If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably seen Instagram posts or Pinterest boards dedicated to the newest meal prep craze and thought, “I want to try that!”

And if you’re really like me, you probably never actually followed through with it.

The meal prep trend currently taking over the Internet is #saladinajar, and this time, I had to give it a try. If you know anything about meal prep, or if you follow any self-proclaimed “Instagram foodies,” you’ve probably seen this craze and wondered if it works. Luckily for you, I’ve tried it, and I'm here to give you the scoop.

The basic idea here is you assemble a salad upside down in a mason jar, put it in the fridge, and it’s ready when you are. Seems pretty easy, right? Well, guess what…IT IS!

The cool thing about this craze is it’s not just limited to salads — you can make an entire day’s worth of mason jar meals. Here are some super fun and easy recipes to try if you want to try out the #masonjarmeals trend for yourself!

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Let's be honest. Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it's also the most inconvenient. Oftentimes, I find myself waking up entirely too late to eat a decent meal, and I usually end up grabbing a granola bar on my way out the door or just skipping the meal completely. What's so cool about overnight oats is it takes just seconds to put together, and it's conveniently stored for you to grab the next morning.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup vanilla almond/soy milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ apple, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients in the listed order (excluding the apples and walnuts) to a mason jar and stir well.
2. Top with apples and place in the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning, add the walnuts, stir well, and dig in!

*Tip: If you're not really into cold oatmeal and have a little extra time in the morning, warm up your oats in the microwave for a more "traditional style" oatmeal.

Star Spangled Salad

I absolutely love how fresh and summery this salad is. I’ve had variations of this salad at different restaurants, so I was pretty psyched about making it for myself. This salad is light and refreshing, and is definitely my new go-to lunch option this summer. Honestly, with this salad, you don’t even have to follow the recipe directly. If you want more berries, load ‘em up. Add some protein or some chopped nuts for an extra boost. Either way, this colorful and patriotic salad will have you singing “Party in the U.S.A.” all summer long.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar/vinaigrette
• ½ cup cucumber, diced
• ½ cup strawberries, cut
• ¼ cup blueberries
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• 3 cups leafy greens (I used spinach)

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients in the listed order to a mason jar and place in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, just dump in a bowl and enjoy!

*Tip: The key to keeping your salad fresh and ready to eat the next morning is to start with your dressing, add any veggies with a bite that won’t soak up your dressing, then layer the remaining ingredients with your leafy greens and cheese on top.

Taco Salad

This was probably my favorite meal out of all of these. I prepared the salad according to the recipe and then put it in the fridge for the next day. When I was ready to eat it, I decided I wanted to add some chicken. I pan-roasted the chicken, shredding it as it cooked and added salsa toward the end of the cooking process to add a little flavor. This salad was incredibly filling and delicious — perfect for a quick dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tablespoons avocado dressing
• ¼ cucumber, diced
• ½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small Roma tomato, diced
• ¼ cup corn
• ¼ cup red pepper, diced
• 2 ½ cups lettuce
• ½ avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon cheese (I used Mexican blend)

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients in the listed order to a mason jar and place in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, just dump in a bowl and enjoy!

*Tip: For a heartier, protein-packed version, add chicken below the greens. Also, consider packing a bag of tortilla chips to enjoy on the side or crush over the top when ready to eat.

3-2-1 Cake

Okay, so this one is a bit of a stretch, but I promise it works! Have you ever REALLY wanted cake, but just needed a single serving? Here’s a really easy way to do it. All you need is one box of Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake mix and one box of another flavor cake mix. I used Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake mix, just for brand uniformity. Combine both cake mixes into a gallon Ziploc bag and mix well. Now, you’re ready to make your cake!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons cake mix
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Add the cake mix and water to a small mason jar, coffee mug, or any other small microwave safe container and stir well.
2. Heat for 1 minute in the microwave.
3. Enjoy!

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Caleb C.