Build A Better Jar Salad

​by Tracey Shaffer, RD, LD
 

​     We all would like to be eating better, but how do we translate that to our brown bag lunch? Why not try a salad in a jar?
     Jar salads are quick and easy to make and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. You only need to remember a few simple steps and the rest is up to you and your imagination.
     When building your jar salad, start with your favorite dressing on the bottom of a jar or container. This keeps delicate greens from getting soggy. The next salad layer may include a protein, like chicken or nuts, or more hardy vegetables or fruit such as celery, apples or pears.
     The third layer may include cheese, dried cherries or seeds. The fourth layer could include fruit such as berries, mandarin oranges or grapes.
     The final layer is salad greens. Leafy greens provide vitamins A, C and K. Vitamins A and C may play a role in skin health and immune function; vitamin K may be beneficial to bone health.
     Leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard may contain eye-healthy antioxidants. Baby kale is tender with a pleasant taste and gives any salad a nutritious boost with extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
     To save additional time, try using a bagged salad for your top layer.
     Your work week just got a little easier. No last-minute decisions about what to make for lunch, no vending machine lunch fare, and no trip to the nearest drive-through restaurant. Your jar salad is quick, easy and affordable.