Jalads (Salad + Jar = Jalad!)

At the beginning of any given week, you'll find my fridge choc-a-block full of mason jars that contain lovely little edible rainbows. I don't always know where I'm going to be for lunch during the week, but two things are for sure: I want my lunches to be healthy and nutritious aaaaand I don't want to buy them.

So, here's how I do the whole 'Jalad' thing.

The great thing about glass jars is that things stay fresh for much longer than if your veg were loose, just hangin' out in the fridge, or being stored in plastic. BIG TICK. Jalads are super portable and don't spill and you don't need plates or bowls. BIG TICK. Jalads give you the option of having a different salad every day, with just one prep-sesh. BIG TICK. Jalads encourage you to fill up on veg, and a variety of type and colour at that. BIG TICK. Jalads help you show how artistic you are by making edible collages against the glass. BIG TICK (...just me?).

Simply stock up on whatever veg tickles your fancy. Keep these little key words in mind and try to tick each: green, orange, purple, leafy.  Variety is key! Farmers markets are great because you can pick up small quantities of great quality veg, meaning you'll have a ton of variety.

Also pick up some protein. I often use smoked salmon, but it's also a good idea to pick up a cooked chicken or cook some chicken fillets up yourself. I've also always got some hard boiled eggs in the fridge. You'll also want to add some fats to keep your blood sugar stable while you're munching on your vege carbs. Have some avo, nuts, seeds and olive/avo/walnut oil on hand.

See my list at the end of this post for some of the things I put in my jalads.

This is a really good visual I got from Pinterest to show you how to assemble your jalad to ensure it's not soggy after a couple of days in the fridge.

Here are some of the things that go into my jalads each week....

Veg:

Spinach Baby kale Lettuce Rocket Shredded cabbage

Roasted ANYTHING

Lightly steamed broccoli/brussels sprouts/asparagus Snow peas Cauliflower Cherry tomatoes Sunflower sprouts Alfalfa sprouts Bell peppers Mushrooms Grated beetroot/carrot Zucchini (especially using a spiraliser/julienne peeler) Radishes Red or spring onion Avocado

Protein:

Smoked salmon Shredded chicken Hard boiled eggs/egg whites Chickpeas Tuna

Other bits and pieces:

Quinoa Nuts Pepitas Sunflower seeds Flax seeds Sauerkraut Grated ginger Strawberries (...don't knock it till you try it) Hemp hearts