Mason jars aren’t just for canning foods – they make a great way to pack a go-to salad for lunch! These 5 mason jar salads will be just what you need to kick your lunch (and health) up a notch.
The first thing you need to know is how to pack a mason jar salad:
1) Bottom – wet ingredients (aka. salad dressing)
2) Heavy ingredients that hold up well next to wet ingredients – nuts, beans, seeds, corn, cucumber, celery, radishes, etc.
3) Lighter ingredients like quinoa, tomato, avocado, fruit, etc.
4) Accent items like raisins, dried cranberries, dates, etc.
5) Leafy greens – pack them in! You want most of your mason jar to be packed full of leafy greens, herbs, and sprouts. This is the last ingredient that goes on top, so that when you turn the mason jar upside down (into a bowl, that is), you will have a bed of salad greens and all the fixings and salad dressing poured on top!
This brilliant idea has been circulating for a few years now, but they have become increasingly popular, especially with more people becoming health-conscious.
Below are my 5 top picks for healthy mason jar salads you can bring on the go, so you won’t be tempted by anything lurking in fast food restaurants or the cafeteria at work or school.
#1 – Tropical Mango Greens
1. Dressing – blend 1 mango, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tbsp. chive, pinch of cumin and cayenne
2. Cucumber and celery, diced
3. Diced mango
4. Chopped dates
5. Arugula and red leaf lettuce
#2 – Apple Walnut Harvest Salad
1. Dressing – whisk 2 tsp. cold-pressed hemp oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. almond butter, 1 tsp. maple syrup
2. Walnuts, celery and radish (all diced)
3. Diced apple
4. Chopped dates
5. Romaine and mixed leafy greens
#3 – Mexican Fiesta Salad
1. Dressing – blend 2 tbsp. soaked sunflower seeds, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. lime juice, 1 pitted date
2. Black beans or if you don’t eat beans (like myself), just use raw corn off the cob (always choose organic!)
3. Tomato and avocado
4. Zucchini mushroom taco “meat”
5. Mixed baby greens and arugula
#4 – Fresh Summer Salad
1. Dressing – 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2. Diced cucumber, celery and yellow vidalia onion
3. Shredded carrots and beets
4. Sunflower seeds and hemp seeds
5. Arugula and spinach
#5 – Fruit-tastic Freshener Salad
1. Dressing – blend 1 mango, 1/4 red pepper, and 3 large basil leaves
2. Cucumber and celery, diced
3. Fruit of choice (I used blueberries, mango, papaya and strawberries)
4. Chopped dates and dried (unsweetened) cranberries
5. Butter-leaf lettuce and mixed baby romaine
