Layered Salad-in-a-Jar

One day last week I came across a great idea for salads, and as I was already planning to go to the store for some groceries that day, I picked up a few more ingredients needed for it. And - we used two jars of it for our lunch a few hours later!

The idea is to layer some fresh veggies in a pint jar, put a lid on the jar, and then store the jars in the refrigerator to use in the next 3-4 days. Taking care of all the chopping and assembling at the same time.

The choices of veggies, and the different combinations of these choices are endless. I layered:

corn (canned, or frozen)
shredded carrots
chopped green onion
broccoli slaw (the pkg of broccoli mix that I purchased was enough to make six salads-in-a-jar)
tomatoes, cut up

I plan to use this "salads in-a-jar" idea to make multiple salads ahead of time, and then at the time of using them, to empty the fresh veggies onto a plate before adding the protein and dressing. I like to put a thin layer of fresh salad greens on a plate, empty the fresh veggies on top, drizzle on some dressing and then add some sliced cooked chicken strips. It is beautiful to the eye, and delicious to the taste. Definitely will be using this idea again and again, varying the types of veggies, and also the type of protein toppings.

We used up the rest of the jars over the next few days - and each time, the salad was so delicious! What a great time-saver in preparing salads for a nutritious lunch menu.

Another idea is to leave a bit more extra space in the top of the jar, and add some type of protein and also your favorite dressing into the jar at the time that the salad-in-a-jar will be used. Then shake it up, and enjoy it straight from the jar. Which would be a great way to take a salad for a packed lunch, or on a spring/summer picnic.

(Credit: I came across this recipe through a blog post link-up - please click here to find where this wonderful idea came from.)

Linking up at Tasty Tuesday