Plan and Prep: Salad in a Jar

I think we’re doing pretty well at checking things off the summer bucket list. Prepping healthy meals in advance makes it easy to keep healthy habits even while enjoying all the summer fun. Today I’ve got an easy way to prep salads for the week: salad in a jar. I’ll show you just how to do it below, but first here’s a few pics from one of those summer bucket list items I mentioned.

Outdoor concert?

Liv and me dancing at outdoor concert

Done, and I hope we can go to another one soon!!

outdoor concert

We met up with some friends on Coronado to enjoy the summer free concert in the park series. From what I’ve heard, the bands vary in the enjoyment department, but last night they had an Eagles cover band. A little secret: I LOVE me some Eagles. It screams summer and reminds me of when we’d go to the lake when I was a kiddo and my parents would blast “Hotel California” on their boat. It was a lot of fun hanging out on picnic blankets with our friends, drinking raspberry mojitos (yessssss), listening to the music, and dancing with Livi.

Today, I joined in the Summer Shape Up fun by doing the workout in our garage, and planned some eats for the week.

Salad in a jar - prep in advance for a week of healthy lunches! fitnessista.com

The Pilot grills chicken to enjoy on salads and wraps, and I eat at least two eggs a day, so protein is usually bueno, but I’ve been slacking on produce lately. I think it tends to happen when I come back from vacation. The Stitch Fix trip was out of the ordinary -they hooked us up with amazing healthy snacks and I enjoyed quite a few glorious salads- but I realized it’s been a couple of days since I’ve had anything green 😉

I decided to put together some salads in jars, so I can easily shake and enjoy for quick lunch accompaniments. I kept them fairly basic, so I could add in leftovers from dinner (love mixing leftovers with salad), grilled chicken, quinoa, or… anchovies. I’ve been on an anchovy thing lately. No hatin.’

How to Prep Salad in a Jar

Here’s what went into each jar:

Salad in a jar

Salad 

Bottom to top: (be mindful of the order of ingredients so the lettuce stays crispy on top)

-Olives

-Red wine vinegar and olive oil

-Diced cucumber

-Sliced tomatoes

-Fresh mint

-Romaine

-Crumbled goat cheese

Shake and eat!

And now the wheels are turning for awesome combo ideas…. Let me know if you have any!

See ya in the morning <3

xoxo

Gina

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31 Comments

  1. Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run on June 16, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    I did a salad in a jar recipe demo at work recently — they’re great for 9-5 ers.

    The salad looks particularly yummy and nice ‘n’ salty; I haven’t had romaine in a while — mmm.

  2. Livi on June 16, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    Yum! I love a good salad, and this looks awesome!

  3. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun on June 16, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    Yum nothing better than a good salad!

  4. Amber on June 16, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    I just wanted to tell you thank you. You have inspired me to grab a bottle of water & my iPod & get moving!!! I have lost 10 lbs since April with eating cleaner & 3 pants sizes. But I had no motivation to move. I came across your blog started from the beginning & kept reading, your ideas on food & snacks through out the day have helped me recently. I have decided to start one of your original summer shape ups. Thanks again!!!

  5. Amber on June 16, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    I just wanted to tell you thank you. You have inspired me to grab a bottle of water & my iPod & get moving!!! I have lost 10 lbs since April with eating cleaner & 3 pants sizes. But I had no motivation to move. I came across your blog started from the beginning & kept reading, your ideas on food & snacks through out the day have helped me recently. I have decided to start one of your original summer shape ups. Thanks again!!!

  6. Amber on June 16, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    I just wanted to tell you thank you. You have inspired me to grab a bottle of water & my iPod & get moving!!! I have lost 10 lbs since April with eating cleaner & 3 pants sizes. But I had no motivation to move. I came across your blog started from the beginning & kept reading, your ideas on food & snacks through out the day have helped me recently. I have decided to start one of your original summer shape ups. Thanks again!!!

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:42 am

      wow, congratulations to you!!!
      thank you so much for reading <3 hope you enjoy the shape up!

  7. Rachel @ Blonde with a Chanse on June 16, 2014 at 8:32 pm

    This looks so yummy and it is such a good idea!

  8. Emily on June 16, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    I’ve seen this, and it never occurred to me to actually do it. Especially since my salad at lunch today was a bit on the soggy side with all the lettuce under the toppin’s. I think I might have a rogue mason jar in the fridge somewhere to repurpose! I think it’s full of ancient homemade chicken stock, so I think the jar has already served its purpose on that front.

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:41 am

      hahah! that’s amazing. homemade chicken stock is so good 🙂

  9. Polly @ Tasty Food Project on June 16, 2014 at 8:49 pm

    I like salad shakers! They are so convenient!

    I want to go to a summer outdoor concert because it looks so fun!

  10. RachelG on June 16, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    Berries in salad scream Summer to me! 🙂

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:40 am

      amennnnn

  11. GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth on June 16, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    I bought some jars last month to do exactly this…and then forgot to prep them haha
    Thanks for the reminder! These look yummy 🙂

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:39 am

      haha! hope you enjoy 🙂

  12. Megan @ The Skinny-Life on June 16, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    Salad in a jar is an awesome idea! Pretty one too. I bring salads to work everyday. Why haven’t I thought of this?

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:39 am

      everything is more fun in a jar 😉

  13. Lauren on June 16, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    What a fantastic idea!

  14. Shaina Anderson on June 16, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    This is going to be so money when the baby comes! I can prep a salad the night before when I’m making Patricks lunch. Thanks for the awesome idea!!

    • Fitnessista on June 17, 2014 at 12:39 am

      no prob! so excited for you!!

  15. Lucie@FitSwissChick on June 17, 2014 at 4:42 am

    I love your skirt!! WHere is it from? Outdoor concerts are the best. Switzerland is full of outdoor festivals in Summer. So much fun.

    Love the idea of salad in a jar! Looks so pretty! I need bigger jars – my salads are always huge! 🙂
    I love to add berries or melon and nuts in summer salads.

  16. Emily on June 17, 2014 at 5:19 am

    Where’d you find your jars? Or did you just use ones you had? I’m kind of paranoid about things being food safe, if ya know what I mean? 😉

  17. Runner Girl Eats on June 17, 2014 at 6:41 am

    I’ve never tried salad in a jar but I do enjoy packing salads in tupperware for lunch. I usually have two containers, one for dry ingredients and one for wet.

  18. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed on June 17, 2014 at 8:21 am

    I’ve been obsessed with spinach/spring mix with strawberries, blue cheese, craisins, and almond slivers. And if I have a ripe avocado on hand… out of this world! I enjoy it with a blush wine vinaigrette, yum 🙂

  19. Katie @ running4cupcakes on June 17, 2014 at 1:28 pm

    I am loving berries on salad + my new favorite salad dressing – olive oil + balsamic + honey + dijon mustard = amazing!!

  20. Tracy on June 17, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    Love the idea to put in jars. I usually have a few salads without dressing in bowls waiting in the frig for my husband and me, but jars would be much more convenient storage and could be dressed ahead more easily also. Yay and thanks for the tip!

    Thanks for the anchovy reminder, too! Love em in salad. Just added them to my grocery list 🙂

  21. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen on June 17, 2014 at 2:26 pm

    Salads in a jar are so pretty! Gonna have to try this 🙂

  22. Alexa on June 17, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    does it really not get soggy with the dressing on the bottom? i need to try it then, since mason jars would be more efficient space-wise because right now i use a big round tupperware (i keep the dressing separate in those little takeout plastic containers). and so i assume you always shake and dump right? it would be too difficult to eat out of the jar?

  23. Alex @ Kenzie Life on June 17, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    I love the idea of salads in a jar 🙂

  24. Faye Holloway on June 18, 2014 at 10:15 pm

    This is such a good idea – I always feel like everyone else’s salads look better than mine so thanks for the recipe!

  25. char eats greens on June 23, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    I’m totally making some of these soon because I need more raw greens in my life (I cook/saute a lot of greens, but not as much raw as I’d like). I think I need more mason jars though. I admit it: I’m a mason jar hoarder. I can never have too many–especially if I’m going to make these!

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