Salad in a jar, genius!

A salad in a jar is the easiest way to pack your lunch that stays fresh and crisp without getting soggy. Putting together something that still tastes good hours later can be tricky, but a salad jar will change your workday lunches, picnics and daytrips to the beach for the better. It is also a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge.

The most important element, the trick if you like, is to put the dressing on the bottom of the jar so that all the salad and veggies stay dry on top. Or you can now buy mason jars with built-in salad dressing containers. Then when you are ready to eat simply empty the jar into a bowl or give it a good shake and eat straight out of it.

The possibilities of ingredients are endless but we like a salad jar that includes quinoa. By adding quinoa to your salad makes it a more satisfying meal and provides more fuel to fight off those hunger pangs. It also adds a whole load of nutrients as it is high in protein, magnesium, potassium and has a low-glycaemic index to help regulate blood sugar.

Remember to add the dressing first – nutritional therapist Liz Sheenan’s salad dressing recipe is ideal for this – then layer away until your heart is content and you can’t squeeze any more in.