This post is sponsored by Ball® Home Canning;
however, all thoughts and opinions are my own

When making a change in diet you also need to change your lifestyle. Whole30B® can be easy to follow if you have the right recipes and mindset to get started.

I have recently decided to start taking charge of my diet a little more, and by that I mean including lots more veggies in my diet and not just being subject to my busy schedule and eating/ feeding my family whatever food is most convenient. For me the key word here is CONVENIENT. My life is going at such a fast pace these days that I really do have to make eating well convenient for me or I just can’t make it happen. That being said, quick and easy Whole30® recipes are a must for me!

I know the traditional way to do this is to Meal Prep. But OMG – that feels like a curse word to me. 🙂 I can’t stand meal prepping. Whenever I cook something in advance and have a scheduled meal I never want to eat it when it! I would almost rather starve than eat what I prepped for myself. I know I am an adult and I should just be able to suck it up and eat what I have prepared but y’all…

I have tried again and again and I just end up wasting food and money. So instead of working against my natural personality and quirks, I have decided to work with them. That’s where my easy Whole30® recipes come into play.

How can I do this? Simple. Prep the veggies and raw ingredients so that it is super easy to then mix and match to make a meal that I feel like eating. So for me that means pre cutting / chopping / washing all of my produce and storing them in pretty and visible jars in my fridge. So it is easy to just open up the fridge and see all that I have, and to know that it is all prepped and ready to just grab and throw in a pan or on a plate. Keeping me on track and able to create quick and easy Whole30® meals.

One of my favorite things to make and an easy Whole30® meal is a salad jar. I make up a few different varieties of my favorite salad ingredients and put them into a 24 ounce wide mouth Ball jar. ( Ball® jars are the JAM and def the key to my prepping success too) I can then grab my little dressing jar ( I use the tiny 4 ounce Ball® jars for this) and my salad jar of choice and throw it in a bag for eating on the go – or I have a ready made lunch option for myself at home.

I typically make 3-4 salad jars at a time because I don’t want the lettuce to sit in the jar for too long or it gets slimy. However, a trick to keeping the salad jars fresh is to slip a little sliver of Fresh Paper into the jar to absorb the gasses emitted by the produce that causes decomposition and to leave the jar open a little bit so that the oxygen and co2 can flow in and out. Such an easy way for a fast, fresh and healthy Whole30® meal.

The Ball® jars are such a great price ( I got a 12 pack of the quart sized ones for just $8.95 and the 12 pack of the pint sized mason jars for $9. You can find them online and at Walmart stores too.

Now that I have re-upped all my stash of jars I am finding all sorts of food storage ideas for them. They are so pretty and a great storage option for in the fridge so I can easily see all that I have and its displayed in a visually pleasing way. ( For me that makes a huge difference in the attractiveness of food ) If the veggies look fresh and yummy I’m gonna want to eat them! The jars also make it super easy to store and grab what I need for a quick and easy meal.

Here is my quick Whole30® Salad Jar recipe and a few of my favorite variations:

Simply follow these layering instructions with your favorite ingredient varieties and enjoy days worth of salads that won’t get soggy or wilt. They make super quick and easy Whole30® recipes!

Layer One | The Dressing

Make your own or use your favorite #Whole30Approved brand, and put it at the very bottom of your jar. I love the Tessemae brand.

Layer Two | Veggies, fruit, nuts or avocado

Add any variety of these next. If you are putting in avocado make sure to toss it in lime juice before putting in the jar so that it won’t brown ( and adds a little nice acidity. )

Layer Three | The Protein

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Make sure you let it cool completely before you add it to your jar. Otherwise, it may steam the veggies and greens and make everything soggy.

Layer Four | Greens Greens Greens

Add in a much as you can fit of your favorite salad greens, sprouts, or crunchy cabbage leaves, then screw on the lid, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

When you’re ready to eat, tip the jar upside-down and allow the salad to fall into a bowl or a plate, where it will be perfectly layered with the dressing on the top. On the go? Just give it a good shake, grab a fork, and eat directly from the jar! That’s it, a quick and easy Whole30® salad ready to eat.

Here is a yummy out of the box easy Whole 30 salad recipe that I am making on repeat.

The Asian Inspired Chicken Zoodle Salad Jar: By Bailey Ryan of Whole Kitchen Sink

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup shredded carrots
2 small zucchinis, spiraled
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 sliced lime

For the Whole30 marinade and dressing
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Frank’s hot sauce (or equivalent)
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup water (additional water can be added for a thinner dressing)

Instructions

COMBINE all of the marinade ingredients, except for the cashew butter and water in a medium bowl.

PLACE the chicken thighs in a gallon bag or large bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of the marinade, add it to the chicken and evenly coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

ADD the almond butter and water to the remaining marinade to make the dressing. Mix with a fork until the dressing is combined well, and refrigerate.

ONCE the chicken has marinated, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the chicken with marinade into the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until chicken thighs have cooked through.

REMOVE from heat, let cool, and then chop into bite-size pieces. Just like my easy Whole30® salad recipe, this is an important step.

ASSEMBLE the salad jars by first adding equal amounts of dressing to the bottom of each jar.

NEXT layer the chicken, followed by equal portions of cilantro, zucchini noodles, carrots, cabbage and almonds. Top with a lime slice, cover tightly and refrigerate for 4-5 days.

TO EAT, either place the Ball® Jar upside down 1-3 hours prior to coat the salad in the dressing and then shake right before eating. Or, pour contents of the Ball Jar into a bowl and mix to combine.

So there you have it! some quick and easy Whole30® recipes for you to add to your weekly menu. Enjoy!

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Looking for more healthy quick and easy recipes? Check out my super easy gluten-free biscuit recipe!