Lunch and I have always had a rocky relationship, especially when it comes to packing food to take to work. I have every minute of my morning routine mapped out from the blast of my alarm at 5:30am to 6:15 when I have to leave. Those 45 minutes are for coffee, waking up, more coffee, finding clean scrubs, even more coffee, and putting my face on so I don’t look like a mutant sleep zombie. If I don’t have a bag lunch ready to grab on my way out the door, I will succumb to mediocre hospital food or a sandwich delivery from a skinny-hipster-cyclist Jimmy John’s delivery boy.
My creativity and willpower seem to reserve 90% of their energies for brunch, macaroni and cheese, and comfort food dinners. Therefore I get extra excited when I have a lightbulb moment (really a google inspired moment) of inspiration for a prepare-ahead lunch concoction.
These are versatile, nutritious, and Whole30 compliant for those of you in the throes of a rigorous elimination diet. You can make them a day or two ahead for an on-the-go lunch or a healthful weeknight dinner. If you aren’t a fan of tuna, substitute chicken or tofu!
WHOLE30: SALAD IN A JAR, TWO WAYS
note: It is best to layer the “wet” ingredients first (in this case tuna), at the bottom of the jar. Then, place something resistant to sogginess directly above the tuna, like cucumber or celery. Continue layering your ingredients, putting your greens at the top of the jar to keep them freshest. The size of the jar is completely up to you, along with the proportion of ingredients. The combination of ingredients here is just a suggestion, you can get creative with this one!
first jar:
tuna (mixed with olive oil, or other dressing)
cucumber
red onion
tomato
olives
carrots
hard-boiled egg
spinach
second jar:
tuna (mixed with mayo, mustard, garlic, cayenne)
celery
tomato
olives
apple
hard-boiled egg
spinach
other Whole30 ingredient ideas:
black olives
chicken or turkey
bell pepper
snap peas
green onion
avocado
bacon
squash
Dahlia Kitchen 