Grab & Go: Salad in a Jar

In previous posts, we've run through weekly prep, so now it's time to use some of the prep to arrange some Grab & Go salads for the week.

I created a video (above) outlining how to create these Grab & Go salads in a jar. I've seen a million videos about weekly food prep or 'batch day' prep and I cannot tell you how much it turns me off to see a cooked chicken breast, a cup of steamed broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes in five or six separate plastic containers. Ugh! Just the thought of eating the exact same (bland) thing every day makes me ill!

The beauty of the weekly prep that I do is that you get to be creative and have easy options to make your own 'recipes' so that you can have some variation in your daily meals.

Creating Grab & Go salads in a jar is so easy once you have prepped your food. Here's what you need:

1 2.5 cup Ball jar (I like the ones with the wide mouth)
1 cup measure
1 tablespoon measure
Homemade salad dressing (presumably, dressing you've already prepped, but if not, olive oil and vinegar will also do)
Protein (beans or chick peas, roasted chicken, steak, tuna, etc.)
Complex carb (brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc.)
Veggies (those that you have already chopped should be handy)
Leafy greens (spinach, Bibb lettuce, kale, etc.)

Assembling these Grab & Go salads couldn't be easier. It is important, however, to note that there is a little method to the assembly madness -- making sure you layer the food in the jar accordingly. You want to follow these steps to ensure your greens don't get soggy:

Add 1 tablespoon of dressing (2 tablespoons if you're a guy) to the jar. (This is the most important step to make sure the liquid stays as far away as possible from your greens)
Next, add a serving of protein on top of the dressing (in the video, I didn't include a protein, so if you elect not to include a protein, you would add your complex carb here)
Layer on top of the protein some complex carbs (I generally add about a cup)
The next two layers should be chopped veggies
The final layer should be leafy greens. Greens can be 'smooshed' into the jar, so don't hesitate to put at least a cup of greens into the top of the jar.

And...voila! You are done! Close the jar and throw it in the refrigerator. These can be made days in advance, which means you will have the opportunity to prepare salads for the week, complete with your macro nutrients, as well as have healthy Grab & Go options available as you pack your lunch each day.

Let me know what you do to make your meal planning and lunch-packing easier. I'd love to hear your suggestions and tips below!