When stuff starts flying at you fast, don’t fuel your life with fast food. While it may seem convenient or comforting to scarf up a meal that comes in a grease-stained bag; trust me, you’ll regret it by the end of your busy day. Energy will tank, headaches will take hold, workouts will suffer, cravings will activate and by 8pm you will have devoured every treat set aside in your pantry for occasional cheats. When I know the week is going to busy, I plan ahead and make jar salads that can be kept fresh in the fridge and on call whenever hunger strikes. In just one session, I can make lunches (or dinners) for a week in just a tad bit more time than it takes to prepare a single salad. If you have a big appetite, you might think the jar salads look modest; but it’s amazing how much lettuce, produce and proteins a motivated person can pack into a standard 2-cup canning jar. In the past, I’ve shared a recipe for Ancho Chopped Chicken Salad in a Jar, but today I’m showing everyone how to make a To-Go Thai Chicken Jar Salad over at the Litehouse Living Blog. Not only is this recipe packed with good-for-you ingredients, the Thai Peanut salad dressing by Litehouse Foods, is tasty beyond description and is actually made without peanuts making it lower calorie and fine for folks with nut allergies. 
Dressing Layer: Salad dressing should always be the first ingredient poured into the bottom of a jar salad. Let your taste buds be your guide. Choose from basic homemade oil and vinegar or one of the many delicious salad dressing options from Litehouse Foods such as Lite Honey Dijon Vinaigrette or Sesame Ginger. Simply changing the dressing along with a few key ingredients can give your jar salad a whole new flavor personality. Grains and Protein Layer: The key to choosing the best ingredients for this layer (you might have several) is to understand that those nearest the bottom will be marinating in the dressing until you are ready to unscrew the lid and dig in. Toss in some quinoa, brown rice or whole grain noodles to sop up the sauce and then top with some muscle-making meat, poultry, tofu chunks or even hard-boiled eggs. Hearty Produce Layer: Choose any combination of veggies that won’t get soggy or limp if the dressing sloshes up prematurely. Cherry tomatoes, artichokes hearts, cucumber slices, radishes, mushrooms, broccoli florets and other non-leafy veggies are tasteful additions. Get creative and experiment with non-oxidizing fruits such as grapes, mandarin orange segments and berries. This is also a great time to add Litehouse Foods Instantly Fresh Herbs; the proximity to the dressing combined with the moisture from the produce seems to bring these freeze-dried herbs back to life. Leafy Delicate Layer: Add your favorite lettuces, greens and delicate items near the top. Spinach, arugula, romaine, kale, cabbage are all winners and along with unexpected ingredients, such as alfalfa sprouts, give your jar salad lots of crispy crunch. Amazing Extras Layer: Give your jar salad an extra pop of yum with a thin layer of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, crumbled bacon (gasp) or scrumptious cheeses. Litehouse Foods has a delicious selection of handcrafted cheeses perfect for sprinkling atop any salad including rich and creamy Blue Cheese Crumbles and tarty and salty Feta Cheese Crumbles.
