It can be hard to eat well on the go. Even just on an average workday, for that matter. Salad-in-a-jar is a great way to plan ahead and have a portable healthy meal on hand. Salad-in-a-jar ideas have run around the internet for awhile, but I think whoever invented it originally is a genius. So easy! So portable! So endlessly variable! Send one off with your partner or kid for lunch next week and see how it turns out. All you need is a jar with a sealable lid, and a bowl. For this one I used a medium sized glass storage jar. 

Jar Salad:

¼ C of your favorite salad dressing (low in sugar, right?)

Any coarsely chopped veggies like cabbage, radishes, cucumber with skin, bell pepper, raw corn off the cob, cherry tomatoes, carrots…

Any nuts, seeds or legumes you like in a salad like garbanzo beans, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds…

Why not add some cheese next? Feta, mozzarella, bleu crumbles…

Then lettuce greens like spinach, spring mix, arugula…

Pour your dressing into the jar first. Then add your coarsely chopped thicker veggies (which will absorb less liquid) as a first layer. Then add your nuts and/or cheese. Then finish with a layer of lettuce greens on top. You want the ratio to be about half filled with veggies and toppings, and half filled with lettuces. Close that jar up tight and store it away for the next day or take it in your purse for lunch. Pour everything out into a big bowl and mix it all up and enjoy. These things, if packed right with the lettuce not touching the dressing below, will stay strong in the fridge for days closed tight. There’s your weekday pre-made lunches for the fam. You can make ENDLESS variations of salads with meats, cheeses, fruits, & dressings that can keep you in business for weeks without boredom.