Thirty days of mason jar salad recipes — NO REPEATS. Create a grab-and-go lunch plan with these 30 healthy salad in a jar recipes.
I struggle with eating a healthy lunch. I have been buying pre-made salads from the grocery store, but I'd much rather make my own. The environmentalist in me hates wasting the plastic, even if it is recycled, and the foodie in me dislikes knowing the ingredients aren't super fresh. I've been making my own salad in a jar — and I love it!
Below you'll find tips for making salad in a jar, plus thirty unique mason jar salad recipes to help you keep things "fresh."
Why use mason jars for salad?
There are many perks to prepping salad in a jar for lunch...
- SINGLE PREP — You can chop ingredients and prep salads for the week all on one-day instead of having to pack a lunch each day.
- MORE CONTROL — You know the ingredients are fresh and if you prefer, organic, local or non-GMO.
- VARIETY — You can enjoy a different mason jar salad every day of the week by simply switching up some of the ingredient combinations.
- HEALTHY — Having lunch prepped and ready makes it easier to resist other temptations.
- ECONOMICAL — Bringing lunch to work is cheaper than eating out or buying store-made salads.
- ON-THE-GO — Mason jar salads are great for on-the-go. We've brought them camping, on hikes, and my two girls like the ease of taking them to school too.
- GREEN — The reusable mason jar makes these salads a great environmentally-friendly option.
- EASY CLEAN-UP — Glass mason jars can be safely popped into the dishwasher for easy clean-up.
What size mason jar is best for salads?
The mason jar you choose for packing salads depends on your eating habits. A 16-ounce pint mason jar works great for a light side salad. A 32-ounce mason jar ensures you have space for everything without crushing ingredients.
You can order a 12-pack of 32-ounce wide mouth Ball mason jars on Amazon Prime to get started, but you can find mason jars at your local retailer for MUCH cheaper. The best deals are actually often at hardware stores like Home Depot, Menards, or ACE! Our family loves using mason jars to store leftovers too, so having a twelve-pack has been helpful.
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How do you keep the salad in a jar from getting soggy?
You simply need to know the mason jar salad layers order! You keep your salad super crisp by strategically ordering ingredients in your mason jar salad. The dressing and wet ingredients are at the bottom of the jar separated by veggies keeping your salad crisp on top! Get full step-by-step instructions below.
How to layer your mason jar salad in three simple steps!
Mason jar salad order matters! There are three simple steps to follow with putting together a salad in a jar. You want to layer your ingredients in this specific order:
- Start with the dressing and other wet items, such as cucumbers, on the bottom.
- Next, add moisture-resistant veggies, like carrots, for example, on top of that.
- Last of all, top with the protein of your choice and any "dry ingredients" such as greens, pasta, and any crunchies.
SALAD IN A JAR 101
I loved this visual explanation of how to put together a mason jar salad from Farmer's Fridge.
Image Credit: Farmer's Fridge
How do you eat salad in a mason jar?
Can you eat mason jar salads out of the jar? Yes, just shake, shake, shake, and enjoy this easy on-the-go lunch. When you're at home, sometimes it is still nice to put the salad into a bowl to enjoy.
For me, one of the main purposes of mason jar salads is having a pre-prepped lunch, not the convenience of the container itself. In the end, deciding how you want to eat your salad is 100% up to you!
Mason Jar Salad Recipes — 30 Salad in a Jar Combinations
Here are a few salad in a jar recipes I am going to try this month:
- Greek Chicken Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Portable Caprese Salad
- Rainbow Winter Quinoa Salad
- Fresh Mozzarella and Spinach
- Spinach Blueberry Salad
- Buffalo Chicken
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Layered 7-Bean Salad
- Chopped Taco
- Asian Noodle Salad
- Bell Peppers, Veggies, and Goat Cheese
- Pomegranate and Pear Salad
- Glowing Green Mason Jar Salad
- Spring Pea with Romaine, Radish, and Feta with Buttermilk Ranch
- Zucchini Pasta Salad with Avocado Spinach Dressing
- Quinoa Salad in A Jar (4 recipes)
- Broccoli and Pomegranate Salad
- Tortellini and Artichoke
- Chopped Black Bean and Corn
- Ranch Rotini Salad
- Mozzarella Tomato Pasta
- Chopped Cobb
- Hearty Rainbow Salad
More Mason Jar Salad-Spiration
Here are four more salad in a jar recipe suggestions from Farmer's Fridge:
27. Antioxidant Salad in a Jar: Start with white balsamic vinaigrette. Layer in mixed berries, sprouts, carrots, almonds, goat cheese, flax seeds, and mixed greens.
28. Mediterranean Salad in a Jar: Start with balsamic vinaigrette. Add in artichokes, black olives, tomatoes white cannellini beans, cucumbers, Parmesan, pine nuts, oregano, and mixed greens.
29. High Protein Salad in a Jar: Begin with the lemon-based dressing of your choice. Next throw in chickpeas, broccoli, cooked quinoa, corn, peas, currants or figs, pumpkin seeds, shredded Parmesan, and spinach.
30. Detox Salad in a Jar: Start with the lemon-based dressing of your choice. Layer in pineapple, blueberries, cooked quinoa, fennel, sprouts, and kale. *I am going to skip the cannellini beans they recommend!
Recipe & Image Credit: Farmer's Fridge
How long does salad in a mason jar last?
Depending on the ingredients in your mason jar salad, they can last between three to five days in the refrigerator. We usually prep salads Sunday for the week, and they remain fresh. You'll want to eat salads with things like tomatoes, shredded cheese, chicken, or cucumbers within two to three days, as those ingredients don't last as long. Salad combinations that include quinoa, broccoli, carrots, and legumes hold up great!
MASON JAR SALAD RECIPE LIBRARY INSPIRATION
Looking for additional inspiration? Check out Mason Jar Salads and More: 50 Layered Lunches to Grab and Go at your local library or see the book preview here on Amazon. The book is full of gorgeous full-color photos and tasty recipes, including:
- Pomegranate and pear salad in a jar
- Pesto tortellini with cherry tomatoes
- Crunchy Asian salad
- Spinach, blueberry, and blue cheese salad
- Curried chicken salad in a jar
- Kale and avocado salad
- Overnight oatmeal with fruit
- Green bean and feta salad
Do you have a favorite mason jar recipe? I'd love to hear about it. Let's chat in the comments.
PS: When I started making salads in a jar, I order Ball jars (which I love using). However, I recently noticed these brilliant Mason Salad Jar Containers. They have a built-in dressing container that keeps the dressing separate from the rest of your ingredients. How cool is that?
I also love all the different colors available. These are:
- Leak-proof lid includes a built-in 4oz dressing container
- Made with Eastman Tritan(TM)
- Durable and lightweight
- Dishwasher safe
- BPA-free
I haven't tried them yet, but I am tempted!
If you live in the Chicago area, be sure to check out Farmer's Fridge. Too cool.
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