A healthy week starts out with intention. Meal prepping over the weekend can not only save you money, but it can also save your sanity! I love mason jar salads, the combinations are endless.
The key is in the layering!
You don’t want to be eating soggy spinach. These salads will stay good in the fridge for about 3 days, and once you get the swing of things, they don’t take long at all to put together. Most people start off the week with the best of intentions, but when they get busy and hungry the tendency is to just grab whatever is nearby. With a little advanced prep over the weekend, you can crush your week feeling focused and energetic!
Mason Jar Salad Prep Tips
The easy to follow steps I use in mason jar salad prep include:
- DRESSING goes on the bottom
- HARDER VEGGIES are next as they won’t get too soggy
- SOFT VEGGIES / FRUIT
- NON-DAIRY CHEESE / HIGH-QUALITY MEATS
- GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS / GLUTEN-FREE PASTA /LEGUMES
- GREENS (spinach, arugula, kale, etc.)
- TOPPINGS (I often add these after I’ve mixed my salad-nuts & seeds, avocado, dried fruit)
I like to use the large size mason jars (32z) for salads as you can stuff so many greens in them that way.
This Lentil Tahini Salad is the perfect weekday lunch. It’s vegan as I prefer to go meatless during the day, but has enough protein due to the lentils and hemp seeds. You can up the healthy fat content by adding nuts and seeds or avocado.
If you are looking for an easy guide to additional meal prep items, download this 5-Day plan here. You may also enjoy my Holistic Nutritionist’s Guide to Stocking Your Kitchen.
Have fun with your mason jar salad prep by adding your own touches!
Equipment
- mason jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups purple cabbage chopped
- 1 1/3 cups lentils cooked or from a BPA free can
- 3 cups organic spinach sub green of choice
- 4 tbsp hemp seeds optional
- 4 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- Combine the tahini, water (a little at a time for desired consistency), olive oil, lemon juice garlic and sea salt in a bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the tahini dressing to a mason jar followed by the following layers- chopped cabbage, lentils, and spinach. Seal with a lid.
- When ready to eat, shake well and dump into a bowl and then top with hemp and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
