DIY mason–jar meals are incredibly healthy, delicious, and fun to prep. Plus they’re easy to grab on the go. All you need is a wide-mouthed jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Layer 1: Fill the bottom of your jar with a homemade dressing of your choice.
We like recipes that combine healthy fats like those found in olive oil, tahini, or blended avocado with flavor-boosting ingredients like spices and fresh herbs.
Layer 2: Add lean protein options like grass-fed meats, wild fish, beans, and legumes.
The Zest Nutrition team love to use grilled chicken breast, salmon, and chickpeas in their mason-jar meals.
Layer 3: Toss some gluten-free whole grains into the mix.
You can use any whole grain you like in this layer, but we prefer gluten-free grains like quinoa, brown rice, and soba noodles. (Make sure the soba noodles you buy don’t contain any wheat if you’re sensitive or allergic to gluten.)
Layer 4: Load up your jar with bright and colorful seasonal veggies.
Sturdy vegetables like bell peppers, corn kernels, cucumber, carrots, fennel, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes are great picks for these meals because they hold up well when packed ahead of time and provide lots of flavor and texture.
Layer 5: Go green.
We love our leafy greens, so we always fill our mason jars with baby kale, arugula, or spinach.
Layer 6: Add a flavor boost.
If you want to give your mason–jar meal a final flavor boost, add a garnish to the top. Fresh herbs like cilantro or basil are always a hit, as are crunchy pumpkin seeds or salty olives.
