Mason jar salads make quick, convenient, nutritious make-ahead lunches or dinners that you can tote to work, pack for a picnic in a park, or carry from your refrigerator to your backyard to eat mindfully outside.

To make mason jar salads a part of your weekly meal prep, these tips can make assembly fast and easy:

• Pick 2-3 mason jar salad recipes to make for the week; try to find recipes that have some similar ingredients to make shopping easier and more economical
• Wash and dry all salad ingredients beforehand
• Cook and cool any meat or plant-based proteins
• Toast any nuts or seeds and allow to cool
• Chop your lettuce or greens into thin strips or tear into small pieces
• Cut all raw vegetables and protein into bite-sized pieces
• If you choose to store your salad dressing at the bottom of the mason jar instead of separately, make sure to layer the salad in a manner so that it doesn't matter if the ingredients touching the dressing get wet. For example, you want nuts or seeds to be stored at the top of the jar so they retain their crunch
• Prep 3-5 mason jar salads on the same day to make prep, assembly, and clean up efficient.

If you have any concerns about using plastic to store food, mason jars make great reusable alternative that are dishwasher safe, take up little space in a refrigerator or tote bag, and can be wrapped in a kitchen towel to prevent breaking. Buy a pack of six or 10 mason jars from the grocery store or superstore and make sure to wash before your first use.

Italian Chicken Mason Jar Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 cooked chicken breast, cut into cubes
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 6 basil leaves, torn
  

Instructions

Layer salad ingredients into a mason jar in the following order, from bottom to top: dressing, chicken, bell pepper, mozzarella, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, basil. Put the top on and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

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Vegan Italian Mason Jar Salad Recipe

Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian, or just want a plant-based salad for a meatless meal, this vegan version of our Italian mason jar salad fits the bill.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds or pine nuts
• 6 basil leaves, torn

Instructions

Layer salad ingredients into a mason jar in the following order, from bottom to top: dressing, bell pepper, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, seeds or nuts, basil. Put the top on and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 

<p class="pro-tip">Learn more about the Mediterranean diet and blood sugar</p>