Glassified Roughage...

...otherwise known as "salad in a jar".

Have you tried this yet? If you haven't, you really ought to. I've seen the ideas in a couple of place on Pinterest, but since I'm not on there for Lent (and I haven't been!), I was able to remember this clever blog, aptly named Salad in a Jar. Her recommendations are great starting off points, though I've been able to make this thing work even without a vacuum sealer. I'd certainly suggest checking Pinterest for other people's genius, but I think the general principle is as follows:

• a couple of tablespoons of dressing on the bottom
• toppings that can stand up to dressing, like bacon, nuts, carrots or mushrooms
• any other veggies you like until the jar is half full
• fill the rest of the jar with as much lettuce as you can pack in.

It seems to me that the less air there is in the jar, the longer the lettuce keeps, which is why the vacuum sealer is so effective. I've found, though, that stuffing it in nice and tight does pretty much the same thing. Just make sure that the lettuce and dressing don't touch one another, or the lettuce will turn slimy.

In the jars above, we have ranch dressing on the bottom, followed by almonds, bacon, cous cous, cucumber, tomato and the lettuce. I've found they last for about a week, if they're not eaten before. Toby's been stealing them for his lunch, which works out really well - it's so much easier (and just as filling) to grab a prepared bit of green on a busy morning.

And I can assure you, every morning in this house is busy.