In January 2015, I was exceptionally busy and had very little free time, let alone any real time to spend cooking. Desperate to find a solution, I did some research and learned about the concept of meal prepping, i.e. preparing meals at the weekend in advance of the week ahead.
I especially loved the idea of salads in a jar, which I came across on YouTube on a channel called The Domestic Geek.
The idea is simple: you prepare a salad and store it in a jar in the fridge for up to three days. Salad dressing goes in the bottom of the jar, then your sturdier veggies (so they won’t wilt), and then more delicate leaves etc on top.
When you’re in a hurry and want to eat your salad, you just give the jar a good shake and then empty the salad onto a plate – et voila!
I had a busy week ahead, so I made three jars, each with a different salad, and popped them in the fridge.
The three salads I prepared were:
- Cherry tomatoes, steamed green beans, steamed baby potatoes, hardboiled eggs and bacon with salad dressing.
- Steamed broccoli, grated carrots, shredded roast chicken, mixed salad leaves and ranch dressing.
- Cherry tomatoes, green and yellow bellpeppers, olives, feta cheese, red onion, cucumber, mixed salad leaves, with a homemade dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Throughout the week I had a salad ready and waiting for me when I got home from work, which gave me that little extra time I needed to unwind before it was time to get back to work (I was working two jobs at the time). The salad jars were quick, simple and fun to make, looked so pretty, definitely saved me time on meal prep, and oh so delicious! My favourite one was the Greek style salad (number 3) – yum yum!
These salads in a jar were such a great idea that I have continued to make them on a regular basis ever since. So, if like myself, you crave delicious and nutritious food, but you just do not have the time to cook every evening, I highly recommend you give this idea a try.