A nutritionist has shared her simple hack to ensure you never have soggy salad, and people around the world are labelling it a ‘game changer’ for their meal prep.
Amanda Meixner, 28, from Ohio, said by filling a mason jar with your salad with the dressing at the bottom and lettuce at the top, your food should stay fresh overnight and pour perfectly onto a plate in the way that you want to eat it.
‘This is really the key to prepping a salad in advance but not having any of the ingredients get too soggy or wilted by the end,’ Amanda said in an Instagram video on her ‘hack’.
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A nutritionist has shared her simple hack to ensure you never have soggy salad, and people around the world are labelling it a ‘game changer’ for their meal prep (the hack pictured)
Amanda Meixner (pictured), 28, from Ohio, said by filling a mason jar with your salad with the dressing at the bottom and lettuce at the top, your food should stay fresh overnight
‘I love adding in a can of veggies, add some protein and some fun stuff – I’ve done bacon here – and then top it with lettuce.
‘Then, when you’re ready to eat it, just shake up the jar, pour it on a plate and it comes out delicious.’
In this particular salad, Amanda layered Paleo ranch dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, eggs, bacon and lettuce.
By keeping the lettuce at the top of the jar away from the dressing, the 28-year-old said she can easily make sure nothing gets wilted or spoiled.
In this particular salad, Amanda layered Paleo ranch dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, eggs, bacon and lettuce (pictured)
‘Then, when you’re ready to eat it, just shake up the jar, pour it on a plate and it comes out delicious,’ Amanda said (pictured), with many labelling the hack a ‘game changer’
More than 30,000 people who saw the trick said they had never considered layering salad like this and would definitely try it with their meal prep in 2021.
‘Great idea – and use wide mouth jars,’ one woman posted.
Another commenter added: ‘This blew my mind’.
Others said they would rush out to the nearest Kmart that sells jars to make their salads for going to work.
Sydney-based teacher and ‘meal prep queen’ Katie Lolas shared how you can pack the perfect adult lunchbox (her lunches for the week pictured)
If you want a nutritious and well-balanced lunch, Katie (pictured) said you should always start your supermarket shop in the fruit and veg section – where you pick up the bulk of your shop
Previously, secondary school teacher Katie Lolas revealed how to pack the perfect lunchbox- and her tips for navigating the supermarket to make sure you pick out the best ingredients.
Tip one: Start with fresh produce
If you want a nutritious and well-balanced lunch, Katie said you should always start your supermarket shop in the fruit and veg section.
‘Chances are, the fruit and veg section of your local supermarket is rammed full of pre-prepped options, such as mixed salads, chopped veggies in a roasting tin prepped and ready for the oven, zucchini noodles, microwavable greens and much more,’ Katie posted on Instagram.
If you invest in just a few of these, you shouldn’t have to do too much in the way of prep once you get home.
Katie recommends you shop seasonally to get the best deals – and keep an eye out for sales and promotions where you might score a good deal.
Secondly in your shop, Katie (pictured) said you should hit up the deli section – where you can find cheap roast chickens that go a long way towards helping you to prepare a decent meal
Tip two: Remember the deli is your friend
Secondly in your shop, Katie said you should hit up the deli section – where you can find cheap roast chickens that go a long way towards helping you to prepare a decent meal.
‘The humble roast chook has been a staple at every Aussie gathering since the dawn of time, but not only that, it is a godsend when it comes to getting bang for your buck and minimising your meal prep time,’ Katie said.
A barbecue chicken will typically set you back between $8 and $12 in the supermarket – and Katie said this can generate between three and five cups of chicken for you to use in soups, sandwiches, salads, tacos and wraps.
Tip three: Head to the butcher
Katie also recommends the butcher section of the supermarket – where you can find all sorts of deals if you know how.
‘It can be tempting to head straight to the refrigerated section for the pre-packed meats and proteins,’ Katie said.
‘But what seems like ease and efficiency can in fact set you back time and money in the long run.
‘Visiting the butcher counter for your meat means that you can purchase the precise amount of meat that you need.
‘This eliminates the need to purchase additional pre-packs to cover any shortfall, or conversely, having excess that you don’t need, thus saving you money!’
Katie reminded people that many butchers are happy to assist you with slicing, de-boning, tenderising and mincing while you’re in the supermarket – meaning less time in the kitchen later on.
Katie prepares lunches every Sunday afternoon and spends between one and two hours doing so; she prepares lunches for Monday to Thursday and allows herself to buy lunch on Friday
Tip four: Invest in grains
Last but not least, you need some sort of grain that will make sure your lunch keeps you full up until 7pm or whenever you eat dinner.
‘I purchase the majority of my staples like brown rice, quinoa, black beans and chickpeas from Aldi or opt for a Homebrand Woolies or Coles version,’ Katie told FEMAIL.
‘The quality, taste and nutritional value is always on par with the more expensive brands, so why not grab the less expensive option?
‘Keeping your pantry stocked at all times is great too because you can create quick and easy meals using ingredients that you already have.’
Katie says things like hummus, casseroles and soups are easy to make out of long-life ingredients – and it also saves you a lot of money.