Who actually packs salads for lunch? I don’t even like packing lunches in general, but the thought of packing a salad makes me cringe. What if it doesn’t fill me up and I end up going to get coffee and coming back with a chocolate croissant? What if everything gets soggy? What if I forgot to eat until I’m so hungry I’m just on the hunt for as many carbs as I can stuff in my mouth? There are just too many risks involved in the business of packing salads for lunch.
But when my imagination began to run wild with the possibilities of becoming a Mason jar salad Jedi master. Right away I bought the book and a case of large Mason jars and began dreaming of all of the possibilities to come. Then, about a year or so later, I finally cracked open Mirabella’s book.
I actually couldn’t believe how simple Mirabella laid out the plans. It was a quick, easy read and made the whole process sound very manageable, perhaps even fun. So I decided I would give the salads a try for just one week to see how it went.
It has now been a few months and I’m completely hooked on the concept.
It takes me about an hour to prepare five salads for the week. And then I have all week to enjoy them. I usually try to pick two salads per week that are similar enough that I can split some of the ingredients and different enough that I don’t get bored.
In the beginning, I used only recipes from Mirabella’s book to make sure I knew what I was doing. Now I just mix in ingredients that I know I like with whatever dressing and greens sound best and usually only refer back to the book when I need new ideas.
It has made packing lunches feel achievable and has given me more time and energy to plan the rest of my meals, a feat that doesn’t come naturally to a millennial who grew up on grilled cheese and fast food.
Speaking of my poor food habits, it also is worth mentioning that I didn’t set out to lose weight with these salads. Losing weight is certainly something I should be working on if we’re being honest, but that wasn’t my main goal when I first heard about the Mason jar salad concept. It initially had more to do with convenience and saving money. Still, it turns out that the salads keep me feeling full until dinnertime, helping me resist the urge to indulge in afternoon snacking.
I’ve also found that it is easy to keep the calorie count low with these salads.
Mirabella’s book has many dressing recipes that generally call for 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of vinegar or fruit juice.
I have found that I can happily get by using only a tablespoon of each. And I often spoon in 1 or 2 teaspoons of chia seeds or flaxseed to add even more digestive goodness to the mix. (Now, if only I could successfully cut down on the alcohol, sweets and soda, I’d actually be getting somewhere.)
Another happy surprise I’ve enjoyed in making my Mason jar salads is the budgeting ease it provides.
In college and grad school I honed the skill of buying groceries then tossing them into the trash, rotting at the end of the week after I had passed up cooking for caffeine-fueled all-nighters.
But it has been refreshingly easy to buy all of the ingredients I need to make a week’s worth of salads for less than $30. And I’m sure a more ambitious person could cut that down even further if they so chose to take on that challenge.
Also, when I have slipped up and pulled my old tricks of letting the food decay in my fridge while I eat out, I have found it is easy to replan for the next week reusing a lot of what I already bought.
Finally, one of the best results that has come out of embracing the Mason jar salad trend is how easy it has been to share with others. After just a month of making the salads, I ordered three more copies of Mirabella’s book: One for a coworker; one for my sister, a new mother; and one for my father, who is the biggest vegetable eater in the family but still struggles with Type 2 diabetes.
I suspect none of them have read the book yet, but I’ll give them a year to discover its blessings before I pester them.
I also made a week’s worth of the salads for a friend who was on bed rest and am planning to do the same for a coworker with a newborn. There is nothing like replacing the traditional sympathy pie or celebratory sweets with a whole week’s worth of healthy, hearty lunches.
And while I have nothing but good things to say about the Mason jar salads, there have been a few days where the urge to go out for lunch was just too strong, even though I’d brought a salad. On those days I’ve had two great options to choose from: bestow my salad on the most ragged-looking coworker I see or, as the salads keep pretty well (depending on the ingredients), just save the salad for the next day and know at least one weekend meal is covered.
I truly am one of the worst meal planners you could find. A roommate of mine once staged an intervention to talk to me about my eating habits. But now these salads are helping me convert to what I used to consider the dark side, where people eat healthy just for the sake of it. Ugh, so hippie-dippie. Try it!
Make Your Own
The secret to Mason jar salads is the layering. You want the dressing — typically a vinaigrette of some sort — to go in first. Next go the goodies that can hold up to being in contact with the dressing, with the salad greens and any proteins (chopped chicken, hard-boiled egg, etc.) going in last.
To eat the salad, merely unscrew the jar cap, dump the concoction into a bowl, and presto — instant salad with the dressing on top, just where itap supposed to be.
Here are some recipes, adapted from Julia Mirabella’s “Mason Jar Salads and More.”
Caprese Salad
The key to this salad is the freshest mozzarella and tomatoes you can find. You will want a pair of small Mason jars. Serves 1.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 heirloom tomatoes, multi-colored if you can find them
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into ¼-inch discs
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves
Directions
Spoon vinaigrette into a jar, followed by alternating layers of tomatoes and mozzarella. Add the basil and screw on the lid. Refrigerate until serving.
Southwestern Salad
This hearty, colorful salad is packed into a 1-quart jar. Serves 1.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons lime vinaigrette
- ½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ red vine-ripened tomato, diced
- ¼ red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced avocado (optional)
- ½ cup corn kernels, preferably fresh
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 quart-size Mason jar
- Lime Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Dash of hot sauce (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
To make the lime vinaigrette, whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper and hot sauce, if using. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the while, until the dressing thickens.
To build the salad, pour the dressing into the Mason jar. Layer in the black beans, tomato, bell peppers, avocado and corn. Finish with the salad greens and then the Cheddar cheese. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Greek Salad
This refreshing salad serves 1-2.
Ingredients
- Salad
- 2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette
- ½ cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup quartered cucumber slices
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons pitted black olives, halved
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
To make the lemon vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking, until the dressing thickens.
To compose the salad, place the vinaigrette in a 1-pint Mason jar and add the chickpeas. Next add layers of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, feta cheese and parsley. Seal and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat the salad.
