Mason Jar Fruit Jars-Snack Prep

If you know me, you probably know that I love mason jars. All sizes! :) I just love their versatility!

Every week (Ok ok...almost every week :-0 ) I try to meal prep my lunch (& dinner sometimes) for the entire week. Along with the meal prep, I always try to squeeze in some easy snack prep to get me to eat good at work throughout my busy week! Fruit is something that I used to not LOVE as much as I do now. Honestly, not sure why I wasn't such a fan. Maybe I was lazy...picky...or just didn't care! The only time I would really eat fruit was when my mom would cut it up for me and bring it up to my room while I was studying or grading papers (oh, how I miss those sweet days!) So, just about a year ago, I started to eat all sorts of fruit on a daily basis...on my own...a lot of it...and loving it! Long story short: Here is a fun way to pack your fruit for the week to assure you are getting your daily fruit in take and not making "busy week" your excuse. Enjoy!

What you need:
-Mason jars (Here I have used 8oz, 16oz, & 32oz and I found the 8oz to be the perfect serving size...for me! Like these HERE) And also...Here are some jars to give you the size idea

-Fruit! So these are the fruits that have worked for me (bottom-up):

• Grapes 
• Cantaloupe
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Strawberries 
• Blackberries (ugh, my weakness!)
• Blueberries (not a huge fan but they are good for me...soo...)

1) Wash, paper-towel dry, & cut (if applicable) all the fruit. You may also want to slightly dry your pineapple and cantaloupe as those tend to get "softer" during the week. Just throw it on a paper towel and pat it dry. You want to make sure the fruit is dry because you ARE going to keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days and that can make the fruit slightly soggy if there is water left in it. A tiny bit is not a biggy...sometimes I find a little bit of water at the very bottom of my jar when I am eating it and it hasn't bothered me yet. 

2) Layer it up! Start with the toughest fruit first. In my case, the grapes. Then the cantaloupe, pineapple, mango, strawberries (cut strawberries in 2's or 4's), raspberries & blueberries.

3) Seal it up with the top and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days (I think sometimes my last one stays in there until like the following Sat and it has been fine. Maybe some fruit (cantaloup) slightly softer but still eatable). *tip: I feel that filling the fruit up to the very top helps keep it fresh slightly longer. That's why my fav jars have been the small 8oz ones so its not TOO much fruit in each jar that I can't finish it

4) If you don't want to mix up all the fruit, you can also just go ahead and cut, wash, prep your fruit and store it in individual 32oz jars. I will do this sometimes (or if I end up having too much leftover after I cut it) and it is GREAT to quickly add to our acai bowls...protein shakes...smoothies...juice...etc. etc! Instead of having to sit there and cut everything up, you have it READY! 

The extra little work during the weekend is worth it for me and my husband as this helps us get in fruit throughout the week and I just have so much fun eating out of a mason jar :) & my kiddos at work love seeing (and sometimes even tasting) the different fruits in my jar!

Why glass jars vs plastic container? In my opinion, since mason jars seal "air-tight", it keeps my already cut up fruit fresh. Since I pre-pack my fruit for the entire week, mason jar storage assures that the fruit won't go bad due to air. In addition to that, to me, glass is aesthetically pleasing. It is built to last and will not leave any stains or that yucky lingering food smell! Now if you pack your fruit on a daily basis, I would just say to use a plastic container or zip-lock sandwich bag. But ehhh...you gotta do that e v e r y N i g h t...too much work for me after a LoNg day of work and everything else that poops me out after work :0

Seeing this colorful goodness right in the front inside your fridge MAKES you want to eat it right away...does it not? :) I really hope you give this a try and that this post has helped you in some way! Please let us know if you do give it a go...and anything that you might have changed up! xoxx-