Taco Salad in a Jar

Steph Wagner MS, RDN

December 19, 2018

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Taco Salad in a Jar

 

Easy bariatric friendly lunch idea

 
Super simple taco salad that can be made in advance and packed for lunches in a mason jar! I keep the meat separate so I can heat it up and add it all together. Great for bariatric lunches. #bariatriclunch #wlslunch #gastricsleevelunch #gastricbypasslunch #saladinajar
 

Assembling the Jars

I’ve made a few variations of salad in a jar type of recipes and for me, the key is layer ingredients from most wet to most dry. Keeping the lettuce at the top makes sense, sometimes it’s the other ingredients that take a moment to think about the best order.

In this case I put the salsa in first because it contains the most liquid. Next I put the greek yogurt as it has a thicker texture. I will say, I prefer Fage 0% fat Greek yogurt to most any others and find it’s thick and smooth the way I prefer. Some other brands may have more liquid than the one I used. This may be okay for you considering the salsa and yogurt will mix together in the end regardless!

I chose to keep my taco meat separately from the salad because I like my taco meat warm. This allows me to easily toss the meat in a bowl, heat, then dump the salad ingredients over the top.

Assembling the Salad for Lunch

I included an image at the bottom of the recipe once the salad was put together.  I put the meat in the bottom of a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds.

Then I broke it up with a fork and then used my fork to scoop out all the ingredients inside the large mason jar. I tossed it together but I did add shredded cheese at this point. When I made the jar I didn’t worry about cheese but later decided to add it! You could put cheese before the spinach in the jar.

Other bariatric friendly lunch ideas

Shrimp Ceviche (Members Recipe)

Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomaotes. Low Carb lunches!

Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

Super simple taco salad that can be made in advance and packed for lunches in a mason jar! I keep the meat separate so I can heat it up and add it all together. Great for bariatric lunches. #bariatriclunch #wlslunch #gastricsleevelunch #gastricbypasslunch #saladinajar

Taco Salad in a Jar

Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 238kcal
Author: Steph Wagner
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey or beef
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 cups baby spinach divided
  • 4 tbsp 0% fat, plain Greek yogurt
  • 4 tbsp salsa of choice
  • 2 tbsp reduced fat cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 medium jars
  • 4 small jars

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add ground turkey and brown. Drain. Add taco seasoning and water, stir. Reduce heat to low and cook a few minutes more. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile assemble medium jars starting with most wet ingredients at the bottom. Ingredients above are for four jars. Add 1 tbsp salsa to bottom of jar, then 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt. Add pinch of cheese if using. Fill remaining space with spinach and seal with lid.
  • Divide taco meat among 4 smaller jars and seal with lid. Refrigerate up to one week.
  • When ready to heat, place taco meat in a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds. Use fork to remove ingredients from larger jar and toss together.
    Super simple taco salad that can be made in advance and packed for lunches in a mason jar! I keep the meat separate so I can heat it up and add it all together. Great for bariatric lunches. #bariatriclunch #wlslunch #gastricsleevelunch #gastricbypasslunch #saladinajar

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1690IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Facts
Taco Salad in a Jar
Amount Per Serving (1 jar)
Calories 238 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 85mg28%
Sodium 339mg15%
Potassium 392mg11%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 1690IU34%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 74mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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