Sharing one of my favorite meal prep hacks today. I love having healthy lunches that are ready in no time. These salad jars are a simple way to get in my protein and stick to fresh ingredients. If you are anything like me, the easier it is, the more likely you are to stay the course.
SIMPLE MEAL PREP
THE PERFECT PREP JAR
The key to being able to prep salads ahead of time is keeping the lettuce away from the moisture. Because these are cylinders, everything can stack and the salad stays fresh for days. These are the exact jars I use. I find they are the perfect size and they go right in the dishwasher so it makes it really easy.
FRESH INGREDIENTS
I use grilled chicken for my salads (we prep that ahead of time and freeze). Once you’ve chosen your protein, the toppings are really up to you. I find that prepping three of the same salad each week is so much easier. I am perfectly fine with eating the same one during the week. You could always switch up your dressings for variety. My go to is a combination of peppers, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers and I always add in some blue cheese.
*If you cook a ton and need sharp knives, this sharpener has been a game changer. It’s so easy to chop vegetables or cut protein. We wish we had purchased this a long time ago. Truly makes a huge difference.
TIME TO LAYER UP
I always put my protein in the bottom (usually one large chicken thigh cut into pieces). Then I add tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion and blue cheese.
I’ve seen people add the dressing to the bottom of the jar. You can absolutely do that (especially if you are taking this to go). However, I find that it’s just as easy to have my prepped jar of dressing in the fridge and add a spoonful when I am ready to eat. Or I drizzle olive oil on top with a few cracks of pepper. I found I was harder to scrape the dressing from the bottom of the jar and it was much easier to add later.
LETTUCE ON TOP
We are big arugula fans over here. Did you know it’s one of the easier greens to digest? We buy ours from the Farmer’s Market and love the taste. Be generous with how much you put in but I find that the jars hold the perfect amount. Don’t be afraid to squish it down if you know you will eat more.
SO EASY AND CONVENIENT
I can’t tell you how great it is to stop mid day for lunch and simply pour this onto the plate. It literally looks like this straight from the jar. Add you dressing and your protein packed salad is good to go. Better than going out! I’ve done this with ingredients for a wedge salad and that turned out great, too. My daughter is a kale fan and we’ve prepped her favorite in these jars which makes it so simple for her to grab a healthy lunch.
When I am craving a creamy ranch, I make this one. None of the questionable ingredients and it’s loaded with extra protein.
I find that this really keeps me on track with eating well. For me, it’s all about having things readily available. Hope this is helpful.
Enjoy the day!
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