Mason jar salads are meal prep gold my friends! Seriously I’m not even kidding. Figuring this out was one of the most beneficial tips that helped keep me successful and it still does. I have tried so many containers and bento boxes and different lunch hacks and honestly putting salads in mason jars was a clear game changer for me. And because you know how much I love to help you all out I wanted today’s post to be completely dedicated to putting together one of these fantastic salads so it can help you as well! Plus, I have a little gift for you at the end because hey, what are friends for?
#01 Prepping the Ingredients
This is going to be the most important step you take to make these salads and this may surprise you but the biggest thing you need to prep is the lettuce. You have to make sure that lettuce is completely dry before you put it into the jar because if you don’t, it will not last the entire week. You will have soggy wilted brown lettuce by Thursday or Friday if you skip this step!
So how do I prevent this from happening? I chop all my lettuce and then wash it. After it’s washed I run it through the salad spinner. This is usually where everyone stops and for a salad you are eating right away that is perfect but for the meal preps you need to do an extra step. After I spin the lettuce I lay it out on paper towels to let any extra moisture get absorbed and I let it sit there for a little while until it is completely dry.
It definitely takes a little extra time but it’s totally worth it to have salads you can eat at the end of the week!
#02 Cooking
The next thing you will need to do is cook any ingredient you plan on cooking. This could be your protein or veggies or anything that needs to be cooked. You need to do this early because we need the item to cook completely before putting it in the mason jar. If you don’t then condensation will build and you will have extra moisture in the jar that will make the lettuce turn faster! So whatever you are cooking make sure it completely cools before putting it in the jar!
#03 Layering
I have tried a bunch of different options here and I find that this layering method works the best. First I put in any hard raw vegetables. This might be carrots or bell peppers or anything that won’t absorb any moisture. Then I add the protein followed by any other toppings I might be adding. I put the lettuce on the top. This helps because in case there is extra moisture in the jar the water will collect at the bottom and the lettuce won’t be sitting in it!
#04 Store Separately
I don’t actually put everything into the jar. Some items I leave out because I feel they last longer on their own or when I put them in the jar it causes the lettuce to turn faster. Dressing for sure I store separately. I measure out my dressing into little plastic cups and then put the cups right in the jar so that way I don’t have to remember something additional in the morning. Other things I store separately are hard boiled eggs, tortilla strips, and cheese like fresh mozzarella.
I am going to be honest here. I always make my salads Sunday and they last perfectly fine until Thursday (I usually order lunch with friends on Friday’s). I have never had a problem but I know that makes some people nervous so if you are one of those people who don’t want to eat chicken after that many days you can totally make the salads and put the chicken or protein in whenever you are comfortable! For me it depends on the protein chicken and ground beef I’m fine with. If I was using shrimp I would cook the shrimp on Sunday for Monday and Tuesday and then cook new shrimp on Tuesday night for Wednesday and Thursday. You just need to do what is right for you!
Now I told you I have a little gift for you and I totally do! You have the steps down for creating these salads and sometimes figuring out what to put in them can be hard, especially if you like variety. So I made this quick salad cheat sheet guide to help you build delicious salads without having to put in much thought! I hope you enjoy it! Click the link below to grab the freebie!
Happy Saturday! I wanted to hop by and give you this important message for this weekend because I hear a lot of this going around!
Do not punish yourself with exercise. When you get into that mindset you will start resenting working out because you will associate it with something negative rather than all the positive it brings.
I totally get not wanting to lose your progress but it is not going to happen with one meal or in one day or really one weekend!
If you can relate to this I want you to do this...
Each morning when you get up be intentional about how you will show up that day. Will you do your workout? Will you focus on your nutrition? Will you go to the party and have one margarita and then seltzer? Pick your one way to show up and stick to it and let the rest happen. Remember this is for a day, not every single day. One day letting yourself eat outside your plan is going to be ok!
Have fun and make good memories, and please be safe! Uber is a fantastic ...
Here is a little preview at tomorrows lunch meal prep recipe!! If you do not subscribe I would totally join now to grab this recipe!
Use the code Mealprep for a free month!
Sometimes we struggle with our progress because we are doing too much too quickly! This journey is going to take time and if we do too much at once we are going to get overwhelmed and will end up making it harder!
These are 3 signs that you may be starting off with too much and may need to scale it back a bit!
https://www.coffeedonutsfitness.com/post/3-essential-signs-you-are-starting-with-too-much
I get this question often, rightfully so I guess lol I mean I have Donuts and Fitness together in my business name which can be a little confusing. I want to straightforward tell you what it is and what it is not!
IT IS...
- A mindset nutrition company focused on building healthy habits to lead a healthy lifestyle. I am about building small sustainable healthy habits! My belief in regards to nutrition is balance. I am not a big believer to completely cutting things out of your diet.
- A source of motivation and tips for making better choices in a reasonable fashion. I love sharing tips I have found along my journey. My goal is to help you on your journey!
- A place to find healthy recipes you can easily incorporate into your busy weeknights. Creating healthy recipes for families is one of my favorite parts of what I do! I can't wait to share them with you!
- A source of tips to work with your family on making better choices, yes that means your children also! I love to work with ...
Hi There, I'm Sam!
I am the owner of Coffee Donuts Fitness!
Most days you can find me running around because I am a busy mom of 2 boys! I am usually with my family or doing some kind of activity! We are a very active family!
I am mostly known for helping other busy moms with meal preps and planning. I love serving others by giving them strategies to help them be successful on their wellness journey and to feel great while doing it! I am most passionate about my health, my family, and inspiring others to lead a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying some yummy treats along the way!
I create courses, teach, and inspire other moms who struggle with trying to fit it all in. I know what it is like to be really busy but still want to be able to focus on getting healthy! It can really be hard! I am so lucky to be able to inspire and teach them to focus on their healthy while leading a busy life and without making excuses!
When I'm not busy working on building my community you can catch me ...
Hey members! My new website is up and running and I would LOVE to be able to show it to you!
There you will find all my weekly blog posts, weekly challenges, a monthly bonus recipe, and some free trainings thrown in!
Also I am so excited to bring to you the Coffee Donuts Fitness Academy! On this part of the site you will have access to ALL my recipes, exclusive trainings and posts to help guide you through your journey!
Because you all mean so much to me I have a special deal just for you! Come check out the new Academy and use the code CDF15 to save 15% off the monthly membership!
I hope to see you there!
