-to layering technique. If you’re looking to make a large, hearty salad, use a quart-sized mason jar for the following recipes.

Here’s our foolproof way to layer:

When you’re ready to eat, flip the salad into a bowl. Since you stacked the lettuce last, it’ll fall to the bottom and all the other ingredients will land on top, just as it would normally be when you serve a salad!