Three Mason Jar Meals Each Containing at Least 20g Protein
I think I have the best job in the world.
For those who don't know me, I develop recipes for food companies, create visual content, and manage Instagram accounts in the vegan food and fitness niche.
In practice (or if you want to use the Hebrew slang word I love — Tachles), I work from my kitchen table and spend all day baking, cooking, filming, and editing.
Dream job or what, right?
Even though I live in Tel Aviv, I usually eat my meals at home and avoid eating out regularly as much as possible.
Yes, you read that right.
I avoid it as much as possible.
Why?
The first reason is financial (do I really need to detail the monthly cost of eating out regularly in Tel Aviv? Hint: it's a lot).
The second (and more important, in my opinion) is the caloric cost. Yes, eating out has a (very) high caloric price, so I almost always try to eat the food I cook myself.
Excluding a very small number of restaurants (usually hummus spots), most places add ingredients like sugar and oil to the seasoning to make the dish tastier.
Therefore, when I know I need to eat my lunch away from home, I make sure to take it with me. And to avoid using polluting plastic containers, I take my food in glass jars.
My tip for keeping vegetables fresh and crunchy and the tofu crispy is to place the sauce at the bottom of the jar and only mix all the ingredients right before eating for the perfect bite.
A bit about jar meals
In the recipes below, I tried to create variety and an original theme for each of the jars.
The first is Asian.
The second is Mexican.
The third is Italian.
I chose to use whole grain sources in each jar, as they contain a higher amount of protein and also dietary fiber which helps you feel full for longer.
If you choose to use white rice over brown, for example, you'll lose a good amount of protein, fiber, and plenty of wonderful vitamins and minerals. Isn't that a shame?
The goal of this post is to show you the principle of combining legumes and grains to increase the amount of protein in every meal and, more importantly, to vary the meals and keep our palates interested.
Note that I am not addressing the issue of "complete protein" (the number of essential amino acids we must consume from food). If you want to eat a jar full of black beans without rice, there is no health problem regarding protein (tip: make sure to sleep alone, because you're about to lift the ceiling with gas).
Nutritional values:
Asian Jar with whole wheat noodles, tofu, edamame, and broccoli in peanut butter and soy sauce (200g serving)
- 442 calories
- 36g protein
- 29g carbohydrates
- 22g fat (out of which 3g is saturated)
Mexican Jar with brown rice, black beans, corn, guacamole, jalapeño, and salsa (490g serving)
- 430 calories
- 20g protein
- 71g carbohydrates
- 9g fat
Italian Jar with whole wheat spaghetti, tofu, green beans, and tomato sauce (200g serving)
- 500 calories
- 32g protein
- 44g carbohydrates
- 21g fat (out of which 2g is saturated)
Want another protein-rich dish?
Italian Mason Jar with Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce, Tofu Cubes, Green Beans, and Basil
Ingredients
For the Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt
For the jar
- 300 g Tofu cut into cubes
- 100 g Whole wheat spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
- 100 g Green beans thawed and blanched for a few minutes in boiling water or microwave
- 1 handful Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
Prepare the tomato sauce
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Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend well until a smooth sauce is formed.
Prepare the tofu
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Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
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Arrange the tofu on a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and bake for a few minutes until the tofu is slightly browned.
Assemble the jar
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At the bottom of the jar, first place the tomato sauce.
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Then layer in order: the spaghetti, the tofu, the green beans, and sprinkle the basil leaves on top.
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Before eating, mix all the jar components well.
