Does lunch time sneak up on you? You think you have so much time and all of the sudden the hunger pains start. They start when you are in the middle of something so you brush it off and suddenly the attacks are a category 5. Before you know it you are in the drive thru at Mcdonalds making a choice you don’t want to make YET AGAIN. Or maybe you are at home and you find every little crumb from making lunch for you kids. Little leftover peanut butter, cheese stick, go gurt, cookie crumbs. You throw things into your mouth as you are getting them fed and before you know it you’ve consumed 500 calories and you haven’t even “eaten” yet. Let alone feel any sense of FULL. I’m speaking for someone else of course because I NEVER fall into this habit…wink…wink.
Enter the Mason Jar Salad
This was definitely me. I’d get done feeding everyone and I would still be hungry but I would also feel gross and guilty for all I consumed WHILE making everyone else’s lunch. I wanted to eat better but you all know how they say you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry. I feel it’s the same thing when making lunch for your kids. If you are hungry and don’t have a plan you are bound to fail.
Mason jar salads have helped me so much in this area! Each week I make a different jar salad for the week. For instance this week I made 5 BLT jar salads, BAM, lunch for the week is just there and ready. Last week I made 6 taco jar salads and the week before that I was camping and I took along 4 strawberry chicken jar salads. It’s easier to make all the same kind for the week but each week I change it up so I don’t get sick of them.
Mason jar salads are not rocket science they are nothing to be afraid of but I do have some tips and tricks to share with you. If you haven’t made them before definitely check out my post about making them. On that note, I also want to share with you some NEW tips on mason jar salads!
NEW Tips and vacuum sealed lids!
Normally my mason jar salads last a good 6-7 days. Those last two days if the lettuce in the middle is touching anything wet it will start to get soggy but for the most part, they do last that long. Someone recently tipped me off to the fact that vacuum sealers now offer a mason jar lid sealer. REVOLUTIONARY!! She told me they keep the salads good for up to 14 days. Now I have to say I was VERY intrigued!
I went to Amazon and ordered up the things I would need to try this out. Here is what I got.
You need the items pictured above. The first item is the jar lid sealer, the next is a handheld vacuum sealer (you do not need this if you have a full-size vacuum sealer), the attachment for the handheld sealer (again you do not need this if you have a full-size sealer), quart size mason jars and lids (no rings are necessary).
Once you have those parts you just make up your salads and make sure the jar lid is clear. I usually just wet my finger and rub it around the edge. I boil my lids just to make sure they are clean and I think it gives a better seal. Once they are boiled I place them on the jars and cover it with the plastic jar sealer. Then I attach it to my handheld machine and push the button. Just like magic, the sealer does its thing and the salad is air tight. This does NOT mean you can keep them out of the refrigerator but just that it will last longer.
Testing it
I, of course, was hesitant on how this would help but I made a bunch of jar salads up and thought I would test it. I couldn’t wait the full 14 days because I needed my salad but the last one I used was 12 days old and when I popped it open it was just as crispy as the day I made it. The lettuce was not brown (and I used bagged shredded lettuce) and it was not soggy. Some pieces that had direct contact with the dressing may get soggy but when you mix it up those get lost in the mix. I’m VERY pleased with this new process!
Recommendation
I would definitely recommend these items to help with keeping salads longer in the fridge. I have found that keeping the dressing from the lettuce also helps a lot and the placement in your actual fridge makes a difference too. Keeping them in a door or not on the top shelf are best. Sometimes the lettuce also is wetter than other times which can cause it to go bad faster too. Please go buy, try it and report back to me!! Hope your salads last a long time too!
Thank you!
Thank you for joining me today I hope my posts are helpful and encouraging. Come back next week to hear about my Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Fuel Cycle! I’m in the middle of a two-week cycle and I’m SO pleased with my results so far. I hope to share my results and also my fuel cycle menu that I followed. Hope you have a great weekend!
