Friday Friday. Gotta get down on Friday.
Annnnd now that is trapped in your head for the rest of the weekend. You're welcome.
Before we get into today's post, I have a health update! This past Monday I went to get a Saline Infusion Sonohysterography to determine if whatever the doc saw in my sonogram was a polyp or a blood clot. Turns out, whatever they saw is now gone, so it must have been a clot that made it's way out.
I am so beyond relieved that everything is ok, that I don't need surgery and that nothing seems to have any sort of long-term impact. The crazy bleeding has stopped, and I'm finally feeling back to normal. They said the cause of the clot could be my birth control, so I'll see how the next few months go and then consider switching brands or methods.
Alrighty, back to our scheduled programing.
Today is a special Fit & Fashionable Friday because today is also Recipe Redux day! So you get two link ups in one!
This month's theme was: Limpin' Along for Lunch.
Ever get in a lunch rut? Need new ideas for packing your kids' or your own lunch? Are packable noontime options dwindling? Surely you've met the 'What shall I pack for lunch?" question head-on with creative ideas. Please share your healthy lunch recipe - so we can swap it into our own rotation.
I am definitely guilty of having the same thing for lunch day in and day out. I love having a big-ol salad but could definitely give it a little revamp. For the past year or so, salads in jars have become a big thing. They're easy to pack, they're portable and all you have to do when you're ready to eat is dump it out onto a plate. As part of my meal prep, I pack a lunch to bring to work, so why not give a salad in a jar a try? It's the fit and fashionable thing to do after all! There are a gazillion ways you can make a SIAJ (can I make that acronym a thing?), but here are the basics.
Get yourself a large jar.
Start with your dressing on the bottom. I used a straberry balsamic vinegar.
I layered in some carrots and chopped apple, but you can try cucumber, peppers - anything that won't absorb the dressing too much.
Layer 3: Beans and grains
I opted out of this layer, but this is where your black beans, chickpeas, pasta, etc come into play. Be careful with really absorbent grains like rice and quinoa, those will be added later, further from the dressing.
Layer 4: Cheese and protein
So I totally meant to add in some premium chunk white chicken, but I complete forgot! I thought about unpacking the whole salad and starting over, but that just wasn't going to happen. #foodbloggerfail. I'll just have to go veggie with this one or add the chicken in post-jar. Other great salad proteins include hard-boiled eggs, tuna and salmon.
Layer 5: Softer fruits and veggies
Here I have some tomatoes and avocado because a salad isn't really a salad without avocado (amiright?). This is also a good place to add things like citrus fruits and dried fruits.
Layer 6: Nuts, seeds and lighter, more absorbent grains
This is where your quinoa or rice come into play. I opted out of grains, but I did add some sliced almonds. Yum yum!
A salad isn't complete without greens! To insure they don't get weighed down or soggy, this is the last bit to add, and they should take up the most space in your jar.
Pack it in your bag, take it to work or wherever your schedule takes you, and when you're ready, just dump it all out! The greens will then be on the bottom with all the fixins' on top. You can give it a little shake before dumping, too, to help really mix everything together. Fit & Fashionable lunch at the ready! Recipe for this specific SIAJ below!
Now it's time for the link ups! First, join in on the Fit & Fashionable link up! As always, snag the badge, add your links below, share with #fitnfashionable and check out the full link up rules here.
Bloggers - You can add a link to any post of yours that is fitness and/or fashion related. This can be a product review, a workout, a healthy recipe - anything fit and/or fashionable. You must link back to this blog for your link to show up. If you drop your link, I just ask that you spread the love to at least 2 other bloggers in the link up. If you have some awesome images, I'll be sure to share them to my Fit & Fashionable Pinterest board!
Non-bloggers - You can get involved my sharing your #fitnfashionable photos (clothing, sweaty selfies, recipes) with the hashtag, or you can simply get introduced to some other awesomely fit & fashionable bloggers by clicking on the thumbnails below.
Then, check out more healthy lunch ideas from all the other Recipe Redux bloggers!
Let's Chat:
Have you ever made a salad in a jar?
What's your go-to healthy lunch?
