When the monotony of brown baggin’ it has got you down, basic jar salads are an easy way to shake things up (literally and figuratively). But why stop there? From amped-up noodle-y salads to hearty chicken chilis, we’ve found some of the most stellar Mason jar meals out there. Because we’ve all come to realize that Mason jars aren’t just for canning.
1. Beet Power Salad: Zesty tahini dressing on one end, savory goat cheese on the other, and smack in-between a spread of veggies and beets, this salad’s sure to get you kicking for the day. (via Eating Bird Food)
2. Easy Summer Tiramisu: Simple to throw together, but oh-so luxurious to enjoy, this four-step dessert has mascarpone, ladyfinger cookies, and Kahlua. (via The View from Great Island)
3. Vanilla Sea Salt Almond Butter: This satisfying spread can be mixed into oatmeal or spread on your toast each morning. (via The Healthy Maven)
4. Thai Prawn Spiralizer Salad: This blend of spiralized veggies, vermicelli noodles, tender shrimp, and fiery chilis gets doused in a lemongrass dressing that will rattle your tastebuds. (via Kitchen Sanctuary)
5. Buffalo Chicken Jar Salad: Everything you love about buffalo wings, from the tangy hot sauce to the creamy blue cheese, is layered into a jar, topped with lettuce, and called a salad. This is living. (via Julie’s Eats and Treats)
6. Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Scramble: Prep this make-ahead breakfast that layers sweet potatoes, veggies, and eggs, and heat it up easily the rest of the week. You’ll feel full and happy to kick off your day. (via Physical Kitchness)
7. Red, White, and Blue Mason Jar Salad: This salad proves that salty and sweet are meant to be together, thanks to a delicious mix of dewy strawberries, blueberries, and feta. (via The Cookie Rookie)
8. Vegetarian Mason Jar Burrito Bowls: Lighten up your burrito by snubbing the tortilla shell and neatly layering your fave ingredients into a jar for an easy make-ahead lunch. (via She Likes Food)
9. Healthy Layered Tuna Salad Jars: Tuna salad isn’t a snore when done right, and by done right, we mean layered in a jar with a plethora of veggies, grains, and dressings. The options are endless. (via The View from Great Island)
10. Peanut Noodle Salad in a Jar: Not only is this noodle salad easy to assemble, but it’s healthy and substantial too. Peanut-y goodness is paired up with rice noodles and fresh veggies for a nourishing lunch that tastes like a cheat meal. (via Eating Bird Food)
11. Mini Buffalo Chicken Salsa Dip Jars: When you combine your love for buffalo wings and layered taco dips into a miniature jar, magic happens. (via The Girl on Bloor)
12. Chicken Salad Mason Jar Salads With Creamy No-Mayo Dressing: This glorious jumble will have you looking forward to your salad at lunch with crunchy toasted pecans, juicy grapes, apple chunks, and creamy yogurt-based poppy seed dressing. (via Kristine’s Kitchen)
13. PB&J Mug Cake: All the best parts of a cake with a peanut butter twist in a single serving just for you. (via Kitchen Sanctuary)
14. Chicken Chili: If stuffing delectable chicken chili into a Mason jar and topping it off with a homemade biscuit is wrong, then we don’t want to be right. (via Carolina Girl Cooks)
15. Easy Oriental Chicken Bok Choy Mason Jar Salads: These GF and paleo-friendly gems are a total dose of feel-good with a healthy mix of fresh produce, protein, and slivered almonds. They’re also a great way to use up leftovers. (via Cotter Crunch)
16. Mason Jar Pasta Salad Shakers: Jarred pasta salads are a fab way to switch things up at lunch. Fill a container with turkey, cheese, veggies, pasta, and a homespun ranch dressing that’ll blow your mind. (via Food Lovin’ Family)
17. Arugula and Watermelon Salad in a Jar: It doesn’t get any fresher than this: Arugula is packed with invigorating watermelon, tangy feta, cooling mint, and crunchy almonds. (via Sweet Peas and Saffron)
18. Vegan Red Curry Cup o’ Noodles: These DIY instant noodles are convenient and nutritious. They serve up natural flavors and legit vegetables as opposed to those little dehydrated sponges in the pre-packaged stuff. (via Delish Knowledge)
19. Mini Mason Jar Fruit Crisps: Mix together your favorite fruit filling, top with granola, and bake until bubbly and crisp. It’s a mini bite of a little something sweet. (via Gimme Some Oven)
20. Sweet Chili Chicken Salad Jars: This impeccable grab-and-go meal is bursting with chili chicken, healthy kale, tender vermicelli noodles, and wonton crisps for an added crunch you’ll be addicted to. (via The Girl on Bloor)
21. Gooey Caramel Dip: All you need for this DIY dessert topper is condensed milk, a pressure cooker, and a trusty Mason jar. Your apples will never know what hit them. (via Kitschen Cat)
22. Roasted Beet, Chickpea, and Black Rice Salad: Full of hearty ingredients packed with nutrients and protein, this is one salad you won’t wish you’d added anything else to. (via She Likes Food)
23. Thai Salad in a Jar: Eat the rainbow with this colorful salad that brings nutty farro, crisp veggies, mango, chopped peanuts, and shredded chicken together for Thai-inspired bliss. (via What Should I Make For…)
24. Quick Pickled Asian Vegetables: Satisfy all your bánh mì cravings in an instant, or add a little kick to your noodles with these quick-pickled veggies. (via Sweet Phi)
25. Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad: Complete with a lip-smacking sesame dressing, these Asian chicken jar salads will be your new healthy obsession. They’re loaded with veggies, rotisserie chicken, and irresistible crunchy cashews. (via Joyful Healthy Eats)
26. Southwestern Chicken Fajita Mason Jar Salad: This sheet-pan-dinner-turned-Mason-jar-salad is what hacked eating is all about. Tender chunks of chicken are tossed with veggies and greens for low-carb fajita goodness. (via MJ and Hungryman)
27. White Bean, Basil, and Arugula Mason Jar Salad: Vegan and GF, this powerful plant-based lunch brings whole grain spelt berries to your fork along with white beans, basil, veggies, and an invigorating herb vinaigrette. (via Hummusapien)
28. Superfood Instant Pot Oatmeal: Extra thick rolled oats, blueberries, and almond milk make for the kind of breakfast you can run all day on. (via Cotter Crunch)
29. Asian Zoodle Salad Jars: Shaking up a jar of sesame ginger dressing, zoodles, mandarin oranges, veggies, and crispy wonton strips will have you falling in love with a salad like never before. (via Foxes Love Lemons)
30. The Ultimate Superfood Detox Mason Jar Salad: Skip the shakes and drinking vinegars — this detox salad gives you a nourishing way to hit the reset button with kale, quinoa, goji berries, veggies, and a zesty blueberry hemp seed dressing. (via Fit Living Eats)
31. Refrigerator Pickles: A sugary and tangy snack you can make from your own garden — or with your favorite farmers’ market produce! (via Sidewalk Shoes)
32. Pepperoni Pasta Salad: It’s pizza meets pasta salad, and you won’t be sorry about it. (via Sweet Phi)
33. Overnight Steel Cut Oats: Vegan and gluten-free, this breakfast is a leave it, then love it recipe. (via Sweet Peas and Saffron)
34. DIY Sauerkraut: You can get next-level with your Reubens by making your own sauerkraut that’s chock-full of probiotics. (via Sidewalk Shoes)
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(Additional reporting by Melanie Burke)