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Lunch

Mason jar chicken salad

For an older athlete who will eat a salad. Four jars on Sunday, and they do not go soggy.

Servings
4
Total
15 min
Skill
Easy

What you need

Ingredients

Making for

4 servings

  • Chicken breast0.25 lb
  • Romaine lettuce2 cup
  • Tomatoes0.5 each
  • Bell pepper0.25 each
  • Baby carrots0.25 cup
  • Olive oil0.5 tbsp
  • Lemons0.25 each

Quantities scale linearly with servings. Round to the nearest practical amount when shopping.

Steps

  1. 1

    Dressing in the bottom, and nothing else touches it

    Two tablespoons of olive oil and lemon in the base of each jar. This layer order is the entire technique: the dressing stays at the bottom until the jar is shaken, so nothing marinates for four days.

  2. 2

    Hard things next, leaves last

    Carrot, pepper and tomato on top of the dressing, then the chicken, then the leaves right at the top where they stay dry. Heaviest to lightest, bottom to top.

  3. 3

    Pack the jar full

    Air is what wilts leaves. A jar filled to the lid keeps them crisp noticeably longer than a half-empty one.

  4. 4

    Shake it at lunch

    Lid on, shake hard, tip into a bowl or eat from the jar. The dressing coats everything on the way up.

Coach's notes

  • This is the recipe most likely to be for a 15 year old rather than an 11 year old, and that is fine. This site is used by both.
  • About 35 g of protein with the chicken.
  • Glass jars are heavy in a school bag. Plastic works identically.
  • Add the crunchy things, nuts or seeds, at the table. In the jar they soften.