The humble mason jar is one very, very versatile creation. If you haven’t come across this useful jar yet – where have you been? On top of simply using it for the purpose of canning, pickling and preserving foods (or any of the other myriad of uses it has), it’s time to explore further how the mason jar can be your next lunch buddy!
Here are 4 deliciously simple recipes using the mason jar perfect for your weekday lunch. Because let’s face it, wouldn’t we all rather save that lunch money on something more exciting…like more mason jars?? 😀
Mediterranean Bowl
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup red onion (chopped)
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1 cup quinoa (cooked)
- 2 tbsp hummus
What to do:
It’s simple really. Starting from the bottom, keep in mind these ingredients down here will be at the top of the bowl when you pour it out into a bowl for serving. If you decided to eat it straight from the mason jar, then you can ignore any order.
- Pour in olive oil and lemon juice
- Add cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onion, feta cheese and quinoa
- Top with hummus (don’t feel you have to stick to 2 tbsp…this stuff is too delicious!)
- Cap it. Take to work. Refrigerate.
- Enjoy at lunch!
Burrito Bowl
This is inspired by our old friend Chipotle. By making this yourself, you won’t have to feel so guilty!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 avocado (cubed)
- 3/4 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 3/4 cup chicken, beef or tuna (whatever tickles your pickle)
- 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
What to do:
Same as above.
Apple, Pecan and Feta Bowl
This is a sidestep from your normal green leafy salad. You deserve to mix it up a bit, plus this one hits the spot and fills you up. Nuts and spinach are a great source of daily fibre intake – amongst an array of other vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup diced apples
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1 cup spinach
What to do:
Same as above. However, we recommend putting the apples at the bottom so that it soaks up the balsamic, rather than the walnuts or feta cheese getting soggy.
Sushi Bowl
Brownie points if you can guess what this is inspired by… Uhhh, correct!
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 cup brown or purple rice (cooked)
- 1/2 cup cucumbers (diced)
- 3-4 nori (seaweed) pieces
- 3/4 cup chicken, beef or tuna
- 1/2 avocado (cubed)
What to do:
Don’t make the same mistake as us, put the rice at the top of the jar so that when you pour it out, the rice comes out first and will be at the bottom of the bowl.
So which one will you try? Why not all of them! Notice how there’s four options… We gave you a cheat day 😉
