Mason Jar Salads

For the last couple of weeks I have made Sunday my prep day. After getting back from the grocery store I wash and prepare all my lettuces and veggies so they are ready to eat. We never have anything go bad if they are ready and available to eat with out the lazy," I really just want a snack, but don't feel like washing and chopping..etc. etc." We eat much healthier when things are prepared and I am most likely going to make sure I eat my large salad for the day. Mason Jars! I love them! They have kept my lettuce and veggies crisp and fresh all week long. The last two weeks we made actual salads in the jars that looked something like this...

(from bottom to top: tuna, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, red peppers, pea sprouts, green leaf lettuce)

These were great to have on hand. I already had a healthy lunch prepared so there was no excuse to eat anything else. Also I could pour it into a bowl with one hand while holding a baby in the other! Love it! I used 12 oz. wide mouth jars because that is what we had on hand, but they were not very large salads. These are especially good for those who work or need to pack a lunch everyday. Just grab it in the morning and go!, but since we always eat lunch at home we decided to separately prepare our veggies so that they are ready to just toss into a quick salad. This has been a life changer!!! That may seem dramatic, but no really it has been a life changer. I have felt so good getting a quick and easy and rather large amazingly healthy salad into my lunch everyday!

I got home from the grocery store on Sunday and washed and and prepared my lettuce and stuck it into a Ziploc bag to keep in the fridge. Then I washed and chopped my veggies...this week I had celery, red peppers, carrots, and green onion. I also shredded up some turkey deli meat to top my salads. I love preparing it this way. I had veggies on had to whip up a quick omelet in the morning (with peppers and green onion), for sauteing and roasting; they were already chopped! It seriously has made life that much easier for this season of life when dinner cooking time turns into to crazy "mama, I need this, I need that" time. :)

I also have been learning alot about grains; when they were introduced into our diet, and realize that they really are not necessary...and besides I have no self-control with them sometimes. This week I ate strictly Paleo. I can tell you right now that I have felt amazing the last few days. Lots of energy, my workouts are awesome, but I probably won't keep it up. Maybe I need to work harder with it and figure out how to fit it into my life easier and on a more pocket-friendly budget. Meat is so expensive!...and I want to eat good clean meat. hummm...well anyway, I don't have to go 100%, but keep it as something to strive toward; in moderation with the not so digestible. :) Having veggies on hand has been key so I don't stray or even think twice about other lunch/snack possibilites.

Here are some websites I was inspired by for these mason jar salads. People actually prepare whole meals in them too!

Big Red Kitchen

Salad in a Jar

mason jar picnic