Maybe you've seen them re-pinned on Pinterest about a bajillion times: those adorable salads in mason jars. The thing is, you can't just throw your normal salad in a jar and call it a day (well, you could, but then it would probably be a mess by lunch time). So we were beyond pumped when Earthbound Farm and Food52 invited us to a luncheon that was all about making a healthy Not Sad Desk Lunch. Here, a few tips we picked up from the event (where we got to make our own mason jar salads!):

You Must Go in Order
First, you want to put in your salad dressing. When it's sitting at the bottom of your jar, it can't make the rest of your salad soggy. Then, put in a healthy grain or protein—something that will serve the dual purpose of guarding the more delicate salad ingredients from the dressing and also soaking up some of the dressing's flavor (so it's that much yummier). Then, put in the rest of your toppings, finishing off with your leafy greens. That way they won't get smushed and they'll be at the bottom when you pour everything onto a plate or into a bowl at lunchtime.

Combine Textures and Flavors
The most satisfying salads contain a filling protein, something salty, something crunchy, something sweet, and something tangy (P.S. You're totally allowed to have one ingredient check off multiple categories). When we were at the event, we combined edamamae (a protein) with roasted squash (subtly sweet), tomato vinaigrette (tangy), and sunflower seeds (salty and crunchy!). And let us tell you: It was so, so delicious.

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Cook Your Veggies First
Just because it's a salad doesn't mean everything in it has to be raw. If you've already roasted veggies for dinner one night, use some of the leftovers to top the salad you pack for lunch the next day—it'll make your meal so much more flavorful, and you'll likely find you need less dressing since you probably used some oil during the cooking process. If you're feeling really fancy, you can even try roasting fruits (FYI, roasted grapes might just be our favorite salad topping ever).

Want more fun salad combo ideas? Check out this oh-so-helpful infographic from Earthbound Farm:

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More From Women’s Health:
7 Delicious Fall Salads
10 Healthy Lunch Ideas
5-Minute Breakfasts That Are Actually Healthy

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Robin Hilmantel
Digital Director

Robin Hilmantel is the digital director at Women's Health, where she oversees the editorial strategy for WomensHealthMag.com and its social platforms. She has almost 10 years of experience writing and editing for national publications, and more than 8 years of experience writing and editing health, fitness, and nutrition content specifically. In addition to Women's Health, her work has also appeared in TIME, Food Network Magazine, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, SELF, Glamour.com and other publications.