Meal prepping has to be one of my favorite tricks for getting healthy, easy meals on the table when I’m battling a busy schedule. Preparing ingredients, and moving through cooking steps in advance saves me so much time when it comes to actually cooking dinner or throwing together lunch. I just pick a day that I have a little more time to prepare my meals and ingredients, and then I know I have healthy meals ready to eat later that week! For many people it’s a Sunday afternoon, but it doesn’t have to be; pick the day that works best for you and most sets you up for success.
I always try to include salads in my weekly meal plan because they’re loaded with healthy ingredients, are an easy way to get vegetables in, and are easy to meal prep. The only downside to salads is that some of the ingredients can get soggy if you prepare them in advance. To prevent this, I’m sharing some helpful tips on how to prep salads and keep them fresh for days!
Salads don’t have to get soggy — with a few simple steps you can get all the benefits of meal prepping while keeping your salad fresh in the fridge. This way you have a healthy, quick, easy meal in the middle of your busy week.
Step One: Decide Between Batch Prepping and Ingredient Prepping
The first step to meal-prepping salads is to decide if you’re going to batch prep or ingredient prep. Batch prepping involves getting an entire recipe ready in advance, like mason jar salads lined up in your fridge. Ingredient prepping requires looking at your weekly meal plan and preparing certain ingredients together.
For example, if you were to make Greek pasta salad, you could batch prep by cooking up your pasta and dicing your veggies, then layering in a jar starting with the most hearty ingredients. If you chose to ingredient prep, you’d cut your bell peppers in advance, slicing them all and storing in a single container because you know you’re also planning on making fajitas later in the week, so they’d be ready to grab for day-of assembly.
Step Two: Buy Fresh Ingredients
The fresher your salad ingredients are, the longer they’ll last in the fridge after prepping. Make sure the produce you pick up is ripe, but still firm and healthy without any blemishes. When buying your groceries, try to buy perishable ingredients for salads the same day you’ll be prepping them. This will ensure maximum freshness!
Step Three: Wash Your Veggies
Dirt contains bacteria and microorganisms that can speed up decay when it comes to produce in salads. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to wash your produce well. When it comes to leafy greens like romaine lettuce and spinach, rinse them under running water after separating out the leaves and getting rid of any that are visibly wilted or spoiled. Swishing your greens and veggies around in a bowl of water is another good way to get rid of microorganisms.
Step Four: Dry All Your Produce Well and Wrap in Paper Towels
Water can also cause your veggies to spoil. Use a salad spinner to remove as much excess water as possible, then dry off your veggies with some paper towel to soak up any moisture that may remain. After you’ve gotten your produce as dry as possible, wrap them in a paper towel to make sure no moisture remains. For cut lettuce, a greens keeper can help extend the life by maintaining the proper humidity level.
Step Five: Completely Cool Cooked Ingredients
If your salad recipes call for cooked ingredients like chicken, beans, or quinoa you can prepare these ahead of time. Be sure to let any cooked ingredients cool down before adding them to your salads! Hot foods produce condensation, and as we all know, moisture is the enemy of keeping salad greens fresh. The heat from cooked foods speeds up bacteria growth. So, put your cooked ingredients in the fridge so you can add them to the rest of your easy meal prep salads when they’ve cooled off.
Step Six: Store ingredients in a Mason Jar
To prevent air and moisture from getting in your prepped ingredients or your batched fully assembled salads, store them in an airtight container. Glass mason jars are a great option for full assembled salads since they’re clear — so you can easily see what’s inside — and the seal is tight enough to prevent air from getting inside. If you’re going the ingredient prep route, I recommend glass snap ware containers that stack easily. This makes sure your salads, or salad ingredients, stay fresh and organized.
Step Seven: Layer Properly or Store Your Dressing on The Side
Since moisture increases the rate at which your produce spoils, it makes sense that the liquid inside your salad dressing does the same thing. For fully assembled layered mason jar salads, layer the jars in this order:
How to Layer a Mason Jar Salad
- Begin with 2 Tbsp of dressing in the bottom of the jar.
- Add hearty ingredients that will do fine with marinating in the dressing:
- cucumbers
- chickpeas
- carrots
- onions
- celery
- beans
- Add your protein:
- diced chicken
- hard boiled eggs
- chickpea “chicken” salad
- tempeh
- diced ham or turkey
- Add remaining veggies:
- cherry tomatoes
- bell peppers
- chopped broccoli
- Add grains:
- quinoa
- pasta
- rice
- Addremaining ingredients:
- cheese
- nuts or seeds
- Add greens:
- icerberg
- romaine lettuce
- baby spinach
- kale
If you’d like to assemble the day of, store your dressing separately from your salad. If you make homemade salad dressings, you can prepare this ahead of time, just be sure to store it separately.
Easy Meal Prep Salads
Now that you know some great tips on how to meal prep and store salads to keep them fresh, you’re ready to find your next favorite mason jar salad recipe!
Southwest Chicken Salad in a Jar
The ladies over at Ambitious Kitchen came up with a tasty, filling Southwest chicken salad recipe that’s super adaptable. I love how you can swap in and out your favorite ingredients as well as how protein-packed this salad is with both chicken and black beans.
- Storage Length: You can make this recipe 2 to 3 days in advance of when you plan on eating it.
- My Tips: If you plan on meal-prepping this salad more than a few days in advance, store the dressing in a separate container.
Quinoa, Kale, and Butternut Squash Salad
Alyssa over at Workweek Lunch came up with a power-packed salad that’s loaded with nutrients. Kale is one of the tougher leafy greens so it’s the perfect addition to a meal prepped salad. The squash and honey dressing provides a hint of sweetness that’s backed up by the earthy quinoa and salty feta. As an added bonus, this salad will taste great warm or cold!
- Storage Length: This salad recipe will last 5 days in the fridge.
- My Tips: Remember to let the butternut squash and quinoa cool completely before adding them to your salad.
Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta and Walnuts
If you’re on the hunt for a sweet salad that you can meal prep in advance, Carolyn from Eating Well has you covered! Spinach and strawberries are the predominant flavors in this salad. They pair beautifully with a hint of salty feta and some rich walnuts. Spinach and strawberries are both high in vitamin C, while walnuts have lots of omega-3 fatty acids to benefit your brain.
- Storage Length: This salad recipe will last 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
- My Tips: Make the balsamic dressing ahead of time, but store it separately from the spinach, strawberries, walnuts, and feta. Store your salad ingredients in a mason jar and when it’s time to eat simply add the dressing to the jar, give it a shake and you’re ready to go!
Salads are such a healthy addition to your weekly menu and a tasty way to switch up your veggie intake each week. Preparing the ingredients ahead of time, and properly storing your salads ensures you have a healthy and delicious salad ready when you need it — with no soggy salad greens in sight!
