Jar Salads

Hello!  What's new with you?  Are you busy working through your New Year's resolutions???  I, for one, got a later start than originally planned.  I am among the many people who had that holiday cold/flu/sickness.  Mine hit on New Year's Eve, and my body took some time to recover.  Now that I am finally on the mend, I have to hit the ground running on my resolutions starting with my new meal plans.

Have you seen the Ball jar salad pictures on Facebook or Pinterest, or from my favorite organization Super Healthy Kids?  As I was thinking about healthy lunch options for myself and hubby, I remembered seeing these in passing.  I am in LOVE!  These are so incredibly easy to assemble, and the best part is, you only have to do all the chopping once.  I picked up six large Ball jars at Wegman's, and for the last couple of weeks, I put these salads to the test.  I chopped and assembled them on Sunday afternoon and by Thursday they were still fresh and delicious.  It's actually quite surprising how big the salad can be.  You can pack a lot of spinach and all your favorite veggies.  I throw in chia and sunflower seeds, and pack some homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing to go (in a separate container).  It's great to just grab and go in the mornings, which keeps me and my hubby healthy and happy.

Salads are a great way to get in the vegetables your body is secretly craving.  They don't have to be boring.  You can have a lot of fun with salads.  I, personally, love to add in sunflower seeds, avocados, and hard boiled eggs.  If you like sweeter things, you can add in some pears, apple slices, or even dried cranberries.  Change it up with some homemade, healthy salad dressings, and you are well on your way.  It is SO easy.

My all time favorite salad dressing is from allrecipes.com.  It is super easy and tastes delicious.

3/4 C extra virgin olive oil

3/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 pinch salt (I don't add salt)