In our house we love salads. It's a great way to get a ton of good veggies in one easy meal. I also have some sort of rotisserie or grilled chicken cooked and ready for easy salads and wraps in my refrigerator at all times. Unfortunately, they aren't the easiest pack and go lunch, or pre prepped food item. I used to just pre chop all my veggies, and have it ready to go so I could throw a salad together for a lunch. Then I always found myself searching for a container to put my dressing in so my veggies stayed crispy and fresh. When I saw this idea two years ago on Pinterest, I couldn't pass it up. We all know the best idea Mcdonalds ever had was the salad shaker, and while theirs weren't healthy and didn't catch on, I grantee you these will.
Yogurt is another go to around here. I have found that even some of the organic options out there have a lot of stabilizers and some preservatives. It's just the nature of buying anything prepackaged or pre-made. I love greek yogurt because it has about 23g of protein per a cup. Add in some fruit, raw honey, and some crushed almonds, and you have a winner with kids and adults. It's always important to balance out your meals, you want the good carbs, fats, and proteins. This one has it all, and if you love granola, go ahead and throw some of that on there too.
Why they're perfect:?
When you add an already cooked rotisserie chicken, and a bag of pre- cut broccoli from Costco it make this a breeze. Zero cooking, minimal chopping, and tons of nutrition. It literally takes me 15minutes to throw together 6 fruit and greek yogurt parfaits, and 6 salad shakers. Who doesn't want 12 meals done without cooking in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee? Did I mention there are no sugars, no processed dressings, no starches, or gluten of any kind? Both recipes keep nicely for about 4-5days.
Chicken Salad Shaker
The trick to keeping these fresh for days is in the layering. In the salad shaker you want your leafy greens and your watery veggies on the top. I put my protein in the middle because I don't like it to absorb all the balsamic vinegar. Also don't be afraid to try other types of salads with this. Tuna is another great inexpensive protein to put in these as well.
These instructions make one salad. But I set it up like an assembly line and get to business.
On the bottom
1tbsp of EVOO or Avacado Oil
1/2tbsp of balsamic vinegar
sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
Next I add some red onion (as much as you like)
1/4c Cut Broccoli- I love broccoli raw, and it doesn't get water logged making it perfect for this.
4-6oz Shredded chicken breast
4 basil leaves torn in large pieces
4 grape tomatoes cut in half
4 Cucumber slices
1 sliced portobella mushroom
leafy greens of your choice.
Top with the lid, store refrigerated until ready to eat. Shake well before serving.
Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
recipe is for each jar
1c plain greek yogurt
1/2tsp of vanilla extract
1tbsp of raw honey
2-3 strawberries sliced
2tbsp crushed raw almonds (any nut or granola of your choice is fine.
put the lid on it, store refrigerated until used.
How else do I use Mason Jars in my food prep?
1. Leftover soups to refrigerate and take for lunches, or a quick meal.
If you know how to can, this is also a great way to replenish your stock of healthy canned goods. All homemade from your kitchen for about a fraction of the cost.
2. Water. There is a whole lot of fuss these days about BPA's, and I don't know if you noticed but those glass water bottles are about $28 a pop. I personally have a weird aversion to metal drinking things. I can taste the aluminum. I know its weird but thats just me. So glass mason jars are a great way to store water. You will save money on bottled water also! Go the extra mile for full flavor and slice up some lemons and or limes, or other fruits for fused water.
3. Pastas, rice, sauce quinoa. Have leftover of these? You can put your yummy sauce on the bottom, then layer your protein, and put the pasta or rice on top. It won't absorb any of the sauce making it mushy. Add a little bit of water and microwave with a damp paper towel on top and you have delicious left overs.
There are so many uses for Mason jars. They're an inexpensive alternative to Tupperware, and they provide the perfect single serving grab and go meal. If you are not using them in your food prep yet, I hope you will start.
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