4 Mason Jar Salad Recipes for a Meal Prep Win

Article posted in: Diet & Nutrition
mason jar salad recipes

Meal prepping can make a big difference for your health: One study from England found that people who took the time to meal prep had success on their diets. The same study, published in Health Behavior News Service, found that meal preppers ate more fruits and vegetables and less fast food than those who spent less time meal prepping. But that’s the problem: Time. Who has the time to spend chopping, simmering and sauteeing for up to two hours per day—the amount of time spent prepping by those in the study with the best results? Enter our easy-to-make Mason Jar Salad recipes.

Let Mason Jar Salad recipes be your time-warping savior. Just by stacking light ingredients on top of heavy ones in a jar, you can create pre-made salads that will keep in the fridge for a week’s worth of lunches—when you’re ready to eat, you just shake to mix and dress the salad. The best part: You can prep them all fast.

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Here are four Mason Jar Salad recipes to get you started on the path to meal prep success:

1. Cobb Salad >

mason jar salad recipes

Calories: 314

Counts as: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 1.5 Vegetables and 2 Extras

To kick off our list of Mason Jar Salad recipes, we’ve got a classic. If you order a Cobb salad at a restaurant, it’s usually loaded with extra calories—topped with too many croutons, too much cheese and not enough veggies at the base. This jar version is guilt-free, while grilled chicken and avocado bring the flavor and filling to make it a satisfying, belly-filling lunch you’ll love packing.

2. Caprese Salad >

caprese-mason-jar

Calories: 241

Counts as: 1 PowerFuel, 1 SmartCarb and 2 Vegetables

Mason jars aren’t just for lettuce-based salads. This spin on the Italian classic adds a bonus to the tomato-cheese-balsamic mix that you’ll love—pasta. A half-cup of cooked, whole wheat pasta of your choice makes a lunch that you’d never call “diet food,” but does it with just 241 calories per serving.

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3. Mason Jar Greek Salad >

greek-salad

Calories: 243

Counts as: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 2 Vegetables and 2 Extras

Homemade dressing has never been so easy: Lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar jazzed up with a few dashes of spice make the base for this Greek salad undeniably delicious. And what’s on top will help make the salad all the more filling: Chickpeas are packed with fiber and protein, while black olives and creamy feta crumbles bring fat that takes longer to digest, meaning you’ll stay feeling full long after the jar is empty.

4. California Roll Salad >

California-Roll-Mason-Jar

Calories: 293

Counts as: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 1 Vegetable and 2 Extras

This deconstructed California roll reduces the calories from your favorite sushi staple, but doesn’t skimp on the flavors: It’s still got crab, brown rice, avocado and cucumber, plus a soy-and-wasabi dressing for that salty, spicy kick. Topped with crunchy romaine, it’s a satisfying, surprising flavor combo you can quickly prep for a perfect on-the-go lunch you’ll love.