Well, I have officially become obsessed with this new way of eating healthier via easy to grab mason jar meals! I'm not sure if it is some type of nesting instinct or me just freaking out while I watch the scales hit higher numbers than they have ever been before (yes, I am aware there is a baby growing in there), but never the less I would like to at least know that it is the baby more so growing than me, therefore I am making sure to eat as healthy as possible lately.
This has been a sure way to get in all the whole grains, fruits and veggies that are good for me AND baby! Also, super easy. Yes, it does take a day of prep work, but I'd rather do 1 dedicated day than 7 rushed days of scrambling last minute in the early AM to scrounge up some type of breakfast and lunch that just isn't nearly as tasty or nutritional. Somehow at those wee hours of the morning the processed granola bars and prepackaged 100 calorie packs seem so much easier to throw in the lunch bag than making a single serving of fresh fruit or veggies.
So, long story short, these jars have been a lifesaver so far this year and I plan to hopefully continue this method for a while and will post more fun and easy ideas as I go. Without further ado, my super simple fruit salad and ranch salad recipes...
Fruit Salad Jar
This is exactly what you might imagine and I know it sounds ridiculously easy but the fact is, if you have your fruit cut up and ready to eat this way, not only will you be way more likely to choose it over a lesser healthy pantry snack, but you will also get a lot more daily fruit intake into your diet, which is a definite plus with the peek of flu season here.
1. Cut up whatever fruits you love the most or are in season at the time and toss them in a large glass bowl, here some of are my favorites:
- ripe bananas (not green, not brown, just golden yellow status is preferred)
- organic blueberries
- organic strawberries
- fresh oranges (peeled and diced)
- diced apple slices (I'm lazy and get the organic TJ bag of precut apple slices and then cut them into thirds, who like to cut a whole apple anyway?!?)
- diced fresh or canned peaches (fresh for sure, when in season, or TJ cling halves in juice and then cut them into pieces)
2. Splash Trader Joe's "Orange Peach Mango" juice (or whatever brand of similar juice or freshly squeezed lemon juice works too) all over your fruit about a 1/4 of the way full or at least until all fruit is coated with it. This adds flavor and naturally preserves your fruit.
3. Drizzle as much or as little honey over your fruit, tossing intermittently, to bring out the fruits natural sweetness.
* you can then disperse evenly into your jars for the week and they last up to a week!
Ranch Salad Jar
Place ingredients into jar or container of choice in following order:
1. yogurt ranch dressing
2. shredded carrots
3. sliced cucumbers
4. cherry tomatoes
5. organic spinach
6. low fat shredded cheese blend
7. diced egg whites and crumbled turkey bacon (optional)
* shake before eating, these last up to a week unshaken
This is what your meals should look like when you are done...
Breakfast:
Refrigerator Oatmeal Jar of choice
Fruit Salad Jar
Lunch:
Salad Jar of choice
Veggie jar of choice (your favorite veggies with ranch)
* I am in the process of making a healthy and easy granola bar recipe for an in between snack, to be posted next week :)
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