Place the heaviest, least-absorbent ingredients with your favourite dressing on the bottom of the jar.

Work you way up to the lightest, with the delicate greens at the top, so they don’t get soggy.

If you fill it full enough, the lack of air, and the tightness of the lid, should keep the salad for a few days. But add things that are super perishable (avocado, tomato) at the moment you’re ready to eat.

When you’re ready to eat, dump all of the contents out into a bowl, and go at it.


Tips:

Use up leftover ingredients in an inventive way by using them in your salads — like leftover roasted beets or sweet potato, extra beans, leftover chicken meat, rice, dressing.

Layering properly is important. Here are the layering rules:

1. BOTTOM/LAYER 1: Dressing — about 1/4 cup for a 1 litre jar. And possibly onions, if you’re using

2. LAYER 2: Heavy, non-absorbing ingredients — like carrots, or beans, or cheery tomatoes

3. LAYER 3: More veggies — like peas, radishes, sweet pepper, cucumbers

4. LAYER 4: Protein or grains — like chicken, quinoa, hard-boiled egg

5. LAYER 5: Salad greens — like baby spinach, arugula, mixed lettuces

6. TOP/LAYER 6: Toppings — like nuts, seeds or fresh herbs, avocado if in there briefly