Great Toppings To Add To Your Meal Prep Salads:
- fruit, such as berries, chopped apple or pear
- beans: black, kidney, garbanzo
One of the objections to meal prep is that folks dont want to commit in advance to what theyre going to eat all week long. I love making basic meal prep salads so that I can decide the day I serve one how Im going to top it.
Here are some of the ways I can mix things up from day to day:
Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Love the flavors of Italy? These salad meal prep bowls are for you.
Theyre yummy and hearty. Thats because theyre packed with juicy baked chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes, baby bocconcini, quinoa, and fresh basil leaves.
And the balsamic vinaigrette pairs well with the salad. The balsamic vinegar and maple syrup add some sweetness, while the Dijon mustard adds some heat.
These salads have tons of protein from the chicken and quinoa. Besides being a good source of plant-based protein, quinoa is also pretty nutritious.
Its rich in manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus, which you need for healthy bones. And its a good source of energy which you need to keep your energy levels up.
Its also gluten-free, so its a great grain if you have allergies or sensitivities to gluten. If you love quinoa, you might like this Mexican bean quinoa meal prep!
Per Serving:
Meal Prep Low Carb Big Mac Salad Jars
Love Big Macs but need to ditch the carbs? Then these salad jars are a perfect option.
They have all the flavors of a Big Mac but with way fewer carbs. So, theyre healthier for you too.
Youve got nicely browned ground beef, juicy plum tomatoes, crunchy dill pickles, crispy lettuce, and of course, some cheddar cheese. And whats a Big Mac without the Big Mac sauce?
The sauce is creamy, sweet, and savory. And all you need to make it are 3 ingredients: mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish.
But to keep it even simpler, you can simply use this premade sauce here. It tastes very similar to Big Mac sauce.
Now, these salad jars do contain ground beef, which has a large carbon footprint. So, you may want to make them less often.
Per Serving:
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Do Salad Spinners Keep Salad Fresh
Yes, salad spinners absolutely help keep salad fresh. The way the salad spinners work is that through the spinning of the greens, almost all the moisture is pulled away from the lettuce leaves. The moisture you can remove from the salad greens the longer it will stay fresh.
When you are using your salad spinner, try not to over stuff it with your greens makes it harder to get fully dried when spinning. I like to put the greens into the basket, then into the plastic bowl and place into the sink to fill with cold water. I let it sit for a minute or two then lift and drain out the water completely from the basket before I spin. Spin your small batches a few times to get it really dry.
Whenever Im asked is a salad spinner worth it I always say yes. Its been worth it for me, Ive owned the same salad spinner for over a decade and use it a few times a month. It works well with drying garden herbs as well.
When Ready To Serve
Warm the protein and chop it bite-size, if needed. Add the protein to the pre-made salad greens and vegetables. Add the toppings of your choice, although Fritos are never optional.
Squeeze lime generously over the salad, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Or toss with your favorite salad dressing.
Love these salads? Check out the eBook for How To Eat A Salad Every Day for more fantastic salad recipes, dressings, and tips to simplify your salad making!
With this eBook, if youre grocery shopping, meal planning, or just trying to eat a little bit healthier, youll have this information at your fingertips whenever you need it.
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Hearty Salads You Can Meal Prep This Week
- Feature Image By:As Easy As Apple Pie
The worst thing about eating a salad for lunch is that, all too often, you wind up feeling hungry again just a few hours later, your stomach rumbling just in time for your afternoon meeting or bedtime routine. The answer, it seems, is a heartier salad. Add meat, beans, quinoa, or grains. Opt for more vegetables, healthy fats, or filling vegetables like sweet potatoes. Your salads can absolutely be a full mealand definitely dont have to be boring. To prove it, we rounded up 20 hearty salads that you can meal prep this week for a healthier, more exciting meal time.
Meal Prep Spinach Beet And Chicken Power Salads
Chicken breasts are classic diet food. Thats because theyre high in protein yet low in calories.
So if youre trying to lose weight, youre probably eating lots of chicken breasts. But after a while, chicken breasts, broccoli, and brown rice get kind of blah.
Theres definitely nothing blah about this Power Salad. First of all, lets talk about chicken breasts.
Chicken breasts are notorious for being bland. Not these ones theyre bursting with garlic and herby flavors.
But thats not all this Salad is packed with sweet veggies like carrots and beets. This helps offset the bitterness of the baby spinach.
And youre topping your Salad with toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch. And the crowning glory is the apple cider vinegar dressing.
All Ill say is make extra youll thank me later. To make the dressing, youll need shallots, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
Mix your shallots and olive oil in a blending jar. Then add the rest of your ingredients.
Puree until smooth using an immersion blender. I recommend this immersion blender here.
Its pretty powerful, and it comes with a blending jar and whisk.
Per Serving:
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How Do You Meal Prep A Salad
To meal prep a salad its important to use very fresh ingredients. Lettuce, carrots, and other items that are at their end of their prime arent going to last very long and will leave you disappointed.
Make sure to use fresh ingredients. Wash them well in cool water. I like to wash veggies with white vinegar first to kill surface bacteria and then rinse with water. Spin or pat dry.
Having your ingredients very dry is the key to a long-lasting meal prep salad. Moisture will hasten decay.
Limit How Much Liquid Comes From Ingredients
One of my favorite toppings on any salad is the tomatoes but they are really liquidy and add to the soggy salad issue. I like to use grape tomatoes because they dont have to be cut. Add whole berries, whole grapes, dried fruit, and whole grape or cherry tomatoes to prevent soggy salads. There are many vegetables that will hold up well and dont release a lot of juices that you can add to your salad such as carrots, celery, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, and snow peas.
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Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad Meal Prep
Do you love chicken breasts? Then youll love this salad.
Its packed with tender, juicy chicken breasts. And theyre packed with flavor.
Thats because youre using a ton of spices- 6 to be exact. So, get out those measuring spoons. I like these ones here because they dont rust or get stained.
The cherry tomatoes, red onions, black beans, corn, and red bell peppers add lots of sweetness and southwestern Flava. And the black beans make this salad extra hearty.
Meanwhile, the creaminess of the ranch dressing balances the crispness of the tortilla strips perfectly.
Per Serving:
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Meal Prep Work Week Salads That You Will Want To Eat
A little prep work on Sunday will set you up to skip the lunch time fast food, and have beautiful, nourishing, ready to go salads to go for the work week!
Move over boring bagged salad, and have a look at these meal prep salads that will change the way you think about work week lunches!
It is time to save money, skip the drive through or cafeteria food, and eat yo veggies – all week long.
Watermelon And Goat Cheese Salad
This is a perfect salad for the warmer months when watermelon is in full bloom. Paired with creamy goat cheese, a light drizzle of good quality olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt is all this dish needs to shine. Since watermelons are so big, cut the entire fruit when prepping and whatever you dont use, just store in your refrigerator to use in these other 50 salads for spring and summer.
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Kale White Bean Salad With Tuna
Looking to change up your Tuna Salad? This Kale White Bean Salad with Tuna is a nice change.
It has your usuals like celery, apples, and of course tuna. But it also has white beans and kale.
These make the Salad fresh yet filling. The one thing thats missing is the mayo.
Its replaced by something even better: homemade tahini dressing. Whats it made of?
Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and olive oil. So youre getting not only creaminess but sweetness and savory too.
After eating this Tuna Salad, you may never eat regular Tuna Salad again. Just saying.
Mr Chows 5 Spice Baked Tofu Salad
The trick to this recipe is all the prep work. Perfect for those meatless Mondays or any other day of the week, this salad is both healthy and satisfying. Since theres no lettuce or leafy greens in this recipe, you dont have to worry about it becoming soggy, making it a perfect option to pack in advance and enjoy later in the week.
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Salads You Can Prep On Sunday And Eat All Week Long
Eating healthy is a priority that many of us push aside due to the rigorous schedules we constantly find ourselves in. Wholesome meals balanced with fresh produce are substituted for quick unhealthy foods we grab or get delivered on the fly because of convenience. That being said, there is a way to take back control of our diets and incorporate healthier alternatives into our daily routines. We have dug deep to round up our favorite salads that you can prep, pack, take on the go, and enjoy for days.
Planning what you are going to eat for the week takes some serious time and energy. Thats why we have taken all the grunt work out of this daunting task and have come up with a game plan thats easy to follow, and will have you eating clean in no time at all. Here it is.
Over the weekend when you have free time, pick some favorite salad recipes that we have put together for you. Once you have figured out which recipes you would like to cook, make a shopping list and head to the grocery store to do some shopping. On Sunday prep all your salad ingredients. Depending on the recipe, you may want to keep certain elements separated, such as delicate greens, vegetables that oxidize , and garnishes like croutons that lose their crunch when smothered in vinaigrettes.
How To Make Mason Jar Salad
As I said, making a salad in a jar requires a little bit of strategizing but the process is so darn easy. After all, all you have to do to make mason jar salads is to
See? All the steps for how to make mason jar salads are easy to follow.
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How To Prep The Salad Toppings
Now you might like to eat a plain lettuce salad but I find my family likes salad at least with a few toppings on it. After the lettuce is prepped ahead, I also wash and prep our toppings too.
Tomatoes
If you purchase cherry or grape tomatoes, you might only need to wash them and store them in a zipper bag or in a covered container.
If you purchase a larger tomato youll likely need to cut it up. To prepare tomatoes for the salad, wash and core the tomato first. Cut in half and remove the seeds if desired.
You can cut them into slices or dice the tomatoes. I usually large dice our tomatoes and then place them in a zippered bag or into a covered container and store them in the refrigerator.
Cucumbers
If the cucumbers you purchase from the store are waxy, you might want to peel them. But if you grow them in your garden or if they arent waxy you may want to leave the peel on them. If they are waxy feeling Ill peel them, if they dont feel waxy I leave the peel on.
After you peel the cucumber, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Then cut it in half lengthwise again. This makes it easy to run your knife along each wedge and remove the seeds.
I remove the seeds if there are any big seeds in the cucumber if there arent any seeds I wont bother with removing them. I rough chop each of the 4 pieces of cucumber and place them in a container or a zipper bag.
Carrots
Plus with most of the chopping and cutting done the kids can help prepare the salads too.
How Long Do Mason Jar Salads Last
This recipe, as written, will get you through an entire work week of enjoying a tasty mason jar salad each day for 5 days!
In general, mason jar salads last for 4-5 days in the fridge if you store them properly. By that, I mean placing them in the fridge and making sure the lid is tightly sealed.
Perfect grab-and-go lunches for a week ready in less than 30 minutes!
Can I get a HECK YEA?
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Southwestern Wild Rice And Sweet Potato Salad
Image credit: Sweet peas and saffron
Itll take a bit of cooking to get everything ready for assembly, but once youve got it made, you can enjoy this southwestern wild rice and sweet potato salad for days and days. Its hearty enough to be an entrée all its own, too. Dried chili powder is the secret to the simple vinaigrette, and because wild rice and sweet potatoes hold up so well to moisture, you can easily dress all of the salad in advance. We adore the suggestion of adding black beans when you make it ahead of time for even more protein and fiber in this already filling salad.
Burnt Corn Kale And Lime Salad
For tender and delicious kale, gently massage it with a little bit of the dressing as you toss the two to combine. This helps break down the fibrous greens and makes for a more pleasant eating experience. Kale is such a strong green that you can mix it advance and it will retain its crunchy texture for a while. Hold off on cutting and adding the avocado until youre ready to eat though they brown quickly.
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Greek Mason Jar Salads
Cant get enough Mediterranean eats? Give these Greek Mason Jar Salads a try!
Theyre packed with yummy ingredients. Like salty kalamata olives, creamy feta cheese, sweet red onions, crunchy cucumbers, and juicy grapes tomatoes.
The garbanzo beans and shredded chicken make them extra filling.
These salad jars dont skimp on fiber either. Just one serving provides a quarter of your daily fiber needs.
Now, you will need some shredded chicken to make these salads. If you dont have any cooked chicken on hand, just hop over to your local grocery store and buy a rotisserie chicken.
Easy Cobb Salad Meal Prep
I love a good salad. But lets be honest: many salads can taste like youre eating grass.
This Cobb Salad tastes like anything but grass. Thats because it contains succulent chicken breast, eggs, and crispy bacon.
And lets not forget the veggies. Youve got crispy romaine lettuce, creamy avocado, and juicy tomatoes. Eating healthy doesnt get much tastier than this.
Besides being yummy, this salad is also low in carbs. One serving contains only 3.7 grams of net carbs.
And its packed with fat too. So, its a great salad to eat if youre following a keto diet.
Per Serving:
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