Whether you're busy with class, work, internships or anything else, chances are you're always looking for healthy, tasty ways to make your life easier. Mason jar salads are a simple, portable way to keep your eating habits in check while enjoying your lunch break (Plus, they're totally Pinspirational). Check out these recipes for inspiration!
You'll Need: A few teaspoons of your favorite salad dressing; two tablespoons of chopped avocado; eight grape tomatoes; one tablespoon of chopped red onion; two tablespoons of chopped cucumber; a few handfuls of romaine lettuce and baby spinach; two tablespoons of chopped feta cheese; six to eight cooked, peeled, and de-tailed shrimp; one chopped boiled egg; and two slices of chopped bacon.
To Make It: With mason jar salads, you always want to start with the wet ingredients at the bottom of the jar and work up to the dry ingredients at the top. In the case of this salad, layer all of the items above in the order they are mentioned, beginning with the dressing and ending with the bacon. Seal it with a lid, pop it into your bag and you're good to go!
You'll Need: Lemon tahini dressing (find the recipe here), red onion, cherry tomatoes, curry tofu (find the recipe here), cooked quinoa and arugula.
To Make It: Add the ingredients in the order listed above. Seal with a lid, pop it in your bag and enjoy later!
You'll Need: One quarter cup of cooked quinoa, half of a cooked chicken breast cut into chunks, one piece of chopped bacon, one quarter of a large sweet potato, two thirds of a cup of chopped lettuce, a tablespoon of Greek yogurt, a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese and a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro.
To Make It: Layer beginning with Greek yogurt and ending with lettuce! Heaviest and wettest items should go on the bottom and the lightest and driest items should go on the top.
You'll Need: One and a half ounces of brown rice vermicelli, a fourth of a red bell pepper, a quarter cup of peeled and chopped carrots, a quarter cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms, four teaspoons of fresh lime juice, one clove of minced garlic, two teaspoons of rice vinegar, two teaspoons of low-sodium soy sauce, one teaspoon of sesame oil, a quarter cup of frozen and thawed edamame, one teaspoon of lightly toasted sesame seeds and one lime wedge.
To Make It: Cook the noodles and allow them to soften for about five minutes. Sautée the bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms until they are tender but crisp. To prepare the dressing, whisk together lime juice, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl (you can add salt and pepper to taste). Add dressing to the jar first, followed by edamame, noodles, the mixture of vegetables, sesame seeds and the lime wedge.
You'll Need: Strawberry lime vinaigrette (find the recipe here), cooked quinoa, sliced strawberries, sunflower seeds, sliced green onions, crumbled feta and baby spinach.
To Make It: Add all ingredients to the mason jar in the order listed above - choose the quantity of each ingredient based on your preferences! This salad is a mixture of salty and sweet, so you can decide whether it should be saltier or sweeter based on your additions.
6. Apple and Chicken Salad With Beets
You'll Need: Strawberry vinaigrette (find the recipe here), two grilled beets, three ounces of cooked chicken breast, half of a washed and diced apple, two cups of raw spinach, one ounce of goat cheese and five chopped pecans.
To Make It: Layer all of the ingredients in the order listed above. Seal it with a lid, toss it into your backpack and get ready for a flavorful day!
You'll Need: Three tablespoons of sherry vinaigrette (find the recipe here), one cored and thinly sliced pear, three cups of spinach, half a cup of pomegranate seeds, a quarter cup of chopped pecans and two ounces of blue cheese.
To Make It: Layer the ingredients in the order listed above. Seal with a lid and enjoy!
There you have it! Seven delicious mason jar salad recipes that will make enough super-easy lunches to last you all week. Which will you make this week?