I’m on vacation this week and have a guest post for you guys from Ally Milligan, a Boston-based multimedia producer and salad-obsessive at Loveleaf Co., a site encouraging health and mindfulness through the simple habit of eating one salad a day. See how easy it is to incorporate this healthy practice into your life by joining Loveleaf Co.’s free 7 Day Salad Reset.

You can say I’m a bit salad-obsessed (literally: I have a website to prove it). Especially in the summer, delicious, filling, healthy salads are my go-to lunches most days of the week. But here’s the thing: I also love the beach. And salad + beach = soggy disaster, right? Wrong! Say hello to the layered beach salad.

This Chopped Greek Salad is the perfect layered salad to bring to the beach. It’s super light and refreshing, but filling enough to keep you from running to the ice cream truck… until later in the afternoon (no judgment). To keep the salad fresh until lunchtime, you’re going to need three things: a container for the salad (I use wide-mouth quart size mason jars), a cooler with an ice pack, and a layering strategy. Here’s how to properly layer the ingredients so you have your salad and eat it too 😉

1. Start with the dressing.

Pour ½  of the Greek dressing into the bottom of each jar.

2. Add harder veggies and fruits.

In go the onions and cucumbers; anything that would taste amazing slightly “pickled” from the dressing will work in other salads.

3. Add beans, grains, pasta or noodles.

Here we’re using chickpeas, but you can use grains like quinoa or rice for other types of salads.

4. Add cooked protein and cheeses, if using.

We like feta in this salad, but you can also add chicken, tofu, etc. Need salad protein ideas? Look no further.

5. Add salad greens.

We like about 1-2 cups per salad. If you plan to eat the salad straight from the jar (I do it all the time), just leave some room at the top so you can shake up all the ingredients when you’re ready to eat it. And make sure your greens are completely dry before packing (hello, salad spinner).

7. Pack and Enjoy!

Pack salads in a small cooler with an ice pack (don’t forget forks!). Once you’re at the beach and ready to eat, shake the jar so all the ingredients get coated in the dressing and lightly toss with a fork. Enjoy!

Chopped Greek Salad for the Beach

(Serves 2)

Greek Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons red vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey (optional)
• salt to taste

Chopped Greek Salad

• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled if desired and chopped
• 1 small jar of roasted red peppers, chopped
• kalamata olives (about 10 if you can find them in salad bar), pitted and chopped
• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (optional) and or cooked protein of choice
• Handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

Make the Dressing and Prep the Ingredients:

Add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake well to combine.

Prepare (chop, crumble, etc.) all ingredients according to directions above.

Layer the salads:

Put the follow ingredients in each of the two containers (bottom to top). This is one serving:

• ½ of the Greek dressing
• ½  of chopped red onion
• ½ of chopped cucumber
• ½ of chopped roasted red pepper
• ½ of chopped olives
• ½ cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 oz. feta (optional)
• ¼ total chopped mint
• 1-2 cups chopped romaine

All photos by Ally Milligan except for the beach photo, which is by Garret Voight. 

Chopped Greek Salad for the Beach