When looking to make better choices with your diet (or save money!), one of the easiest things you can do is prepare a week’s worth of meals in advance, so you have ready made healthy food.
But is it possible to make meal salads and keep them fresh all week?
We asked Kylie Burke, a certified holistic health coach and owner of Radiant and Abundantto help us put together some tips for beginners, including how to prepare salads for the week.
How do you keep salads fresh for the week?
Although preparing meals for your week can seem daunting, it can be a lot easier to stick to your meal plan for the week and save some money.
Best of all, you can make everything you need for a week’s worth of salads ahead of time by following our steps.
1. Wash and portion the green vegetables
If you’re meal prepping for a week of salads, the most important first step you can take is to wash and dry your greens.
They must be completely dry before placing them in the refrigerator.
If you want your morning start to be super quick, consider splitting your greens into different containers, one for each day of the week.
When choosing which greens to use for your salad, keep in mind how long you need them to last in the fridge.
“Kale and purple cabbage, because they have a more substantial body, won’t wilt as quickly as baby spinach or other light greens” like iceberg lettuce, Burke says.
2. Add some crunch
While keeping your salad greens fresh is an important aspect of meal prepping for a meal week, it’s also important to consider your taste buds.
If you’re bored of eating the same thing all the time, you’re more likely to skip the salad and have fast food for lunch instead.
An easy way to keep your salads fresh every day is to create a variety of textures, one of which is crunchy.
We craving for crunchy foodsand it’s important to give it to you through healthy toppings instead of a bag of chips in the afternoon.
Here are some great topping options to add some crunch to your salad:
- Roasted nuts
- Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
- Whole wheat croutons
- tortilla strips
- Sun-flower seeds
- Grilled coconut
- Chia seeds
- Crunchy vegetables like carrots, radishes or snow peas
3. Don’t forget protein
Adding a protein element to your salad will help you stay full longer, and it also adds another component to your meal that can change from day to day.
If you choose to add protein to your salad, you’ll probably want to store it separately from your other ingredients to maintain freshness (more on that below).
Here are some protein ideas to add to your salad:
- Chicken (Burke recommends buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it for easy and inexpensive food prep)
- Steak
- Beans
- Tofu or tempeh
- Beans
- Nuts
4. Prepare the toppings
When it comes to toppings, the most important thing to remember is that you need to work smarter, not harder.
“If you’re short on time, let the store do the work for you!” said Burke. “Easy meal prep is done with pre-prepared items like shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced radishes, or any other pre-chopped produce in your grocery store.”
Your toppings should be stored separately from your greens to ensure high-quality freshness — or you can use a layering technique to keep everything in one container (again, more on that below).
5. Experiment with salad dressings
While there are tons of healthy, ready-to-use salad dressings on the market, you can also make your own in a food processor with minimal effort.
Have a few dressings on hand to instantly change the flavor profile of your salads.
Here are some of Kylie’s favorites to add variety:
- Peanut Dressing for a Thai Kick
- Ranch for a Cobb Salad
- Vinegar and olive oil for a Greek salad
- Miso vinaigrette for an Asian twist
- Sriracha for a kick
6. Use multiple containers
Once you’ve prepared all your ingredients for the week, having the right containers on hand can make all the difference.
You’ll want a variety of sizes and, if possible, enough containers so you don’t have to wash them every night to repack them for the next day.
For each day you make a salad, you will need containers for these ingredients:
- A large container for greens. Make sure this container is large enough to be able to combine all your ingredients from other containers and eat directly from this one.
- A medium container for wet ingredients. This can include tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.
- A small container for your vinaigrette. Pour it out when you’re ready to eat, and not a moment before.
While you don’t to have to keep your ingredients separate, this can help maintain the freshness of your greens and keep them fresh throughout your week.
It’s especially important to keep your dressing separate, as it can wilt greens within hours.
7. …Or deploy strategic layering
If you don’t have the time or the Tupperware to separate your greens from the other ingredients in your salads, strategic layering helps.
“Put heavy objects on the bottom so you don’t crush your greens,” says Kylie. “This will prevent items from deteriorating so quickly.”
Grains, proteins, and cheeses go to the bottom, then progress to cooked vegetables, raw vegetables, and finally your greens.
This keeps your greens fresher and prevents them from getting mashed or mushy.
Even with layering, however, you still need to be wary of wet ingredients such as chopped tomatoes, which can quickly wilt your greens.
8. Add something absorbent
One way to keep your vegetables fresh in the fridge during the week is to place a paper towel in the bottom of the container where you store them.
This will help absorb any excess moisture and ensure your greens stay fresh. Just be sure to remove it before eating.
If you’re storing wet ingredients in the same container for a salad to eat that day, you can also use a paper towel to separate the ingredients and protect your greens.
How not to be bored
Simple changes like the toppings you put on your salad or the dressing you use can ensure that your salads stay fresh on your taste buds all week and keep you feeling full.
Here are a few tips.
1. Choose variety when shopping
Challenge yourself to avoid buying the same ingredients every week. When shopping, consider the following:
- Look for a variety of bright colors to get different vitamins and antioxidants.
- Choose a flavor enhancer like citrus, fresh herbs or dried fruit.
- Consider adding pickled or fermented items such as pickled beets or carrots, kimchi, or even sauerkraut.
- Make sure your toppings lend a variety of textures to your meal.
2. Forget the lettuce
The salad doesn’t always have to include lettuce. You can use lettuce at the start of the week, then replace it towards the end of the week with a heartier green like kale.
This avoids Thursday’s wilted lettuce salad.
3. Avoid leafy greens altogether
Or if you’re ready to try other types of salads, consider eating salad at the start of the week and then moving on to cereal bowls towards the end of the week.
Cereal bowls can be very veg-centric and easier to store in the fridge for a week at a time.
