Meal Prep Recipes to Keep You Healthy During the Holidays

by Christina Meyer-Jax, Tastemaker in Residence - As seen on Fox 9 Saturday morning

Here are the recipes I featured this morning on FOX 9 around 8:45am. These recipes are perfect for our Spirited Table® Tastemakers holiday campaign. How to Thrive, not just Survive the Holidays! Don't miss my healthy Sweet and Sriracha Slow Cooker Chicken also seen on Fox 9 today! How to Thrive Tips and tricks continue between now and December 31st!
 
Building Mason Jars On-The-Go Salads

1. The key is building a foundation around mixing and matching the following ingredients and layering in your mason jars:
2. Healthy Whole Grain or Starchy Vegetables:
3. Examples are: quinoa, brown rice, roasted sweet potatoes, yams, and squash
4. Nutrient Dense Proteins
5. Examples are: Beans, legumes, chicken (I prefer choosing No Antibiotic Ever varieties), nuts, and seeds
6. Vegetables or Fruit (depending on flavor profile)
7. Examples are: anything that tastes good to you! I enjoy mixing fresh, frozen, or roasted varieties
8. Leafy Greens
9. Examples: Choose nutrient rich and flavorful varieties such as spinach, kale, arugula, wilted chard or collard greens
10. Simple ingredient dressing (homemade or prepared) and/or olive oil and herb mixes to flavor your mason jar 

My featured recipe:
 
Mason Jar Zoodles Bean Salad with Avocado Spinach Dressing
(Serves 2—double or triple ingredients as needed)
 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups spiraled zucchini
1/2 cup S&W reduced sodium black beans (or sub chicken)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped roasted (or fresh) red bell pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Optional:
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons kalalmata olives
 
Avocado Spinach Dressing

Ingredientes
1/2 cup fresh packed spinach
1/2 ripe avocado
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, plain, 2%
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Minnesota Nice Spice Blend (or pepper can work too)
 
Instructions

1. Spiral or shred or thinly slice zucchini. Set aside.
2. In a high powdered blender mix dressing ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour 1/2 the dressing into the bottom of 2 mason jars.
4. Add celery on top of dressing.
5. Add peppers on top of carrots then top with beans or chicken.
6. Sprinkle feta cheese then add tomatoes and olives.
7. Lastly, place 1/2 the spiraled zucchini into each mason jar.
8. Cover and refrigerate. Last up to 5 days.
9. Once ready to eat, shake the jar vigorously then pour onto a plate. Toss with fork if needed to mix dressing.