Back-to-School season is one of the busiest times of year, as kids settle back into classes, homework, and after-school activities, and parents figure out schedules. It happens to be the time when having enough time in the morning to put lunch together can be challenging.

My best advice is to plan your meals for the week. Plan what you will be making for dinner every night of the week, including the nights that you will have to grab something because the schedules don’t allow for a family meal at home. Trust me, it happens!

I find it rewarding when I can grab my lunch from the fridge on a busy morning and go. One of my favorite ways to do that is to prep salads in a jar. I use glass canning jars, but this is also a perfect way for reusing empty glass jars from products you’ve used.

When packing your to-go salad in a jar the main thing to keep in mind is the order you pack your ingredients. I always starts with wet ingredients on the bottom, then follow with protein, grains, pasta, beans, any other vegetables, and finally adding the greens on the very top before I close the jar.  It’s best for me to prepare 5 or 6 jars at a time and they last me all week long.

I prefer to prepare my salad dressing from scratch, but you could use your favorite store-bought salad dressing as well.  What I’m sharing today is not necessarily a recipe but a method to pack a week’s worth of lunches; the best part is you can customize with whatever ingredients you love. This time a year, I’m still visiting the farmers market, so I prefer to include anything that is fresh at the market.

You will need:

5 – 16 oz. glass canning jars

1 cup of salad dressing

2 cups cherry tomatoes cut is halves

2.5 cups cooked pasta

1 can favorite beans, drained and washed

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, peeled and cut in small chunks

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

2 chicken breasts

2 cups salad greens

To make your own salad dressing you will need:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: chopped herbs of your preference.

Mix all the ingredients until well combined.

For the chicken:

Place two chicken breasts in a baking dish, sprinkle with some smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oved at 400F and cook for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165. Let cool before slicing.

To prepare the salad in a jar:

1. Divide your salad dressing in equal parts on the bottom of the jars.
2. Add equal parts tomatoes to each jar.
3. Add slices of chicken
4. Add half cup cooked pasta.
5. Divide the can of beans amongst the jars
6. Add the rest of the vegetables: peppers, carrots, cucumber – divided in equal parts.
7. Divide the salad greens and place on top of each jar. Pushing down carefully is necessary.
8. Place the cover on all jars. Place in the refrigerator. They will last for a week.

To serve your salad, it works best if dumped on a bowl and mixed. Enjoy!