It’s officially Lunch Meal Prep Week here on Maria Makes! All week on Instagram, I’ll be sharing lunch meal prep tips to help you do all of the leg work on Sunday (or one day a week) so the rest of your lunches are super easy, grab-and-go, no thinking required!
Today is all about SALADS! Keep reading for tons of salad inspiration and tips.
TIPS FOR KEEPING SALADS FRESH
Make sure you’re starting with DRY greens! Either buy pre-washed (which is always my method of choice), OR if you buy lettuce that you need to wash, give it a good spin in a salad spinner to make it as dry as possible before storing! Moisture is the enemy of a fresh salad and the longer moisture sits on your greens, the soggier your salads will get!
Let your toppings COOL! If you’re adding protein or roasted veggies to your salads, give them a chance to cool down before adding to your bowls! If you throw topping in hot then seal up your containers, you’re sure to get condensation, and you know what that means? SOGGY GREENS.
Store your dressing separately! I have a few salad recipes with heartier greens (like shredded brussels and kale) that hold up for a few days even with the dressing. But for the most part, you want to dress your salads when you’re ready to eat them. I love these containers from Glad because they have a little dressing cup that snaps into the lid!
Know that some toppings don’t hold up well! Like cucumbers and strawberries. They’ll be fine for a couple of days, but by the time you hit Friday, they’re likely to be a bit slimy. For “wetter” fruits/veggies like these, add them to 1-2 salads when you make them all, but then top them the morning of or the night before for anything longer than that. For avocado or apples, cut and add right before serving.
#MARIAMAKESABIGASSSALAD
I started using that hashtag a while back since I eat a ton of salads for lunch! Here are links to some of the salad goodness you’ll find in the Maria Makes archive!
This one gets a little stinky if it’s packaged up all week (hello cruciferous greens!), so I recommend storing the ingredients separately and then building the salad that morning or right before you plan to eat it!
Remember to let your chicken cool and add berries before serving for maximum freshness. The berries and cukes will keep for a couple of days though if you want to prep in advance.
Kale & Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
This is one that will hold up for a couple of days even after it’s dressed! God bless hearty kale.
Buffalo Chicken Salad with Roasted Potatoes
Store the chicken and potatoes in a little separate container or ziplock bag! That way the saucy chicken won’t F up your greens and you can reheat it and the potatoes for maximum deliciousness.
Salad Inspo from the Whole30 Blog
I have done some fun series in partnership with the Whole30 Blog and there are lots of fantastic salad and dressing combinations! Even if Whole30 isn’t your thing, you’ll definitely find some bomb flavor combos here that will take your salad game to the next level. Click any image below to be redirected to the recipe on the Whole30 Blog.
That’s it for today! Feel free to comment with your favorite salad combinations and if you have any questions at all, just let me know!