Five salads that will stay fresh for the week! 11 Simple items, 5 great salads!

Here’s an example of what to buy for five days of salads:

Large container of greens

2 cucumbers

2 to 3 bell peppers

5 medium carrots

1 package cherry tomatoes

1 bag grapes

2 packages tofu

1 can chickpeas

Sunflower seeds

2 avocados

Bottle of your favorite salad dressing

Start with the greens. To save time, pick up a package of prewashed salad greens. If you’re using greens from your garden or a farmers market, just make sure they’re completely dry before packing.

Add the veggies, beans, and fruit. Go for carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, chickpeas, kidney beans, corn, peas, or even fruit like grapes or blueberries — whatever you desire. Dry off each ingredient with a paper towel to keep them crisper longer.

Add protein. Like grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, certain types of cheese like cubed cheddar, and cooked & cooled) whole grains like quinoa or brown rice, add these on top of the first three salads of the week. Then on Wednesday night, add protein to Thursday’s and Friday’s containers. Do the same with avocado, nuts and seeds, or very wet fruits like sliced strawberries.

Keep dressing separate until the moment you eat your salad. Purchase a couple dip-sized containers. Or if you have an office fridge, keep a bottle of dressing there.