No, the world wasn't coming to an end, though even in my own mind, I felt like it should with me having chopped up & having Tupperware in my fridge of red peppers, cucumbers, broccoli & cauliflower ready to grab & go. What in the world?
I finally took the time to try the mason jar salads that I keep seeing on Pinterest.
Actually, a few weeks ago, I ran into a friend when I was getting my hair done & she was telling me how she was doing it for her & for her husband & how well she enjoyed it. She was giving me all sorts of ideas & tips & of course, as soon as she walked out of the door, I totally forgot everything.
... but I did remember she told me to look on Pinterest...
& that's where the idea really took off to do this.
I did remember my friend telling me exactly what these pins were saying - layering is key.
You dont want things getting soggy or things getting so wet that they are mush... ewww....
So it is all about following these charts...
& I headed off to the grocery to load up on veggies & even some fruit & some nuts & beans...
these salads can have all sorts of mixed up combos.
Luckily I had a weekend when I didn't have anything to do & it made it really easy to meal prep for it. Probably not even an hour to clean & cut up everything.
It probably wouldn't take someone else that long, but I'm not really a kitchen kinda gal, & plus, I'm usually watching something on TV & get distracted easily ...so an hour is for all the distractions & my kitchen level skills.
& I also got a lot of ingredients that were already prepped - like those shredded carrots & I bought some eggs that were already boiled so all I had to do was chop them up. I'm nothing if a person who is looking for ways to make life easier.
I let all my ingredients sit in the fridge over night (on a Saturday) & Sunday evening, I went ahead & made up some salads.... again, being sure to follow those diagrams on what should go where...
& I felt very Pinterest-Proud. That's a thing, right?
But the test... how were they going to work out? Taste? Hold up?
Well of course, Monday's salad ended up tasting wonderfully fresh.
& I wasn't sure if you were supposed to eat them out of the jar or what, but I did try the jar method thinking if I had these on the road, is it possible?
I have the big mouth Mason Jars & it did indeed work out just find. Of course, it took some mixing. & I didnt try it, but I probably could have even given it a good shake to get some of the dressing mixed in well. But it was totally doable.
As for fullness... I was full on Monday after eating... at least for a little bit. My stomach did tend to growl by the time about 2 hours after I ate & I was so ready for snack by the time I got home.
I did learn that I needed a little more. Some fruit afterwards.... or what I did afterwards, brought some wheat crackers.
I think if I added some protein to my salads, some edamame, or quinoa (YUM!) or garbanzo beans, it probably would have filled me up even more to not even need crackers. But who doesn't love crackers? Come on.
& the REAL test... how did it hold up on Thursday.
4 days after I prepped it?
It actually was just as fresh.
I'm not sure if it was the item of using a real Mason Jar, but when I opened them up, it definitely had a little suction pull on those caps & maybe that helped keep them yummy & delicious? But they did.
This was my Thursday salad - I did end up taking a bowl with me to work & it is MUCH easier to eat this way, or maybe even get a paper plate or paper bowl to throw away if you dont want to deal with dishes at work.
When you dump it, the salad dressing ends up being on top which is super nice...
All in all, I am SUPER IMPRESSED at this & have been looking at more salad combos.
I have ran across some great fruit ones & even some pasta or rice ideas & I'm totally intrigued now.
I also bought a pack of Quart size jars at Target for $11.99 - that's regular price - but I see they go on sale every now & then & that was for a dozen jars. They had a 4 set - in blue (pretty) but they were like $8.99 & I was being smart at thinking about the clean/dirty ratio & the value of paying just a few more dollars for 3 times as many jars.
But if you dont need 12, you can always find a buddy, split that, & each have 6 jars for less than that the blue in a 4-pack costs.
My thinking is, "there is ALWAYS something you can do with mason jars"... amiright? SO RIGHT!
So tell me, have you tried this?
Are you wanting to try it?
Have any questions, let me know - I'll see if I can help.
& just because - here's some Mason Jar Salad ideas & links - just click the pics to find out more
This link is for 11 Grab & go ideas |
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So cool, glad that you wrote up a post on how you mixed it up, I always wondered that part. You make me want to try this, but then I think, I'm going to be so hungry! I guess you could always pack some lunch meat on the side, no bread if you wanted to.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I've been wanting to try. I do wonder if it is the mason jar that keeps things so fresh or the whole idea of the layering so things don't get soggy. I wonder if I could layer in rubbermade or freezer containers? They are suppose to keep things fresh too, right?
ReplyDeleteI have never tried the mason jar thing because I was afraid of things getting soggy or what not. I tend not to take salads to work in general because they are never as fresh as when you have them at home or out and I am super picky. Buttttt if you say these hold up....then maybe...just maybe...when I have to start showing my face in the office every day next month instead of just once a week I might give them a go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, Rebecca Jo. I was curious how it turned out. I would definitely try this if I didn't work for home because sooooo convenient. I would also dump mine into a bowl because it seems like so much work to mix them in the mason jar. Plus, I really like my dressing mixed in well!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the links. I think I would love to try this because it would help me to eat a salad more often because it is totally put together and ready to go!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to try mason jar salads, just never bit the bullet & bought mason jars! Now I'm excited to try it =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update! I'll probably try this one next week after school starts. I have quart jars for big salads and also want to try the overnight oats - I guess in pint jars? Anything to save time/money, I'm for it!
ReplyDeleteI make big salads for meal prep sometimes, but never in mason jars because there is not a mason jar big enough to hold as much salad as it takes to make me full. I have lettuce on the bottom, and then everything else sitting on top. I wait to chop my egg up until I eat it & only add dressing when it's time to eat, but even with cucumber, tomato, carrot, etc, and even CHICKEN on top, or beans, they hold up really well even in just regular tupperware.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you shared this! It's definitely the kind of thing I've seen around a lot, but you never know if it *really* works that well.
ReplyDeletei'm glad this worked for you! i have seen them around but i don't mind making my salads the 'normal' way lol. i keep all my 'fixings' like peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers in one bag/container and spinach in another. then when it comes time to eat it, i take a bit from each and put dressing on. definitely takes longer than a mason jar but it works just fine. i've tried chickpeas in a salad and i love them, but only roasted, not plain. i like the crunch! i need some sort of protein in my salad otherwise i get hangry! lol
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of mason jar salads, but have never tried them. I love salads and this would make it so much easier for work.
ReplyDeleteIt's sure nice to know it really works!! Thanks for the tips! Too bad I'm retiring at the end of this week! :)
ReplyDeleteI have never tried mason jar salads, but I would definitely be interested in them! Why am I not following you on IG?!
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of salads, but I've never tried this. I've heard of it, but the idea of building a salad and keeping it fresh intimidated me! But it just looks SO pretty. I'm going to have to give this a try!
ReplyDeleteyum yum yum! Yes! We did this a few times last year, would love to again. I think our only problems were time to prep them (LOL) and that they were a bit tough to eat out of the jars. Also, sometimes a whole jar was too much food... but sometimes not. Also, vinaigrette ones tend to have the vin. get a bit solid in the bottom (hello oil!) ... so it was kinda chunky when we ate them. It's almost like they need a few minutes to thaw. I like veggies and salads quite a lot, but some days I just want something warm. So it was tough for me to do it too much, especially in colder months. It would be great for right now though! Glad you are having success with this! We tried a Mediterranean one, a southwest one, and a cobb salad. All three were good! :) XO - Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSimply Alexandra: My Favorite Things