One of my big, big goals this year is to be more prepared about my meals during the week. I once thought that one of the perks of working from home was that I could live a healthier lifestyle. In theory, I have more flexibility to work out and cook healthy, home-cooked meals every day. Well, the truth is that I haven’t been living up to that ideal. I find myself grazing all day because I don’t have clearly defined meal times. To make matters worse, I actually went to the gym less often because I wanted to carry on working instead of exercising. By the end of last year, I felt sluggish and tired. This year, I’ve been putting my best foot forward. Ever since I got back from my vacation in Europe, I go to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 and wake up at 6:00 in the morning. Then, I workout at 7:00 and start work right after that. I never thought I would be a consistent exercise-in-the-morning type of person, but this routine has left me feeling excellent so far. I just have much more energy to get through my work day! Another key to my healthier lifestyle is meal prepping on the weekends. I’ve committed my Sunday afternoons to chopping vegetables, cooking grains and legumes, and prepping as many meals as I can. Mason jar salads have been a phenomenal breakthrough for me. I prepare several veggie-packed mason jars at a time so that I have easy meals that I can plop onto a plate and enjoy throughout the week. Lunches no longer consist of me eating crackers and cheese! In this basic mason jar salad recipe, I packed together roasted butternut squash, quinoa, vegetables, and tofu. To dress the salad, I made a vinaigrette using olive oil, Nature’s Intent Apple Cider Vinegar, orange juice, sesame oil, garlic and salt and pepper. It’s a light and tangy vinaigrette that goes well in any salad. You can tweak the vinaigrette recipe by adding dried oregano, chopped scallions or even finely diced shallots!
COOKING NOTES FOR THE MASON JAR SALAD
The order of packing the mason jar salad: Stick to the order I’ve outlined in the recipe. I poured the vinaigrette into the bottom of the jar so that it doesn’t seep into the more delicate ingredients, such as the greens. Then, I layered on the firm vegetables—ingredients that won’t absorb too much of the vinaigrette over time. After adding the grains, proteins, and seeds, I stuffed the top of the jars with greens so that they won’t wilt as quickly.Variations: The main protein in this salad is red curry tofu (it’s SO GOOD, by the way). For those of you who aren’t as keen on tofu, you can sauté the red curry sauce with beans, tempeh, chicken, shrimp, or whatever protein you prefer.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Nature’s Intent Apple Cider Vinegar! To learn more about their apple cider vinegar and to get more recipe inspiration, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.
