Editor's Note: Mason jar salads practically inspired the whole #MealPrepMonday trend. There's no better — or more eye-catching way — to put leftovers and veggies in the fridge to good use. Making a batch on a Sunday evening saves time and money and almost guarantees that you'll get at least one healthy meal in every day. That whole five servings of fruits and veggies thing? Mason jars were made to make that happen. The downside? After a few hours, watery veggies and salad dressing mix to create a mess of mushy, wilted greens. Bec Dickinson, author of Love Your Lunches, saves the day with this eight-step plan that'll keep your jarred salads fresh until you're ready to eat them.
Not only is this way of presenting your lunch easy on the eye, the practicality of the packaging verges on genius. Bring your salad to work without the dread of a soggy mess. Most meals can last up to a working week in the fridge. Simply tip the contents of your jar into a bowl and lunch is there, ready to go.
Successfully creating an ‘all-in-one’ lunch jar comes down to the simple art of layering. Once you have the method figured out, you can go to town with your own personalized meal.
TYPE OF JAR
Use a 1 liter (34 fl oz) jar per serving or a 500 ml (17 fl oz) jar if having as a side. They need to be wide-mouthed with tight-fitting lids (preserving jars work best) — the tighter the seal, the longer your greens stay crisp.
