Mason jar salad is the newest trend these days which started from last year and is here to stay almost forever. Now there are many questions and confusions you might have regarding mason jar healthy salads, that can you add anything and everything? Why use a mason jar and why not a container? Will it stay fresh for a couple of days? What is the use of a mason jar when you can make a salad in a bowl? And many more queries.
For the question that how to make mason jar healthy salads then you have tons and tons of recipes on YouTube and Pinterest which you can make according to your liking. Apart from the mason jar healthy salads recipes, there are other important things which you should know.
Why Mason Jar Salads?
People are now opting for mason jar salads because, it is quick to prepare and make, is very healthy in terms of nutrition and gives a perfect health. Nowadays people have extremely busy lifestyles, they have to cater for home, office, their kids, and their social life. Time is short and you also have to stay fit and healthy. The mason jar salad can be pre-prepared for a week and can be labeled, it stays fresh for 5 to 6 days, is light and healthy for your body, and easy to carry in your lunch bag and take to the office.
Why Mason Jar and Not Any Container?
The shape of the mason jar is such that it can easily fit all the layering if the salads and keeps it fresh. The wide mouth of the mason jar makes it easy to pour and layer. You can choose the size if the mason jar according to your preferences. Any other container will not give the proper layering which might make the salad and vegetables soggy. The lid of the glass mason jar makes it easy to seal tightly.
Layering
The layering is the most important thing in making a mason jar salad. If the layering is not perfect then your salad will not be good to eat. The layering process is as follows.
The first thing that you should put in your mason jar is the dressing. It is up to you whether you opt for creamy or vinegar-based dressing. The purpose of pouring the dressing first is to make sure that the vegetables do not mix with the dressing and becoming soggy.
The next layer you should put us the hearty vegetables. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli and other hard vegetables that do not become soggy. In fact, some vegetables become pickled in the vinegar-based dressing which makes the salad even more delicious.
The third layer is less hearty vegetables which include green beans, canned black beans, corns, mushrooms and other softer vegetables.
The fourth layer can be carbohydrates such any form of pasta or grains. You may omit this layer according to your mason jar recipe. You can also add chickpeas, rice, quinoa Or anything that you prefer.
The fifth layer should be your proteins. You can choose according to liking and seasoning. Either go for boiled, fried or grilled chicken cubes, beef, shrimps of any protein that you like.
The sixth layer is your cheese. Feta cheese, shredded cheese, goat cheese and blue cheese all stay fresh in a mason jar dessert.
The last step is your leafy greens and nuts if you prefer. You can add lettuce, cabbage, romaine lettuce, baby greens, spinach or anything that you like and nuts which are optional.
When you will pour the salad into a bowl, it will be perfect with greens at the bottom, setting a base and the dressing, in the end, to pour over the salad.
