Salad in a Jar - All the Healthy Ingredients for a Salad

Do you travel a lot?  Always on the go?  Here is a great way to pack your body full of delicious, easy, and nutrient-dense foods by making a delicious salad in a jar! You'll have all the healthy ingredients for a salad in one easy jar.   

In a mason jar layer the ingredients for a lunchtime salad on the go.  As long as the jar stays upright, the ingredients will stay in place.  Once ready to eat you can mix all together.

Layer 1:  Dressing on the Bottom.  This helps keep ingredients dry before you’re ready to eat. Read the label to make sure you are purchasing salad dressings that use olive or avocado oil rather than soy and canola oil.  I like Bragg and Primal Kitchen brands or homemade.

Layer 2:  Protein.  I like to combine two proteins including grilled or smoked fish, chicken, turkey, nitrate-free bacon, shredded cheese or soft cheese, hard-boiled egg, chopped nuts or seeds, chickpeas, black beans, or other legumes.  Protein helps keep you full and satisfied for at least 2 hours.

Layer 3:  Denser Vegetables and Toppings.  Shredded carrots, celery, croutons, quinoa, dried fruit, cucumber, green beans, corn, radishes, and peas. Tomatoes can get soggy so best to use whole cherry tomatoes.

Layer 4:  Greens.  Rotate your greens to keep your salads interesting, including mesclun mix, red leaf lettuce, spinach, baby kale, microgreens, sprouts, and arugula.  With the recent issue of sourcing uncontaminated lettuces, it is a great time to step out of your comfort zone.  The tougher greens like baby kale and spinach work best because they don’t wilt as easily