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Now that spring is here, many people are opting to pack salads for lunch. Why not try layering your salad when packing it? It will stay fresher, and you can prepare it the night before so it’s easy to grab on your way out the door.
Start with a wide-mouthed glass or plastic container. A pint or quart sized wide-mouth canning jar works well. Layering the different ingredients keeps them separated until you are ready to mix and eat, and the salad won’t get soggy.
Start with the salad dressing on the bottom, or you can choose to pack the dressing in a separate container.
The next layer should be the heaviest ingredients that will not absorb the dressing. This includes hard, chopped vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, red and green peppers, cooked beets and onions.
The next layer can be cooked or canned beans like chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans. Other ideas for this layer include cooked grains such as barley, rice or pasta.
The following layer is for protein foods like diced or crumbled cheese, cooked chicken, ham or tuna, hard-boiled eggs or cubed tofu.
Soft vegetables and fruits are optional for the next layer. These might include tomatoes, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges or dried fruits like apricots, Craisins and raisins.
The following layer is nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pecans.
The most important part of the salad is the last to add to the container — the salad greens. Try a combination of greens to make it more interesting, like romaine lettuce, arugula and red leaf lettuce. Choose your favorite greens and tear them into bite-sized pieces and pack tightly.
Close the lid tightly and refrigerate. Be sure all your ingredients are cut or torn into bite-sized pieces, if needed, so your salad is ready to eat with only a fork.
When you are ready to eat your salad, shake the container well to mix the ingredients together and then pour out into a bowl. Once the salad is in the bowl, pour salad dressing over it (if packed separately) and toss it to make sure the dressing is evenly distributed.
Putting these salads together can be fun for the whole family. Put the optional ingredients in separate containers and let each person create his own layered salad. Using a container that has multiple sections lets you divide the foods for different layers.
Make a layered salad chart so everyone knows what foods go in each layer. Every salad will be different as you choose which foods to include, and might not include every layer on the chart.
Adding the dressing at the bottom makes it easy to pack and serve with no mess. Try to use a clear container so the colors of each layer make it more appealing.
Add a few whole-grain crackers, milk or yogurt, and some fruit to complete your lunch.
Lisa McCoy is a family and consumer-sciences educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County.
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