Start by preparing the brown rice (or quinoa) and roasted sweet potato. Better yet, if you have leftovers, use that! These ingredients must be cooked and cooled to room temperature before assembling the salad jars. See Pro Tips in the blog write-up for time-saving strategies. 

1. Cook brown rice or quinoa according to package instructions. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare the sweet potato by preheating the oven to 375° F (190° C). You can peel the sweet potato or keep the skin on. I leave the skin on because it provides nearly double the amount of potassium and boosts magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc compared to a peeled sweet potato. Either way, dice the sweet potato and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375° F (190° C) for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. 
3. Prepare the Green Goddess Dressing. Set aside.
4. Drain and rinse a can of low sodium (or no salt added) black beans. Set aside.
5. Assemble the salad in a jar using three 32-ounce or quart-size (946 ml) mason jars. Line up the jars and start by pouring 1/3 cup of Green Goddess Dressing. Then layer the red onion, bell pepper, corn, black beans, sweet potato, and brown rice. Save the collard greens or kale for the top. Adding the collard greens at the top keeps it from getting soggy. Sprinkle optional pumpkin seeds, if using.
6. When ready to eat, shake the jar to combine the ingredients and add to a large bed (about 3 to 4 cups) of mixed salad greens or chopped romaine lettuce. Enjoy!