Easy + Delicious Mason Jar Salad

Happy Memorial Day! With this extra day off of work maybe it is best to prepare some foods ahead of time so you can eat healthy and quickly throughout the week! Meal prep has been on my mind a lot lately which has lead me to wanting two things: the desire to eat more salads and the excuse to buy more mason jars.

On previous grocery shopping occasions I have passed a section of mason jars convincing myself I did not need them; but, today I looked up everything I needed to know about prepping mason jar salads and so I went shopping with this in mind. From many feet away I could see that those precious mason jars I have been eyeing had a lovely little coupon taped to the front: "Buy One Get The Second Half Off!" I was so excited and purchased them immediately! But, once I got home I realized all of the jars were purple! Luckily, purple is one of my favorite colors but this also means it is a little hard to see the ingredients from the side (oh well I still love them:)

So now I will let you know what I put inside of my mason jar salad. Keep in mind, you can put whatever you want and in whatever amount but this was taken from Organize Yourself Skinny's blog who gave great details on how to prepare these the best.

Step One: Gather all of your ingredients.

Mine includes:
 ☺ Balsamic Vinaigrette
 ☺ Tomatoes 
 ☺ Cucumbers
 ☺ Shredded Chicken
 ☺ Whole Wheat Pasta
 ☺ Mozzarella 
 ☺ Spinach


Step Two: Add your dressing.

Dressing MUST go first. This assures that your meats and lettuce will not get soggy. I used a balsamic vinaigrette by Newman's Own simply because this was recommended by Organize Yourself Skinny and I am not really one to make my own dressing (yet)!

I would definitely try whatever sounds good or what you already love :)


Step Three: Add some veggies. 

I added tomatoes for this part. You could add various items such as cucumbers, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc. This section is vital to the mason jar because it protects the other food from getting soaked in the dressing.





Step Four: Continue with your veggies. 

Again, it is best to layer up the vegetables so you do not get the rest of your salad soaked in dressing. Check out this page for the perfect reasons why these layers are so important!

After this you could also add some more vegetables such as beans, mushrooms, corn, and more!




Step Five: Add your pasta or grains, proteins, and cheese.

Of course when you want a salad you are usually trying to get away from carbs but if you want to include a little bit of pasta, rice or others, it is quite delicious.

I then added mozzarella and shredded chicken. You could add other meats, eggs, or a different cheese.



Step Six: Add your lettuce. 

I choose to put spinach only in this jar. You could put whichever kind of lettuce you prefer. I'd recommend about two cups or whatever room you have left in the jar.

Now seal it up! These should last you around five to six days. I will continue to try out more recipes and let you know what ends up being my favorite. These are super easy to make and I am so excited to stock up on more salad! :)