Making Mason Jar Meals

Making Mason Jar Meals

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Whole U. This entry was posted in Eating Well and tagged cooking, lunch, mason jars, recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

We’ve all been encouraged to meal prep and pack our own lunch at some point in our lives. If only it were super easy! Packing your own lunch can feel like a lot of work and take up precious time and space in your fridge. However, once you’ve prepped those meals, enjoying a nutritious and varied diet becomes that much simpler! Meal planning is a great way to ensure that you eat a diet full of nutrient-dense and balanced foods. One great way to do so is to use mason jars.

Mason jars are a great solution to food prep. They are made of glass and can preserve food longer than plastic alternatives, are easy to reuse and wash both by hand and in a dishwasher, take up less room in the fridge and are stackable, and the list goes on! Additionally, we can all agree there is something to be said about enjoying a beautiful looking meal. Mason jar meals tend to look pretty awesome once finished! At the end of the day, the best thing about mason jar meals is how simple they are to assemble.

Let’s get started! First things first, pick your jar size

Wide mouth jars are best as it is easier to get ingredients in and out.

Pint-sized jars are great for entrée salads.

Quart-sized jars are perfect for desserts and breakfast dishes.

How to layer your ingredients

The most important thing to know about mason jar meals is the correct order in which to layer ingredients. Although it may sound silly, the wrong order can make enjoying your meal much more difficult and shorten the life of the meal.

Here’s a rundown:

Layer 1: Dressing and wet ingredients go at the bottom of the jar

Layer 2: Hearty vegetables (they will not wilt in the dressing and can act as a barricade layer)

Layer 3: Other vegetables/fruits (to provide an additional barrier between the dressing and the greens)

Layer 4: Pasta/grains/beans (any type of pasta, quinoa, farro, or beans)

Layer 5: Proteins (cheeses, eggs, meats, or tofu)

Layer 6: Greens (pack the greens toward the top to keep them from getting soggy and use any greens you prefer: kale, arugula, spinach, or romaine)

Layer 7: Fruit/nuts/seeds

Types of meals to create

The variations of meals that you can create in a jar is truly endless!

Here’s a short list to get your imagination running:

Yogurt parfait
Granola parfait
Quiche jar
Breakfast jar
Oatmeal parfait
Salad jar
Rice jar
Lunch jar – any base here works!
Quinoa jar
Stir-fry jar
Veggies & dip jar

Kate Ueland and Charlotte Furman

Give it a try with fresh recipes

Now that we’ve covered the correct order for filling the jars, give mason jar meals a try with our curated recipe guide from Whole U dietetic interns Molly Bowdon and Kate Ueland and UW Medicine dietitian Charlotte Furman.

Complete with oatmeals, salads, and even desserts—these versatile recipes will get your mason jar meal obsession started.

Download the Meals in a Jar guide here.

Do you have a favorite mason jar meal? Please share it below!

5 Thoughts on “Making Mason Jar Meals”

On April 9, 2015 at 10:54 AM, Tess Brown said:

CURRIED EGG SQUASH NOODLE POT
Serves 1
½ cup full fat coconut milk *(If you want to take this on the plane, swap in two tablespoons of coconut butter for the coconut milk)
2 teaspoons garam masala or medium curry powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric or freshly grated turmeric
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 pinch chili flakes or cayenne
2 tablespoons grated ginger squeezed to get 1 tablespoon ginger juice
1 tablespoon tamari
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 or 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 hard boiled egg, quartered
1 handful butternut squash noodles
1 handful spinach leaves
1 lime wedge
1. Combine all ingredients in a heatproof jar and refrigerate until ready to eat.
2. When ready, boil the kettle and remove the lime wedge from the jar.
3. Let the boiled water sit for a minute or two before filling the jar (leave a half inch at the top so it doesn’t overflow).
4. Stir, cover and let sit five minutes.
5. Remove the lid, stir again, squeeze in the lime juice and enjoy.
Originally featured in Ingenious Noodle Pot Lunch Recipes

Wanted to attach a photo but unable so I will post this in FB as well.

On April 9, 2015 at 11:49 AM, Tess Brown said:

Blueberry Banana Pie Vegan Overnight Oats is a staple in our kitchen now. I shared this with my in-laws and my father-in-law (who is not known to be culinarily adventurous) liked it. I’d say, that’s a win. Would have liked to post a picture of this and today’s lunch in a jar (see recipe below) but it doesn’t look like I can. Will post photo on FB.

GINGER SESAME CHICKEN NOODLE POT
SERVES 1
1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
1 small handful cilantro leaves + a few fresh mint leaves
1 pinch chili flakes or cayenne
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, squeezed to get 1.5 tablespoons ginger juice
1 tablespoon tamari
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 handful cooked shredded chicken
1 handful spinach leaves or shredded red cabbage
1 handful sliced mushrooms
1 small carrot, roughly grated orspiralized into carrot noodles
1 lime wedge
1. Combine all ingredients in a heatproof jar and refrigerate until ready to eat.
2. When ready, boil the kettle and remove the lime wedge from the jar.
3. Let the boiled water sit for a minute or two before adding it to the jar, leaving a half-inch gap at the top.
4. Stir, cover and let sit five minutes.
5. Remove the lid, stir again, squeeze in the lime juice and enjoy.
Originally featured in Ingenious Noodle Pot Lunch Recipes