These 10 healthy mason jar salad recipes can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge for meal prep lunches! Layering your salad in jars helps them to last for longer.
Salads in jars are not just a Sweet Pinterest fad, they are actually really functional! Like these make ahead salads, these mason jar salad recipes were developed so that they can work for meal prep…and still taste astonishing on day 4!
What’s the deal with mason jar salads? It’s all about the layering. By placing the dressing at the bottom of the jar, and delicate greens towards the top, we are able to keep them from wilting.
How to layer mason jar salads
- dressing in bottom
- protein (chickpeas or chicken) next
- somewhat durable ingredients next (chopped vegetables)
- leafy greens at the top (kale, romaine, spinach)
How to serve mason jar salads
There are two ways to serve your salad: eat it right out of the jar, or dump it into a bowl.
Eat out of the jar
You will need a large jar for this (quart mason jars work well). Layer your salad, and when you’re alert to serve, shake it all up, and eat out of the jar.
- it can be tough to obtain your fork all the way into the bottom of the jar
- make sure to use wide mouth jars as tapered jars are difficult to eat out of!
Dump into a bowl
For this method, a smaller (1 pint) jar will work just fine. When you are alert to serve, dump everything out into a bowl. Since the dressing comes out last, it will pour over everything evenly!
- wide mouth or tapered jars work fine for this method
Tips for jar salads
- nuts and seeds will still soften, even when placed at the top. Consider storing them separately to keep them crunchy
- wide mouth jars should be used if you plan to eat out of the jar
- if you don’t have a jar, try layering your salads this way in a meal prep container
- find my favorite jars in this post
Make ahead chickpea, barley and butternut squash jar salads will have you looking forward to lunch all morning! Vegetarian, alert in under 1 hour, and tastes astonishing, even on day 4.
Thai chickpea mason jar salad has a tangy peanut dressing, quinoa, zucchini, carrots and cabbage and is topped with honey roasted peanuts! Ready in under 25 minutes.
These sweet potato & lentil jar salads have the Trendy astonishing chili lime vinaigrette! Make them ahead and enjoy throughout the week for an simple, healthy on-the-go lunch.
This barley salad is full of whole grain, nutrient-wealthy ingredients that will nourish your body. Easy to prepare, vegetarian, and meal prep-friendly!
Broccoli salad recipe gets a healthy makeover with almonds, quinoa and an apple cider poppy seed vinaigrette. Easy to prep for a barbecue or for meal prep!
Ranch chicken jar salads are made with healthier ingredients including homemade ranch dressing, baked chicken breast, and tons of veggies! Low carb and GF.
This strawberry spinach quinoa salad in a jar is the great fresh summer meal prep lunch! Spend a bit of time prepping your lunches on the weekend and you’ll be the envy of your office.
Kale chicken pasta salad with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Works great for meal prep or a weeknight dinner.
These Asian chicken mason jar salads make for an simple and healthy work lunch! They can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 4 days.
Arugula and watermelon salad in a jar is the great picnic food! Layering the salad means it will be fresher when you eat it and makes it perfectly portable.
