13 Mason Jar Salads That Make Perfect Healthy Lunches
These mason jar salads are perfect for healthy eating and make for beautiful, delicious lunches.
There’s been lots of talk about them recently…
And for a good reason.
The secret to healthy eating and making the perfect mason jar salad is knowing that everything must go in order.
If you mix up one of these important steps, your salad will end up soggy by lunchtime…
Don’t worry though, I’ll give you the exact steps to making the perfect mason jar salads every time!
You’ll also want to use a smart combination of ingredients to ensure the salad keeps you full. A protein, something salty and crunchy, and something sweet.
Once you have these things, here is the order to use to make mason jar salads:
1. Dressing first – This ensures your salad doesn’t get soggy!
2. Grain/protein second – This will keep the softer ingredients from getting wet.
3. Extra goodies third – Nuts, cheeses, fruits, etc.
4. Leafy Greens Last – Top it off with the greens last.
There are 3 types of mason jars used for these salads:
Mix and match to create your own variations!!!
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps keep this content free. Please read our disclosure for more info.
1. Ranch Chicken In A Jar
#1 on our list of mason jar salads is one of our personal favorites.
This clean eating chicken salad was made by Shaina at Food For My Family. It’s high in protein from the 6oz of chicken, which will help keep your stomach feeling full. Plus, the added bell pepper and lemon boost the nutrient profile of this salad.
Tips when making: This recipe was originally featured on a show for Hellman’s Mayonnaise, so they were a little gratuitous on the mayo. Use half of the recommended mayonnaise and sour cream to make it even healthier.
2. Egg Salad Mason Jar
People seem to either love egg salad or hate it. If you fall into the “love” category, then this is a must-try. Whole farm-raised eggs are one of the healthiest foods on our planet and should be a part of a weekly clean eating diet plan.
Tips when making: This mason jar salad was made by Marie at Make and Takes. While this website is not a big supporter of mayo, there are healthy substitutes out there like this clean eating approved avocado oil mayo. Consider using this versus regular store-bought items.
3. Vegan Green Garden Salad
Need a salad that is light on the stomach, but heavy on the nutrients? Look no further.
This vegan-friendly salad has a rich and unique combination of ingredients including tomatoes, edible flowers, apricots, spinach, and pistachios. All of these ingredients are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals the body deserves more of.
Tips when making: This mason jar salad was made by Kathy at Healthy Happy Life. Because it’s so light in calories, feel free to add more nuts to this recipe if you want more fullness/protein!
4. Easy Mason Jar Salad
True to its name, this is an easy salad recipe to try. The twist on this recipe is the special lemon dressing used and for good reason.
Lemons are incredibly nutritious for the body and help improve the immune system, skin complexion, fight cancer, and have a whole host of other benefits. Other ingredients include celery, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions.
Tips when making: This salad was made by Sarah at A Beach Cottage. This recipe is best used as a snack in between meals for some healthy clean energy.
5. Mason Jar Zucchini Noodle Salad
This wide-mouth mason jar zucchini salad is green, original, and delicious. Zucchini noodles are a great gluten-free alternative and are packed with antioxidants. This recipe has a large amount of fiber, which is great for digestive health and for keeping the sugar cravings away. It also has a coconut-avocado-lime dressing that’s to die for.
Tips when making: Made by Ali at Inspiralized, she recommends that when making a zucchini salad, it’s important to use a creamy dressing.
6. Asian Noodle Salad Jar
Asian salads are delicious, and this salad will fill the body with oriental goodness. Containing carrots, onions, edamame, bell pepper, and noodles, this salad has a broad range of healthy ingredients.
Plus, the edamame is high in protein and fiber, which is a powerful combination when it comes to feeling satiated after a meal.
Tips when making: This salad was created by Lori at Foxes Love Lemons, and the dressing used in this salad is spicy peanut butter. Make sure to use natural peanut butter that does not contain hydrogenated oils like the regular kind.
7. Layered Quinoa Salad
Talk about beautiful… This salad is made with a beet vinaigrette that really makes it shine against all others.
It contains lots of quinoa, which makes this salad especially beneficial for sustained energy and preventing the midday crash. Quinoa is also an excellent source of protein because it is one of the only “grains” that contains all 8 essential amino acids.
Tips when making: This mini mason jar salad was created by Marla at Marla Meredith. She suggests that you can make the meal even more filling by adding some grilled chicken to it.
8. Burrito Bowl Mason Jar Salads
Everybody loves a good chipotle bowl, but what they don’t love is the added butter and sodium adding to the waistline.
What makes this bowl so perfect is it has that delicious chipotle taste without all those extra additives. Containing sweet potatoes, quinoa, and chicken, this recipe is filling and delicious.
Tips when making: It was created by Lina at Strictly Delicious. She uses greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute. This is an excellent idea that we love.
9. Minty Yogurt Parfaits
This is a great salad that could work as a breakfast item or for lunch. Chickpeas and Greek yogurt make a delicious healthy treat packed with nutrition.
Chickpeas on their own provide unique antioxidants and help regulate blood sugar. They have also been shown in studies to be highly satiating.
Tips when making: It was created by Sofia at From The Land We Live On. Make sure to juice out the cucumbers before using or else the salad will end up swimming in cucumber juice. Also make sure to use unsweetened, nonfat Greek yogurt when preparing.
10. Guacamole Mason Jar Salad
Satisfy the cravings for chips and salsa with this guacamole mason jar salad. This recipe uses an entire avocado, which is one of the healthiest foods on our planet.
Avocados provide fiber to keep the body full, healthy fats for skin complexion and hormone regulation, and tons of different vitamins to maximize your blood profile.
Tips when making: It was created by Nicole at Popsugar, and this salad really comes together when squeezing lime juice on top of fresh cilantro.
11. Sunny Kale Kruncher
#11 on our mason jar salads is another vegan-friendly recipe.
This salad will add some sunshine to your stomach. Tangerines are packed with flavonoids that help fight cancer and vitamin C for the immune system. The recipe also contains kale, radishes, balsamic vinaigrette, walnuts, and cabbage.
Tips when making: It was created by Kathy at Happy Healthy Life, and this is the second time making it to this list for her clean eating salads. Go heavy on the walnuts for their cholesterol-fighting benefits.
12. Zucchini Pasta Salad With Avocado Spinach Dressing
Everyone knows how healthy the Mediterranean diet is, and this recipe has many similar qualities of a healthy Mediterranean meal.
It has olives, avocados, feta cheese, zucchini noodles, tomatoes, edamame, celery, and red bell peppers. Its best quality is in the high amounts of belly-busting healthy fats.
Tips when making: It was created by Brenda at Sugar-Free Mom, and you can leave this recipe for 4 days and it will still remain fresh. This is great if you’re trying to make a few lunches in advance.
13. Caprese Salad in a Jar
Last but not least, this Caprese salad is a light treat that makes for a wonderful snack.
It contains arugula, tomatoes, green basil, purple basil, and mini bocconcini.
Tips when making: It was created by The Chubby Vegetarian, and this is a recipe in which case you will need to separate the dressing from the salad or things will get soggy. Regardless, it is a delicious and healthy clean eating salad that deserves a try.
Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article on mason jar salads that make perfect healthy lunches or have any questions!
I’m adding these to my meal planning once baby arrives (hopefully any day now lol). They all look so yummy!! And it feeds my mason jar addiction ??
These are so neat! I like to use my mason jars as storage containers for sauces and dressings in the fridge and flour and sugar items in the pantry. I have SO many in my kitchen, it’s embarrassing! 🙂
So do I, Francis! I generally have a few of them in my fridge, freezer, and pantry at any given time!