CRANBERRY SPINACH SALAD

Most days I eat lunch in the school pick up line while I wait for Jack to get out of school. It’s super easy to drive through somewhere on the way to his school, but not always the healthiest. So I started prepping Mason Jar Salads at the beginning of the week, so I can just empty into a bowl and have a super nutritious lunch, ready to go!

This is one of my very favorite salads. I first tried it a few years ago as one of those ready made salads from the grocery store. Since then I’ve tweaked it a little and now it’s always in the rotation.

I’m pretty new to the whole mason jar salad thing, but the basic premise is that you layer according to bulk. I know someone is going to say, wait, where is the dressing? Well, I’m self admittedly a dressing snob. I don’t love my dressing mixed all over my salad. Instead I typically like to dip it on the side. BUT if you are a major dressing lover, add your dressing to the bottom of the jar first.

This is the order of operations that I follow for a Mason Jar Salad:

• BOTTOM LAYER - Dressings, Bulky Vegetables (carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, firm tomatoes), Beans

• BOTTOM MIDDLE LAYER - Eggs, Soft Vegetables (mushrooms, diced tomatoes, olives, corn), Soft and/or Dried Fruits (mandarins, berries, etc.)

• TOP MIDDLE LAYER - Cheese, Protein (Chicken, Bacon, Ground Meat), Nuts, Seeds

• TOP LAYER - Salad of Choice (Spinach, Arugula, Mixed Greens, Romaine, Coleslaw, etc.), Croutons

I usually decide on 1 type of salad to make for the week, eat the same one every day, then switch it up for the next week. This way I’m only buying the ingredients for 1 salad recipe each week and utilizing produce and resources well.

I pack them all in these 22 ounce mason jars and use these airtight lids to seal them. Everything goes in the dishwasher and will be ready to pack a new salad in on Sunday night!