Jar salads make brilliant work lunches or portable picnic salads. I've shared a few of my favourite combinations on my website here – or you can make up your own recipes using all your favourite ingredients.
Here are some tips that I find useful:
• Have everything prepped and ready to layer in before you start packing. There’s a bit of flexibility in the middle of the jar but it’s important to start with the dressing in the bottom. This means that it won’t sit on top of the other ingredients making them soggy and also that it neatly dresses the salad when you invert the jar into a serving bowl. It’s also a good idea to put any green leafy vegetables and herbs at the top of the jar so they won’t get bruised. In between layer in your other ingredients – I like to make sure that I include a pulse or wholegrain and a nut, dairy protein or lean meat.
• I like to make salads that fit one 4-5-cup capacity jar or two 2-3-cup capacity jars and make a lunch or light meal for two or a sustaining dinner for one. If you’re feeding more people you can easily scale the recipes up, or serve them with some extra protein to make a more substantial meal.
• If you’re making the salads to eat at home you can skip the jar step and just layer the ingredients straight into a bowl. Toss through the dressing just before serving.
• Salad jars keep well in the fridge for two or three days so if you make a few on a Sunday you can pull them out during the week for workday lunches. On a Sunday I like to prepare a big tray of roasted vegetables, such as kumara and pumpkin, and a pot of quinoa, brown rice, lentils or other grains or pulses so I can toss them through salads and midweek meals.
• I use plenty of healthy grains and pulses in my jar salads so I've compiled a printable PDF (447KB) with a useful chart about grain and pulse cooking times and yields.
BE SALAD JAR SAVVY
One of the things I love the most about the concept of portable salad in a jar is how easy it makes it to pack a variety of ingredients and flavours into one meal.
This is particularly beneficial if you’re considering the nutritional value of what you’re eating – not all foods are created equal and the more variation you can have in your diet in the way of vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts the better.
Certain combinations of foods can either assist or hinder our nutrient uptake and different foods have nutrients that help us in different ways. Having a cup of tea with a food rich in vitamin C is one of those negative combinations, for example, because the tannins in the tea prevent the uptake of the vitamin. On the other hand, foods that are high in vitamin C are useful for helping iron absorption, and eating nuts or yoghurt with your fruit helps your body absorb the vitamins in the fruit.
Knowing this can really help us get the most out of our diet. I’ve kept these interactions in mind when creating the salad jars in my summer annual Annabel Langbein A Free Range Life Endless Summer – and the best news is the combos taste great too!
Here’s a chart about some of health benefits of some common ingredients:
RECIPE |
INGREDIENT |
HEALTH BENEFITS |
Energy Boost Bowl |
Brown rice |
Reduces cortisol, lowers blood pressure, balances blood sugar and boosts energy levels |
|
Eggs |
Foods rich in B vitamins, such as eggs, dairy foods and grains, help support your nervous system |
Power Up Bowl |
Kumara |
Reduces inflammation, regulates blood sugar levels, encourages healthy digestion and helps reduce the effects of stress |
|
Kale |
Boosts immunity, stimulates detoxification and liver health, encourages brain health, increases energy and assists digestion |
|
Garlic |
Helps produce serotonin, lifts mood, supports the nervous system, reduces fatigue and increases energy |
Feel Good Bowl |
Salmon |
Supports the immune system, eases inflammation and helps lift mood |
|
Brazil nuts |
Help reduce anxiety, stabilise mood and balance hormones (but don’t overdose as they are rich in selenium – just three or four a day is all you need) |
De-Stress Bowl |
Beetroot |
Boosts iron and energy levels, promotes central nervous system health, lowers blood pressure and encourages a sense of wellbeing |
|
Sunflower seeds |
Boost energy and mood, encourage nerve health and promote healthy sleep patterns |
Paleo Power Bowl |
Mango |
Helps regulate blood pressure, boosts immunity, improves memory and aids digestion |
|
Almonds |
Stabilise blood sugar levels and help reduce bad cholesterol |
Happy Heart Bowl |
Spinach |
Helps keep blood pressure stable, encourages restful sleep, reduces anxiety and regulates stress hormones |
|
Live yoghurt |
Encourages healthy digestion (as do other fermented foods) |
|
Cinnamon |
Lowers blood sugars, boosts immunity and helps reduce the effects of stress. |
Super Dressing |
Ginger |
Encourages the absorption of nutrients, eases digestive complaints and reduces muscle pain and inflammation |