If your weeks are hectic enough as it is without having to worry about what you’ll make for lunch and dinner every day, this post is for you! Meal planning is one of the best things you can do to stay organized and sane throughout your busy weeks. And mason jar meals offer the best way to plan ahead, keeping your lifestyle and health in mind! Take a look at our favourite packable mason jar meals for weight loss!
Mason Jar Meal Prep: What You Need to Know
1. The Best Jars to Use for Mason Jar Meals
Any glass canning jar with a lid can be used for mason jar meals, but keep in mind, wide-mouth jars are the easiest for both assembling mason jar meals and taking the meal out when you’re ready to eat. Quart-sized mason jars work really well for larger lunch and dinner meals when you want to include lots of veggies and other ingredients.
2. The Proper Way to Layer Mason Jar Meals
When it comes to a successful mason jar meal, proper layering is key. Start with ingredients like salsa, hummus or salad dressing on the bottom. Then add hard veggies or fruits, followed by a layer of grains, if you’re using any. Then add protein, followed by soft veggies or fruits. If you’re using nuts you can put them on top, and if you’re making a salad, always make sure to put greens like lettuce or spinach at the top.
3. Use Fresh Ingredients
If you want your mason jar meals to taste fresh and great, you need to use fresh ingredients. Head to a local farmer’s market, or if you go to the grocery store, make sure to get the freshest produce possible! It will make all the difference.
4. Assemble More Than One Mason Jar Meal at a Time
The whole point of meal prep is to have meals for the week ahead, not just the next day. Assemble your mason jar meals in bulk. They’re simple to assemble in such little time and this ensures you have enough mason jar meals to last you throughout the week.
How Long Do Mason Jar Meals Last in the Fridge?
Depending on the ingredients in the mason jar meals, they typically last 5 to 7 days. At a minimum, they will last at least 5 days, so you can make them on Sunday and enjoy them throughout the work week. If you wait 6 to 7 days, they should still be fresh, again depending on the ingredients you use.
What Kinds of Food Can I Pack in a Mason Jar?
There are a bunch of foods you can pack in a mason jar. Here’s a list of 20 items to give you an idea of how versatile mason jar meals can be!
1. Fruits
2. Vegetables
3. Granola
4. Yogurt
5. Nuts & Seeds
6. Chia Pudding
7. Peanut Butter
8. Chickpeas
9. Beans
10. Corn
11. Lettuce
12. Spinach
13. Hummus
14. Cheese
15. Salsa
16. Beets
17. Oats
18. Chicken
19. Shrimp
20. Steak
10 Breakfast Mason Jar Meals
1.Chia and Raspberry Breakfast Jar | Green Kitchen Stories
2. Blueberry French Toast in a Jar | Mason Jar Breakfast
3. Chia, Acai and Strawberry Layered Breakfast Jar | The Awesome Green
4. Overnight Maple Buckwheat in a Jar | Citronlimette
5. Raspberry Lemon Breakfast Jar | Peanut Butter and Peppers
6. Overnight Flax Meal | The Low Carb Diet
7. Mason Jar Omelets | Delish
8. Mason Jar Hashbrown Egg Bake | Nellie Bellie
9. Blueberry and Grilled Peach Quinoa Parfaits | Cupcakes and Kale Chips
10. Bacon and Eggs in a Jar | Mason Jar Breakfast
Overnight Oats in a Jar: 10 Recipes We Love
1.Maple Brown Sugar Cinnamon Overnight Oats | Evolving Table
2. Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats | Wholefully
3. Cherry Chia Jam Overnight Oats | Blissful Basil
4. Raspberry Jam Overnight Oats | Vegukate
5. Healthy Overnight Oatmeal | Jeanette’s Healthy Living
6. Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats | Organize Yourself Skinny
7. Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats | My Fussy Eater
8. Bananas Foster Overnight Oats | Laura Fuentes
9. Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats | Weary Chef
10. Peaches and Cream Overnight Oats | Tastemade
10 Mason Jar Salad Recipes
1.Pasta Primavera Salad | Midlife Healthy Living
2. Loaded Tuna Mason Jar Salad | Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom
3. Chicken Curry Salad with Greens | Live Strong
4. Fruit and Feta Salad | The Cookie Rookie
5. Zucchini Pasta Salad with Avocado Spinach Dressing | Sugar-Free Mom
6. Shrimp and Feta Cobb Salad | Savor the Thyme
7. Black Bean and Corn Mason Jar Salad | Organize Yourself Skinny
8. Asian Noodle Salad in a Jar | Foxes Love Lemons
9. Mason Jar Zucchini Noodle Salad | Inspiralized
10. Caprese Salad in a Jar | Chubby Vegetarian
10 Dinner Mason Jar Meals
1.Chili with Cornbread | The Pleasant Pantry
2. Instant Noodle Cups | The Kitchn
3. Mason Jar Veggie Macaroni and Cheese | Framed Cooks
4. Tacos in a Jar | What’s Gaby Cooking
5. Lasagna in Jars | STL Cooks
6. Mason Jar BBQ Parfaits | Creme de la Crumb
7. Burrito Bowl Mason Jars | Strictly Delicious
8. Curried Lentil and Wild Rice Soup | She Uncovered
9. Sesame Ginger Noodle Cups | Sweet Peas and Saffron
10. Santa Fe Rice Bowls in a Jar | Oh My Veggies
Dessert in a Jar: 10 Recipes that Satisfy
1 Caramel Apple Cheesecake | The Country Chic Cottage
2. S’mores in a Jar | Olivia’s Cuisine
3. No Bake Key Lime Pie in a Jar | A Million Moments
4. No Bake Cherry Cheesecake | Love Create Celebrate
5. Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake in a Jar | Notes From My Food Diary
6. Apricot Crumble in a Jar | The Rebel Chick
7. Lemon Berry Trifle | Joyful Scribblings
8. Mason Jar Lemon Meringue Pies | Let’s Dish
9. Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberries | Not Out of The Box
10. Banoffee Pie in a Jar | Singly Scrumptious
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Meal prepping mason jar meals is one of the best ways to keep your life on track and lose weight along the way. Try these awesome make-ahead meals to keep you fuelled throughout the week!
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