A few weeks ago, I was quickly scanning through old posts on Lifehacker, and came upon this gorgeous recipe on fat girl trapped in a skinny body. I’m constantly struggling with lunch at work, even more now that I stay in more often than not. No matter what I do, I can’t bring myself to be very motivated to put a healthy lunch together in the early mornings, and when I attempt it, I sometimes get it done for a day or two, and then end up buying lunch because I’m too lazy. I need something that I can just grab and go, and yogurt doesn’t cut it, and soup gets old.

So those gorgeous jars of salad full of healthy food sounded perfect. And easy, especially after I realized I could get quart-sized canning jars at the craft store for super cheap. I made my first batch two weeks ago, and even Dan wanted in. (When asked if he liked chick peas, he said, “They sound healthy. So sure.”) I couldn’t find quinoa at the grocery store I stopped at, so I went with orzo instead. These six salads fed both of us for a whole week, and it was fantastic.

We’re back to full work weeks this week, so I put another batch together this afternoon. It’s idiotic how easy it is to put these together. The important part is the layering, so that the dressing and lettuce don’t touch, meaning the lettuce stays fresher for more days in the fridge.

For this batch of six salads, I again doubled the balsamic vinaigrette recipe that Julia lists in her post, just olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey, although I didn’t blend mine. I cut up two bell peppers, a pint and a half of grape tomatoes, a can of chick peas, a handful each of chopped pecans and craisins, 3 cups of cooked quinoa, and about two bags of lettuce. (You can really jam the lettuce in there.)

They’re portable, healthy, and super fresh, and I don’t have to do anything in the morning. They shake up pretty well, but both Dan and I have found it easier to dump it into a bowl or onto a plate to eat it. It’s a big, filling salad, too, and let’s face it, I could use to eat some healthier food, especially at this time of year.