When my husband pulled his mason jar salad from the bag,
a small crowd formed, watching with anticipation .... "What's that?"
As John emptied it's contents onto the plate,
the anticipation grew.
And there it was ...
everything he loved in a salad, beautifully filling his plate.
Claps and cheers erupted from the crowd -
"Bravo" said one.
"Well played" cried another.
Head nodding and high fives
Music began to play
A smile crossed his face and he was the envy of all
Top 3 Complaints About Packing A Fresh Salad:
- Transporting the salad dressing
- Wilted greens
- Only plastic containers available, and I don't want to use plastic!
So many people would devour a fresh salad for lunch, but buying out everyday is not a financially sound choice. Packing your own salad has it's downfalls, too. Here is another option that allows you to choose the ingredients and dressing of your choice, without any of the hassles mentioned above.
You, too, can build a salad such as this, with just a few rules.
This salad contains (from the bottom up):
Grilled chicken
Garbanzo beans
Dressing
Feta cheese
Carrots
Red pepper
Cucumber
Tomato
Romaine
Mason Jar Salad Rules
Realize that what you put in first will be on top once you empty onto a plate
Any "wet" ingredients belong on the bottom of the jar
Such as a prepared chicken salad
Use a Jar Funnel for cleaner assembly
Wide mouth jars are easiest to use
Proteins firsts
Cooked meat, fish & legumes
Next, Dressing/Seasoning
I added 2 Tbls of olive oil, S&P (or the dressing of your choice)
Cheese, Herbs & Spices
Gorgonzola, feta, goat cheese
Thyme, basil, flat leaf parsley
Hearty Veggies
Carrots, broccoli and cauliflower
Roasted Veggies
Butternut Squash, sweet potato, onions, peppers
Delicate Veggies
Higher water content veggies
Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Finally, Greens
Spring Greens, romaine, arugula
4 Benefits of Mason Jar Salads:
Saving money from buying lunch out
Greens don't get soggy and dressing doesn't spill from plastic container
Easier clean up (goes in dishwasher)
Mason Jars are safe, affordable and reusable (& new lids can be purchased separately)
Where to buy:
Target and Walmart are a few of the places that sell glass jars. Perhaps your grocery store even offers them. Based on my experience, they are more affordable at Target or Walmart.
<<See GLASS JARS here>>
Have fun!!
