Going plant-based was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made for myself and my family.
Earlier this year my husband’s doctor suggested that he go plant-based to help him with his newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
What we didn’t know then was how much those words would mean to me and my family. Even though we had been a clean eating family for the last few years, I knew whatever lifestyle one of us took on to better our health, it always becomes a family affair.
Clean Eating was a great gateway into a Plant-based lifestyle.
We already had been focusing on limiting the amount of processed foods we ate, our meals included lots of whole foods, so the only major things we changed was omitting meats, seafood, dairy, and eggs, oh and a big one, oil.
I actually think that this lifestyle suits us better. For years my kids and husband at times would battle that eating clean was getting old, for some reason there has not really been any battles now that we are plant-based.
I kind of like to think that its because our bodies are being fueled with even better foods and the non-plant-based foods were actually causing the cravings of foods that were not good for us.
Not only has going plant-based in the last 4 months contributed to my weight loss, but we received the wonderful news this past week that it has also helped reverse my husband’s Type 2 diabetes, and has been instrumental in helping us create some nutritious and delicious recipes in the kitchen like these salad jars.
If I had to pick a favorite dish, I would have to say salad. I mean it is one of the most versatile dishes I can think of and is one of my favorite things to meal prep. They are so versatile that they make for some great salad jar combos.
Enjoy a plant-based salad jar for lunch or dinner, either way, they can be created to please everyone in the house, even the kids.
Making salad jars is probably one of the simplest recipes and can be made from foods such as:
Baby Spinach
Broccoli
Cabbage (Green or Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cilantro
Corn
Cucumbers
Garbanzo Beans
Kale
Kidney Beans
Lettuce (Romaine and Green Leaf)
Mushrooms
Olives
Peas
Peppers
Pickles
Radishes
Seeds and Nuts
Sprouts
Tomatoes
The list is endless.
Whether you are preparing them for the week or using your leftover salad from dinner for lunch the next day, plant-based salad jars make for a great meal anytime of the week.
All you will need is a 32-ounce wide mouth glass jar with a lid, and your ingredients. I prefer to put any salad dressing I might use in a separate container until I am ready to eat the salad.
The salad jars in these photos were eaten the same day as they were made, so I mixed all the ingredients together. And I prefer to store my oil-free dressing in a separate container.
If you are going to store them in the refrigerator, you will want to make sure that you layer your salad jars with heavier ingredients on the bottom, and to make sure that you keep any liquids including cucumbers, tomatoes, and any dressings you are going to use away from your chosen greens.
Store the air-tight sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Once you are ready to eat it, just take the container and dump the all the ingredients to bowl, mix together, add your favorite non-oil dressing and enjoy.
I also love making plant-based salad jars because they make the perfect meal for my boys when I am busy. All they have to do is go in the refrigerator and grab a salad jar and 5 minutes later, they have a nutritious meal.
While you can use a variety of foods like the ones listed above, I have included some recipes that I have personally created and tried.
Plant-based Garbanzo Bean Salad Jar
Easy to make plant-based salad jar makes a great lunch or dinner meal.
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Cooked Garbanzo Beans (if using dried beans) or ½ Cup Canned Garbanzo Beans
- 1-1/2 Cups Romaine Lettuce, chopped
- ¼ Cup Red Peppers, diced
- ¼ Cup Yellow Peppers, diced
- 4-5 Grape Tomatoes
- ½ Green Onion, diced
- 3 Mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ Cucumber, sliced or diced
- ¼ Cup of Cilantro, leaves removed, and diced
Instructions
Cut up your ingredients.
Then scoop the ingredients into a 32-ounce wide-mouth glass jar, making sure to store your wet ingredients away from your choice of greens. Place the lid on and seal. Add to refrigerator, store for up 3 days.
When you are ready to enjoy the salad jar, remove the glass jar from the refrigerator, dump the ingredients into a bowl. Then top with your favorite oil-free dressing and
enjoy!
Notes
The jars in these photos were used the same day, but if you are going to be storing them for any longer, you will want to stack your ingredients so any wet ingredients including cucumbers, tomatoes, and if you are going to use dressing are stored away from your choice of greens.
Summer Salad Jar
Summer is not the only time you can enjoy this delicious salad jar recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cup Green Leaf Lettuce
- ½ Red apple, diced
- ½ Cup Broccoli Sprouts
- ¼ Cup of Walnuts
- 4-5 Black Olives
- 2 TBSP Flax Seeds
- 2 TBSP Raw Pumpkin Seeds
Instructions
Cut up your ingredients.
Then scoop the ingredients into a 32-ounce wide-mouth glass jar, making sure that you place your wet ingredients away from your choice of greens. Place the lid on and seal. Add to refrigerator, store for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to enjoy the salad jar, remove the glass jar from the refrigerator, dump the ingredients a bowl, top with your favorite oil-free dressing and enjoy!
Notes
The jars in these photos were used the same day, but if you are going to be storing them for any longer, you will want to stack your ingredients so any wet ingredients including cucumbers, tomatoes, and if you are going to use dressing are stored away from your choice of greens.
Baby Spinach Salad Jar
This Baby Spinach Jar is easy and delicious the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups of Baby Spinach
- ¼ Cucumber, sliced
- ¼ Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Cup Red Cabbage, chopped
- ¼ Red onion, diced
Instructions
Cut up your ingredients.
Then scoop the ingredients into a 32-ounce wide-mouth glass jar. Making sure to place your wet ingredients away from your choice of greens. Place the lid on and seal. Add to refrigerator, store for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to enjoy the salad jar, remove the glass jar from the refrigerator, dump the ingredients a bowl, top with your favorite oil-free dressing and enjoy!
Notes
The jars in these photos were used the same day, but if you are going to be storing them for any longer, you will want to stack your ingredients so any wet ingredients including cucumbers, tomatoes, and if you are going to use dressing are stored away from your choice of greens.
Next week, I will make some salad jar recipes using dressing and post them on the blog as well.
What are some of your favorite salad jar combos?
Stephanie Collazo, MS, CHC is the founder of Clean Food Mama, to help you get more plants into your diet. She shed 170 lbs by incorporating a whole foods plant-based diet and loves empowering other women to create healthy habits for themselves and their families.
