Mason Jar Salads

I experimented with a trendy meal prep idea I've seen on social media. Here's how it turned out.

I've always had trouble with keeping a consistently healthy diet and remembering to eat throughout the day. Thanks to alexithymia, I sometimes can go hours without a meal or snack, and won't feel hungry until I have a stomach ache or feel woozy. This is not healthy, especially for someone who deals with unwanted weight loss, GERD, allergies, low blood sugar, and suspected POTS. I know I need to eat and prep meals I can grab when I'm working, but I just don't always have the energy to think about it or make all the components of a healthy meal. That's where these mason jar meals have come in.

I can literally take anything at all, pair it with a protein and dressing, and layer it inside of large mason jars. This can apply to breakfast, lunch, and dinner (yes, mason jar overnight oats are amazing). What makes it so easy is that most of the items don't take much prep, but together create an amazingly satisfying and healthy meal. For example, I can layer roasted corn with any protein, greens, and sauce for a southwestern salad. No stoves, no standing for long periods, and no fancy cooking knowledge needed. I can reserve my brain power, and simply stack ingredients from each major food group to get the desired level of nutrients (protein, dairy/fat, carb, and fruit/veggie).

Let me show you what I did for my first experiment with this method.

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First, I started with the salad dressings: ranch dressing and southwest chipotle. Being AuDHD, routines and sameness bring both comfort and discomfort at the same time. Eating the same thing every day would satisfy the autistic "part" of my brain but drive the ADHD "part" of my brain nuts (I know its all one brain, just makes it easier to describe). So, I settled for a mixed variety. Two sauces, two proteins, and two different main flavor combos.

Next, I got to work on the roasted veggies. I would need potatoes for my Caesar salad and corn for my southwestern salad. I made both on one sheet pan with no usage of the stove. I added simple seasonings (see recipes below) to ensure the flavor was throughout the dish. Super easy.

How I organized my roasted toppings in one pan to bake in the oven.

I then worked on washing and prepping my veggies and other toppings, like cheese and quick pickled onions. I used kale and romaine lettuce, but you can experiment with any greens to make it work! Pickled onions were made using a simple brine that consisted of vinegar, sugar, and salt.

My pickled onions after being in the brine for five minutes.

I then assembled my mason jar salads using a stacking pattern. Sauce, veggie, meat, topping, again and again. I got easy-to-close and leak-proof lids to replace the standard two-part jamming lids that come with the mason jars (I used 16 oz mason jars).

Assembled mason jar salads with different varieties of combinations (southwest with salmon, Caesar with salmon, Caesar with turkey, and southwest with turkey).

Living Confident AuDHD Accessibility Ratings:

Ease of Clean-Up Rating: 6/10

I mostly had two dirty mixing bowls, my mini blender, and two pans/sheet pans to wash, alongside spoons I used for mixing. The rest simply consisted of clearing up excess veggies, discarded rinds, and any leftovers.

Ease of Prep Rating: 8/10

Most of the prep was done in 10-20 minutes. Roasting and letting the roasted items cool was what took the longest time.

Ease of Access Rating (for those who may not be able to stand up for long periods of time, lift heavy items, or deal with lots of heat): 6/10

I could go sit down, take breaks, and go to other things while the toppings cooked. I also did not have to lift anything heavy, as the sheet pans and roasting pans were quite light. Since there was no stove involved, I did not have to face any standing overheating elements to prep this meal. The only cons is that the recipe does require chopping, lifting, and dealing with glass, which is somewhat challenging with dyspraxia. I've had lots of practice, but it may be beneficial to have help.

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Recipes:

Ranch dressing:

• 1-1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt

• 3 tbsp of buttermilk powder (add more to taste)

• 4 tbsp of any milk (dairy or non-dairy)

• 3 tbsp of a blend of paprika, dill, mustard powder, coriander, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, tarragon, kosher sea salt, and cracked black pepper

Instructions: Blend together in a blender or food processor until fully combined (or mix by hand).

Southwest chipotle dressing

• 1/8 - 1/4 cup of canned chipotle peppers

• 1/8 - 1/4 cup of canned poblano peppers

• 3 tsp of light olive or grapeseed oil

• 3 tbsp of coconut aminos (a healthy substitute for soy sauce, often found in the baking or health condiments sections of the supermarket)

• 1/8 cup (a handful) of raw chopped kale

• 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt

Instructions: Blend together in a blender or food processor until fully combined.

Roasted salmon:

• 4-6 salmon fillets (skin-on) or one large family-sized section of salmon cut into fillets

• 2 tbsp of a blend of paprika, cumin, mustard powder, coriander, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher sea salt, and cracked black pepper

• 3 tbsp of pure coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp of olive or grapeseed oil

Instructions: Grab a sheet pan or oven-proof large cooking pan. Season salmon with spices, drizzle with oil, and add to pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork.

Roasted potatoes and corn:

• Frozen sweet corn (1 bag should be enough)

• 3-5 Russet or Idaho potatoes, washed and diced into large chunks

• 2 tbsp of a blend of paprika, cumin, coriander, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher sea salt, and cracked black pepper

• any remaining blended chipotle puree from the salad dressing (prior to adding Greek yogurt)

Instructions: Grab a heavy-duty sheet pan or roasting pan. Wash and dice potatoes into large chunks, and add corn and potatoes on separate sides of the sheet pan. Season potatoes and corn with spices, drizzle with oil, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until visibly browned and roasted (potatoes should be soft when poked with a fork).

Quick pickled onions

• 1/2 cup of vinegar (I used white, but rice or apple cider vinegar works too)

• 3 tsp of sugar (add more if needed)

• a pinch of kosher salt

• 1 red onion, sliced thinly as possible into rings

Instructions: Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. This will be your brine to make the onions quickly pickled. Slice the onion into rings and add to the bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until the onion slices are visibly translucent (somewhat see-through). Drain from brine and set aside to cool until needed.

Other possible toppings:

• kosher pastrami (I used the brand, Empire Foods)

• feta

• colby jack cheese

• parmesan cheese

• tomatoes

• croutons

• black beans

• chickpeas

• roasted chicken breast

• sweet potatoes

• couscous

• rice

• quinoa

Enjoy!