• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Living Well Kitchen logo

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Meme
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizer & Snacks
      • Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Vegetarian
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pork
    • Specific Recipes
      • Vegetarian
        • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Nut Free
      • Egg Free
      • Soy Free
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Beans
      • Grains
      • Potatoes
      • Bread
      • Sauce
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Season
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • Videos
    • Recipes
    • Bloopers
  • Easy Meals
  • Quiz
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Easy Meals
  • Breakfast
  • Main Dish
  • Dessert
  • Slow Cooker
  • Videos
  • Intuitive Eating
  • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Recipes » Special Diet » Dairy Free

    Lunch Ideas

    Published: May 24, 2012 · Updated: Aug 22, 2018 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These easily adaptable salad shakers are the perfect make-ahead, portable lunch

    Recently I asked some of my friends if they had any requests or ideas for new posts.

    One friend suggested that I share some new lunch ideas.

    This is a perfect topic because lunch can get pretty boring, and it's so easy to get in a rut when it comes to your lunch. And I don't want you getting bored and deciding to go out for lunch instead, ya know?

    So, here is an idea for a lunch that is really easy to make; you can make more than one at a time; and you can change it up to add some variety to your lunch.

    Salad in a Jar

    It's genius, and I've seen it multiple times on Pinterest and other blogs. I was also inspired by the salad shakers at Whole Foods. The ones that I thought looked the best were the Asian salad shaker with rice and the Southwest with quinoa.

    Since I'm obsessed with quinoa, I decided to use quinoa for my salad shaker. You can honestly use any cooked whole grain - brown rice, whole wheat cous cous, bulgur, barley, whatever your little heart desires.

    The trick is to work in layers. You want to put the dressing on the bottom and then layer the ingredients according to their sturdiness {for lack of a better word}. Once you top it off with some lettuce and maybe a little nuts or cheese or avocado, you have a perfectly healthy & portable lunch.

    Make these on Sunday for the rest of the week, and forget worrying about what to eat for lunch - it's already made & it's healthy!

    Quinoa Salad Shaker

    These easily adaptable salad shakers are the perfect make-ahead, portable lunch
    No ratings yet
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon vinegar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning or any spices or herbs
    • pinch salt
    • 1/2 cup chickpeas or other protein
    • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
    • 1 cup chopped vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc.
    • 3 cups chopped lettuce any kind

    Instructions

    • First, you make the dressing - Add the olive oil, vinegar, spices, and salt into the jar, and whisk everything together.
    • Next, you add your protein. In this salad, I'm using chickpeas. You can use cooked lentils, shredded chicken or turkey, any other beans.
    • Then, you add the quinoa or whatever whole grain you are using.
    • After that, you add the vegetables - the sturdy ones first {like carrots, peppers, celery, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.}. Then add the other veggies that won't hold up as well if they are somehow touching the dressing {which is very unlikely, but just in case!}.
    • Finally, you add your lettuce. I like to do romaine and then spinach on top. Pack as much as you can in there. If you really want, you can also add a tablespoon or so of chopped nuts.
    • Now screw the lid on top, and stick it in the refrigerator until you're ready to each your lunch! Resist the urge to shake it until right before eating.
    • When you're ready to eat, just dump it onto a large plate or in a big salad bowl. Enjoy!
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    [showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]
    *

    Nutrition Facts
    Quinoa Salad Shaker
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    380
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    11
    g
    17
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    0
    mg
    0
    %
    Sodium
     
    33
    mg
    1
    %
    Potassium
     
    915
    mg
    26
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    55
    g
    18
    %
    Fiber
     
    13
    g
    54
    %
    Sugar
     
    13
    g
    14
    %
    Protein
     
    14
    g
    28
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5390
    IU
    108
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    195.4
    mg
    237
    %
    Calcium
     
    92
    mg
    9
    %
    Iron
     
    5
    mg
    28
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    *
    [/showhide]

    If I know I'm probably not going to have a refrigerator then I'll use beans or lentils and not chicken (or something sensitive to lack of refrigeration). But do try to keep it in an insulated lunch box, preferably with an ice pack or something.

    Hope this helps adds a little excitement to your lunch routine

    Have a great day!

    Meme

    « spinach artichoke dip
    two for one meal! »
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MaryJane says

      May 24, 2012 at 7:01 pm

      Wow Meme!! This makes perfect sense!! Can't wait to try it!!

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        May 30, 2012 at 10:05 am

        Thanks! They're really easy to make, and I love having lunch ready for the whole week

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme -- a thirty-something girl from Alabama living in San Diego! Join me as I prove that living a guilt-free, healthy lifestyle can be budget friendly, delicious & fun!
    Read More

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular

    pork tenderloin with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans on white plate with yellow and white striped napkin

    Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    jar of chocolate sauce with a spoon in it. empty small glass ice cream cups with a bowl of cherries on a wicker table

    Easy Chocolate Sauce

    Protein Pancakes from Living Well Kitchen

    protein pancakes

    white plate with a slice of zucchini lasagna

    Zucchini Lasagna

    spatula holding a microwave cookie

    Microwave Oatmeal Cookie

    stack of almond butter banana cookies with one cookie facing the front on wooden cutting board with a glass of milk, banana, oats, vanilla extract, and almond butter container

    Almond Butter Banana Cookies

    Gluten free Crab Cakes from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge

    Gluten free Crab Cakes

    chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin

    No Mayo Chicken Salad

    Intuitive Eating

    brunette female holding a heart shaped pizza in a Parisian cafe

    Why Emotional Eating Isn't Bad

    hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

    Should I Eat Conventional or Organic Produce?

    havanese dog standing on arm of cream chair with a quilt in chair

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss

    brunette female sitting in a blanket in Versaille garden smiling and holding a container of container of food she is about to be eating

    What is Intuitive Eating

    Easy Meals

    bowl of Roasted Sausage and Veggies with pepper and onion and baking sheet of vegetables

    Roasted Sausage and Veggies

    salsa chicken in tortillas with avocados and parsley

    Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

    white bowls with sausage kale soup with french bread and fresh kale

    Sausage Kale White Bean Soup

    Spicy Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

    Salads

    white countertop with clear bowl of miso dressing with a silver spoon next to a container of miso paste and a microplane with fresh ginger

    Miso Dressing

    white and black napkin with plate of pita chips, celery, and red bell peppers, and a bowl of chicken salad with pita chip in bowl

    Hummus Chicken Salad

    fresh strawberries on white counter with glass container of strawberry dressing, jar of balsamic vinegar

    Strawberry Salad Dressing

    bowl of Buffalo Chicken Salad, blue cheese, wing sauce, celery, cilantro

    Buffalo Chicken Salad

    As Seen On:

    As Seen On

    In Season

    bowl of ginger beef soup on a gold and white napkin with garlic, limes, and ginger

    Ginger Beef Soup

    Avocado Deviled Eggs

    rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip on a square plate with sliced orange bell peppers and pita chips with a green napkin

    Crawfish Dip

    salmon fillets covered in pesto in a white baking dish on wooden table

    Pesto Salmon

    Footer

    Living Well Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Home
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipes

    Copyright © 2022

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    156 shares