Apple Arugula Salad with White Cheddar and Candied Pecans | completelydelicious.com

I prefer to prep and store salad ingredients individually in containers, rather than assembling single-serving salads. Here are a few tips to help you plan ahead and save time on busy days.

Greens— Wash, dry and cut greens ahead of time or buy pre-washed greens from the store. Store in the fridge— I like to use this OXO GreenSaver.

Fruits and veggies— Hardy veggies like carrots, peppers, and cucumbers can be chopped and stored ahead of time. Others like tomatoes and avocado and most fruit will need to be sliced the day of. I also like to roast veggies and store in the fridge.

Protein— Cook chicken, beef or pork ahead of time, slice, and store in fridge. You can also hard boil eggs and store peeled or unpeeled in the fridge.

Grains— Pre-cook rice, quinoa, farro and other grains and store in the fridge.

Nuts, cheese and other mix-ins— To save on time, shred cheese and toast nuts and seeds. You can also have toppings like croutons, olives and dried fruit stocked to mix in.

Dressing— One batch of dressing should last for weeks. Most vinaigrettes can be stored at room temperature, but any dressing containing dairy products should be stored in the fridge.