It’s safe to say that I eat a salad bowl every day. That’s because done right, a salad is a quick and simple way to pack a lot of nourishment and satisfaction into one meal. For many, however, salads are synonymous with diet food, piles of wilted greens and bland proteins. Let me assure you, salads do not have to be bland and boring. They can be fresh, hearty, flavourful, satisfying and quick to prepare, especially if you toss a little prep into the mix.
In today’s video, I’m showing you how I meal prep salad for the week and four simple bowl combinations you can do at home.
How to Meal Prep Salad For The week
Meal prep may look different for you than it does for me. My preference? Turning my fridge into a salad bar of sorts. I like to prepare batches of simple ingredients ahead of time and put them together at the last moment based on the flavours that I’m craving. However, if you prefer keeping it even simpler, you can very well stick to one salad combination, prep it and pack it into five separate containers for every day of the week.
There is no right or wrong way to meal prep. Only finding what works for you and following through.
Related: How to build a balanced salad bowl
Meal Prep Steps
Let’s prep together. If you enjoyed today’s video, here are the step-by-step instructions to recreate the feature meal prep.
Step 1) Cooked prep
To maximize your meal prep session, always get started with the most time-consuming elements first. In this session, I’m preparing roasted beets, boiled potatoes and boiled eggs.
- To roast beets:
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Place trimmed beets on a sheet of aluminium foil, drizzle with olive oil and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Form a very tight package and place in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour or until the beets are fork tender. Let cool to room temperature and simply rub the skin off with your fingers under running water. (A wedge of lemon comes in handy afterwards to remove the pink stain from your fingers!)
- To boil baby potatoes:
- Wash potatoes and scrub away any dirt with a vegetable brush. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add a big pinch of salt and reduce to a simmer. Cook until fork-tender, 15 minutes.
- To boil eggs:
- Place one or more eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
- As soon as it boils, removes from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes, covered.
- Immediately rinse under cold running water. Peel and enjoy right away or store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Step 2) Raw prep
While those ingredients are cooking, get started on raw prep. Raw prep is important because although these elements are very simple, they can be time-consuming enough not to make it onto the plate if you’re making a salad at the last minute. Using a few key tools like a box grater, spiralizer or mandolin slicer can save a tremendous amount of time here.
I aim to prep a variety of vegetables of different colours and textures. This ensures that the end result will contain a blend of highly nutritious and appealing foods. In this session I prepared:
- Zucchini noodles, using a spiralizer
- Shredded cabbage, using a mandolin slicer or sharp knife
- Grated carrots, using a box grater
- Shaved fennel, using a mandolin slicer
- Shaved radish using a mandolin slicer.,
Store all ingredients in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Step 3) Green prep
In this session, I’m using pre-washed baby arugula which doesn’t require any prep. However, if you prefer to add romaine or Boston to your menu, they are crisp, nutritious greens that make great bases for salads. Watch my previous video to learn how to wash and store lettuce to last all week.
Step 4) Dressings
Classic balsamic dressing in a jar
Method: In a jar, place one clove of garlic, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Close tightly with a lid. Shake well and serve.
MN Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/3 cup water
- Kosher salt to taste
Method
Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
Step 5) Awesome add-ins
These are some ingredients I always keep on hand and toss into my salads at the last moment. They require very little (if any) prep which is why I consider them add-ins, but feel free to get a head start if you like.
- Fresh herbs (mint, basil, parsley)
- Sliced cherry tomatoes
- Sliced Scallion
- Diced fresh fruit, such as strawberries, peaches, apples and pears
- Olives
- Tuna
- Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Halloumi, sliced and seared in a hot pan until golden
6) Let’s eat! Super salad combinations
These are the delicious salad bowl combinations I’ve enjoyed with this simple salad meal prep.
Edamame and cabbage slaw
In a bowl:
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup Edamame beans
Method:
- Drizzle with tahini dressing and serve.
Caprese zoodle salad
In a bowl:
- 2 cups zucchini noodles
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 4 leaves basil, sliced
- 1 scallion, sliced
- Four slices halloumi, seared in a hot pan until glden
Method:
- Drizzle with balsamic dressing and toss.
Beet berry arugula salad
In a bowl:
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 roasted beet, diced
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 2 hard-boiled egg
Method:
- Drizzle with balsamic dressing and toss.
Related: Protein potato salad
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Don’t forget to ping me @MotiveNutrition and use #MotiveMealPrep during your next family prep session so I can see what you’re up to. Tell me: what are your salad meal prep musts? Share in the comments below!
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