Make Ahead Lunch Salads to Take to Work

You have all the healthy intentions of taking a salad to work with you. But then you are staring into the refrigerator at 7 in the morning and you just don’t see it coming together. You might end up grabbing the first thing you see or even going out for lunch to someplace not quite as healthy as homemade.  make ahead lunch salads are a good place to start.

Make ahead lunch salads should be your go-to healthy work lunch option that you can easily grab and go to help you stay on track with your healthy diet.

What you need are some good make ahead lunch salads that you can prepare at the beginning of the week and take to work with you every day. Just reach in the fridge, grab and go. Having lunch prepared in advance means you save time, money and avoid a lot of last-minute bad choices. 

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are preparing a make-ahead salad. Try to choose ingredients that won’t get soggy. Regular lettuce, for example, will keep for 1 to 3 days but then it will go limp and lifeless.

Instead choose kale, cabbage or a base with a little more crunch. If you are using lettuce, don’t let it sit in its dressing. Either bring the dressing with you in a separate container or layer the dressing into your container first and place all of the harder and less absorbent ingredients on top.

Make Ahead Lunch Salads for Work

Healthy Tuna Salad | Life Made Sweeter

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette | Paleo Running Momma

Meal Prep Taco Salad  | Kristine’s Kitchen

Caprese Arugula Salad Meal Prep | Rainbow Delicious

Chickpea Salad | Spend With Pennies

Ingredients

Put your lettuce in the container last. When it’s time to eat, toss or shake all of the ingredients together. If you have softer ingredients, like soft cheese, or ingredients that will brown easily, like avocado, keep those out of your salad until the day of. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Wendy Polisi

Quick and Easy Vegan Pasta Salad | Simple Veganista

Italian Orzo Tuna Salad | Gimme Some Oven

Chicken Cobb With Homemade Ranch | Tasty

Chickpea Curry Salad | Fitnessista

Preparation

You can prepare them quickly in the morning to add to your salad container as long as you have them ready to go. And remember to choose your container wisely! A mason jar or a tightly sealed glass or plastic container is best to keep your ingredients airtight and fresh.

Make Ahead Lentil Salad | Kay Nutrition

Chinese Chicken Salad | Steph Gaudreau

Chicken Shawarma Salad | The Kitchn

Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing | Vanilla and Bean

Chopped Thai Kale Salad with Spicy Cashews | Meaningful Eats

It also makes it easier to shake without worrying about making a mess. These delicious and healthy make ahead lunch salads are the perfect combination of ingredients to prep 3-5 days ahead and take to work each day of the week.