Salad in A Jar

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  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Thanks for the new ideas everyone. I'm going to try to keep posting each week's salad in a jar, and would love more ideas for what you put in yours!

    I'm still salivating when I think about this week's salad.

    Can I have another one for dinner?

    :D

    Seriously, though, Salad in a Jar has revolutionized my lunch habits.

    Because I work for a mobile outreach team, I never know where I'm going to be at lunch time, and some days when "lunch time" actually is. I used to keep snacks in the car, but ended up eating a lot of things I didn't need to and not enough veggies. On REALLY bad days, I would hit up the drive through for a chicken nuggets kids' meal.

    If there was a real-life version of Bachelor Chow (from Futurama), I'd be all for it. I HATE thinking about and deciding what to eat. I'm finding that if I've already decided ahead of time (ie, Salad in a Jar, I also do Steel Cut Oatmeal in a Jar for breakfast), I eat a whole lot healthier than if I leave it to the day of or spur of the moment.


    Can I ask how you do the Steel Cut Oatmeal in a jar for breakfast? I need to start eating breakfast and find I never have time before I leave for work. This sounds like a great idea.

    LOVE the salad in a jar idea also...especially if I can make a week's worth ahead of time! Great time saver and will help me from running to Culver's or A&W for lunch because I didn't have time to make something.
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    I made 5 days worth of SIJs earlier. They will all go to the office frig in the morning.

    I was going to include some quinoa in one or two, but the quinoa I thought I had, I didn't. Or it hid.
  • mdcjmom
    mdcjmom Posts: 597 Member
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  • Beccalicious420
    Beccalicious420 Posts: 25
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    I can't wait to try this!
  • BeckyS32
    BeckyS32 Posts: 66 Member
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  • NuggetLovesEdie
    NuggetLovesEdie Posts: 477 Member
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    Steel Cut Oats in a Jar for the person who asked...

    Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
    Add 1 1/4 c steel cut oats.
    Boil for 5 minutes (or until it starts to thicken a bit)
    Turn heat to low and cook, covered, for minimum of 30 minutes.
    Portion into five wide mouth pint jars.
    This makes a little more "creamy" textured oatmeal.

    Alternatively,
    Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
    Add 1 1/4 c steel cut oats.
    Boil for 5 minutes (or until it starts to thicken a bit).
    Portion into five wide mouth pint jars.
    This makes a little more "chewy" textured oatmeal.

    Add fruit, nuts/protein powder, and 1/2-3/4 c milk (soy or cow is usually what I do, because they have more protein than almond or rice milks and I have difficulty getting enough protein)

    My current favorite way to eat this is to add 1/4 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries), 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 3/4 c soy milk. Pro tip: put the soy milk in before the protein powder if you want it to soak into the oats. Put it in after if you want to be able to stir it in manually the morning of.

    Some "flavors" to try:
    -banana walnut or banana hazelnut (can also add a few craisins-dried cranberries- to this if you like the contrast of tart and sweet)
    -berry (blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry) walnut, berry almond, berry hazelnut
    -apple pecan or apple walnut with cinnamon and nutmeg
    -"praline" (pecans + brown sugar... I find this to be too sweet for my tastes these days)
    -craisin hazelnut or craisin pecan


    ETA: I didn't make salad in a jar this week. I made soup instead and I'm finding that its not as appealing as salad in a jar. I'm convinced this works for me! :)
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    Report: I just finished up my 5th day of jars. It does indeed work well. I have to admit that I'm pretty sick of salads. I need to put in more day to day variety. I started with what I had on hand last Sunday.

    I supplemented the meal with a cup of soup and sometimes a slice of homemade bread.

    So, what I learned.

    1. Vary the salad dressing as much as possible. This is a principal taste and contributed to my weariness.

    2. Vary any sides too.

    3. Make your eating place as pleasant as possible. Read, listen to music, etc. When the weather improves, I'll look at taking this to the park.

    HTH
  • tabbydog
    tabbydog Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Bump!
  • badzoe
    badzoe Posts: 132 Member
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    I've seen this on Pinterest too, but love the dressings that you have posted. Thanks for sharing!
  • psmith1129
    psmith1129 Posts: 1 Member
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    I got this idea from Rachel Ray. It works really good because the lettuce isn't all wilted, my wettest ingredients on the bottom and the dryest on the top. Very good and practical. Justr remember to leave a little space on the top for shaking all the ingredients.
  • daisiemae123
    daisiemae123 Posts: 277 Member
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  • labtdog
    labtdog Posts: 1 Member
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    This is a great idea! Do you just keep adding? How ong does it take you to eat the whole sald?
  • jsan5933
    jsan5933 Posts: 33
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    great idea!!! does anyone have instagram? what do you think the hashtag is? #saladinajar? :)
  • jennyrebekka
    jennyrebekka Posts: 626 Member
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    Thanks.....it is good to know that they can last 8 DAYS in the fridge - - - i wouldn't have guessed they would last that long. I'm going to make some up this weekend!
  • iamkarent
    iamkarent Posts: 145 Member
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    I will have to try this!
  • tap_0072
    tap_0072 Posts: 22 Member
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  • frankyk89
    frankyk89 Posts: 173 Member
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  • kcritter77
    kcritter77 Posts: 162 Member
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    I've been doing this for about a week now. Up to making them 3 days in advance as I just wasn't sure it would stay fresh...but it does!

    Mine is extremely low calorie and you can add a protein instead of the avocado or if you have the calories to spare, in addition to. You'd be amazed of how green and fresh the avocado stays. I'm going to start storing my half used avocados in jars!

    Homemade Asian Ginger dressing:
    Ingredients:
    • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
    • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp bottled, minced garlic
    • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/4 tsp chile paste
    • Juice of one lime
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    Preparation:
    1. Pour all ingredients, except for cilantro, into a blender.
    2. Blend on high for about 10 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth, and free of clumps.
    3. Add the 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro to the dressing mixture, and transfer to a clean jar or bottle. Make sure that the container you choose has a tight fitting lid to avoid spillage. Store in the refrigerator.
    Makes 1 1/2 cups
    Per Serving (1 Tablespoon) Calories 5

    Starting at the bottom:
    5 Tablespoons dressing (I end up with some left over in my bowl when I'm done eating because this is very thin and doesn't stick to the food)
    Cucumber (1 cuke)
    Tomato (1 small)
    Green Pepper (1/2 small)
    Broccoli (3 or 4 florets)
    Carrots (1 large)
    Green Onion (1)
    Avocado (1/2 Florida)
    Spinach (to the top of the jar)

    The whole thing is less than 250 calories even with the avocado. I used to eat almost that much in dressing alone!
  • mispotatohead
    mispotatohead Posts: 42 Member
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  • _Witsy_
    _Witsy_ Posts: 609 Member
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