If you’re anything like me I’m always looking for something to pack for lunch. Of course, there’s always the dinner leftovers to pack, but ugh…sometimes that gets a little old. Enter…SALADS IN A JAR! These little guys are macro power houses and completely customizable once you get some of the basics down.
This is my to-date favorite (could possibly change tomorrow, you never know!) Fiesta Chicken Quinoa is a bit of south-western spunk right in the middle of your day. This recipe has been modified from the original to make it more macro-friendly, but the original recipe can be found here: Quinoa Salad-in-a-Jar in 4 International Flavors.
This recipe has already been added as a food in MyFitnessPal – if you are making the recipe exactly as laid out, then you can save a ton of time and pull this in immediately in your Diary! Just search for “MacroRx+” in your Diary and our recipes will come up.
Fiesta Quinoa Jar Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 8 g olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 g Ground Chia Seed
- 5 g Taco Seasoning
Quinoa Base
- 80 g Quinoa (Cooked)
Salad Ingredients
- 36 g Sweet Corn Kernels Frozen or Canned
- 42 g Black Beans Canned and Rinsed
- 11 g Picked Jalepeno pepper slices
- 45 g Cherry Tomatoes
- 85 g Chicken Breast (Cooked)
Spinach Leaves
- 23 g Baby Spinach Raw
Instructions
- Grab a 1 pint (2 cup) mason jar. Combine the dressing ingredients in the bottom of the jar, stirring them with a fork. Fill it with 80 g of cooked quinoa. Use the fork to toss the dressing with the quinoa until well combined. Level out the quinoa for an even bottom layer.
- On top of the quinoa, layer the salad ingredients in order as listed: corn, black beans, jalapenos, tomatoes, and finally the chicken. Measure out the baby spinach and place in a separate container or Ziploc bag.
- Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate. Salad should stay fresh for approximately 4-5 days, depending on the freshness and type of ingredients used.
Time to Eat!
- When ready to eat, empty your bag of greens into a bowl or plate. Pour the quinoa salad on top of your greens. The dressed/flavored quinoa serves as the dressing for the greens.
- Eat Hot or Cold! Although these are normally eaten cold; if you prefer a hot version, you can heat the jars (without the greens) in the microwave for 1-2 minutes; stir and eat right out of the jar.
