1. Choose your Dressing. The secret to a great mason jar salad lies in the layering, so why not start with a simple and light dressing? If you are planning to consume your salad within a day or two, the dressing can be the first layer starting at the bottom--all you will need is about 1-3 tablespoons depending on the size of your salad. Although there are a lot of light and healthier store-bought dressing options, making your own dressing is the best way to ensure the healthiest ingredients are going into your body.
2. Chop your resilient Veggies. When layering your ingredients in your jar, you will want to put your most resilient ones on the bottom--meaning ones that won't get soggy and can hold their own when having more and more layered on top of them. Raw onion, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, grape tomatoes, olives and artichoke hearts are just some examples. If you want to add some fruit to your salad grapes and diced apples hold up rather well--drizzling some lemon juice onto the apples first will keep them from browning.
3. Pack on the protein. Adding protein to a salad is the best way to ensure you stay fuller long after you finish eating. Choosing lean protein such as chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced chicken breast, canned tuna or salmon or even cooked beans or chickpeas, is the way to go. Your protein would be the next layer to your salad on top of your resilient veggies.
4. Grab your Greens. Next step is to cover your veggies and protein with a good handful (or two) of greens. You want to pack them tightly, this will help keep the ingredients in place. Darker greens pack more nutrients so skip over the iceberg and opt for mixed greens such as kale, spinach or spring mix with chopped romaine for some crunch.
5. Top it all off. Your mason jar should be mostly full by now with all the layering, now to top it all off with your favorite toppings--croutons, shredded cheese, nuts, seeds or even berries or sprouts. Now it's time to dig in--you can enjoy it straight from the jar or you can dump it onto a plate or a bowl and enjoy!! Also, don't forget to pack a fork if you are eating this on the go!
These affordable and portable jars come in different sizes and are super easy to find. They come in all different sizes, in order to get the full effect of this mason jar salad, you should opt for a few of the larger quart-sized jars. You can order them online or you can visit your local Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, or Target. Nowadays you might even be able to find them at your local grocery or hardware store. The great thing about these mason jar salads are that you can prepare them ahead of time--as many as you would like!!
ENJOY!!
