The Finest Meal Prep Storage Containers

Our staff is large on meal prep. So once I first began working with The Actual Meals Dietitians, it didn’t take me lengthy to embrace the behavior of writing out my weekly meal plan and prepping some meals on weekends. I discovered that, if I used to be going to meal prep usually, then I wanted a number of issues: some actually good meal prep recipes, and a few good reusable containers that helped the meals last more. 

We’ve been meal prepping absolutely anything you may consider in a wide range of sizes and forms of containers for a decade now. With that beneath our belts, listed below are our staff’s prime picks for greatest meal prep containers which have gone the space and which we suggest usually to new meal preppers.

How We Picked The Finest Containers

Once you’re beginning to prep meals forward of time, you shortly study that making a bunch of substances requires the correct of storage containers. As a staff of three dietitians that has been constantly meal prepping for almost 10 years now, we’ve tried so many various containers. There’s nothing worse than containers that don’t seal correctly or don’t have the correct quantity of compartments!

Based mostly on our expertise with what issues most, we examined and chosen containers that:

• Have tight-sealing lids that final after many journeys by way of the dishwasher (bonus for lids that lock)
• Have appropriate-size compartments for any number of pre-chopped and pre-cooked substances
• Are available in many various measurement choices
• Are manufactured from glass (our desire) or BPA-free plastic, which clear up properly and allow us to reheat meals within the microwave or oven with out re-plating
• Stack simply within the fridge, freezer, and cabinets to avoid wasting house

We eradicated choices that had been hand-wash solely, as that simply doesn’t work for us being three mothers with busy households. We additionally keep away from most moldable meal prep containers, as we’ve considerations about reheating plastic containers primarily based on chemical compounds launched once they’re uncovered to warmth. We additionally discovered that stainless-steel containers weren’t a very good expertise for us, as having to maneuver every thing from one container to a different simply to reheat appears like an pointless waste of time.

To check, we merely used them all through a wide range of our meal prepping that we already do continually, each to develop recipes for our web site and make meals for our households. We tried a number of completely different manufacturers and weeded out any that we needed to substitute in a brief time period or that had issues with the lid sealing after being put by way of the dishwasher.

Favourite Lunch Meal Prep Set: 30-Ounce Glass Rectangular Containers (5-Pack Set)

That is the set that we use greater than another. It consists of 5 rectangular glass meals storage containers, every with their very own locking lid. We love that they’re constituted of heavy-duty borosilicate glass, which doesn’t chip, even after many cycles by way of the dishwasher and storing in our cabinets.

The containers are a compact measurement and stackable within the fridge. Each holds a max of 30 ounces (3 ¾ cups of meals). This greatest glass set is microwave-, dishwasher-, freezer-safe, and even oven-safe. We discover that they’re greatest for recipes that simply want one compartment, equivalent to particular person servings of casseroles, stews, egg roll in a bowl, stir-fry noodles, and salads. And since there are 5 containers, we love that we will use them to prep a complete work week’s value of lunches. 

This set sells out usually on Amazon, so if you discover that it’s accessible, we suggest that you simply snag one. The fee can vary from $22 to $30 (about $4 to $6 per container).

This All-In-One Bento Lunch Container Is Finest For Salad Lovers

We love this Bentgo All-in-One Salad Container virtually as a lot as we love a vibrant, nourishing salad for lunch. Every household on our staff owns considered one of these, and we prefer to prep our lunch salads forward of time, even when working from dwelling. Once we accomplish that, we don’t skip this vital mid-day meal, and we eat extra healthfully, too. 

This bento box-style container has a big part within the backside for holding salad greens, then a separate divider compartment that stacks on prime for holding three extra salad parts, plus dressing. All of it snaps collectively simply and the lid holds every thing in place for a contemporary lunch field. When it’s time for lunch, we mix the entire crispy, by no means soggy substances (since they’re not blended collectively till proper earlier than consuming). 

The container is available in a number of completely different colours and prices wherever from $25 to $35. And it’s not only for salads; I additionally use it on a regular basis for prepping bowl recipes like our burger bowls with particular sauce and our Mediterranean salmon bowls.

Caraway: Heavy-Responsibility Containers With Hermetic Lids

Caraway makes unhazardous cookware and bakeware that our complete staff makes use of each single week. So we had been ecstatic to study that Caraway additionally makes actually high-quality meals storage containers. At any time when I present this set to somebody, they’re all the time stunned at how heavy the containers are. They’re manufactured from thick ceramic-coated glass with clear glass lids.

We use these containers to retailer prepped substances or meal parts on a regular basis. The 18-piece set comes with 9 containers and 9 lids in many various sizes, plus a magnetic storage rack, which makes for straightforward storage in our cabinets. With a singular air launch expertise, the lids match on so tightly and really assist maintain oxygen away from meals, which suggests they final even a number of days longer than in different containers. The smaller containers additionally match inside the larger ones to make bento-style containers which might be nice for carrying a meal prep breakfast, lunch, or snack. 

This set is certainly on the costly facet ($245 to $305), so it’s an funding. However this can be a long-lasting set that features every thing you want for a person or small household, and this hyperlink offers you an extra 10% off with code DIETITIANS.

Weck Jars: Our Go-To For Particular person Elements

We’ve been utilizing Weck jars to retailer prepped substances, sauces, chia parfaits, and in a single day oats for a few years. We love that the clear glass jars are available in many sizes, stack effectively, and make it so it’s simple to see the contents of what’s in our fridges at a look. 

We just like the 8-ounce jars (Weck 741) for issues like in a single day oats or particular person prepped substances, equivalent to chopped onions or a favourite sauce. The larger 19-ounce jars (Weck 742) and 28-ounce jars (Weck 743) are nice for holding a batch of pickled pink onions, preserved lemons, bone broth, or home made granola. We love the old-world basic type of Weck jars with their rubber gasket seals and glass lids that keep in place with stainless-steel metallic clips. 

Not solely do they maintain meals saved properly, however they’re additionally aesthetically pleasing and make us excited to eat our meal prepped meals!

Jars With Constructed-In Spoons For Seize-And-Go Breakfasts

If you happen to’re a fan of in a single day oats, chia pudding, oatmeal, or yogurt parfaits for breakfast, chances are you’ll need to take into account getting a set of those useful 16-ounce jars with lids and built-in spoons. 

Stacie and I really like these for making our peanut butter banana in a single day oats, which our children all rave over. The spoons join proper to the jars by sliding into the hooked up silicone rings, and the jars are microwave and dishwasher-safe. We like these higher than different units the place the spoons simply clip into the rings and may simply fall out. 

A set of two jars with lids and spoons prices $10, and we discover that it’s good to have two units (4 jars complete) readily available for meal prepping breakfasts.

Souper Cubes: Nice For Freezing Soups And Meals

If you wish to take meal prep to the subsequent degree, then Souper Cubes can get you there. These containers help you freeze particular person parts of soups and casseroles into excellent cubes. As soon as frozen, switch the cubes to freezer-safe storage luggage and inventory your deep freeze with meals that can final for months. 

We love our 1-cup trays and 2-cup trays for freezing recipes like our basic minestrone, butter hen, hen and rice casserole, and a lot extra. Once you want a meal in a pinch, merely warmth one of many frozen cubes (usually with 1-2 tablespoons of water) over low warmth. 

A 2-pack of the trays sometimes prices $30 to $35, they usually are available in many different sizes, too.

Rubbermaid: A Good Particular person Meal Or Snack Container

Much like the Bentgo Salad containers we listed above, this rectangular Rubbermaid brilliance compartment meal prep container is a stable selection for somebody who meal preps particular person packed lunches or snacks. 

We prefer it for packing meals for a road-trip snack, equivalent to hard-cooked eggs and different wholesome selections. This heavy-duty, food-grade, BPA-free plastic meals storage container is microwave-safe and leak-proof, even when it suggestions in your bag or backpack. The underside container holds as much as 3 cups of meals, and the highest container nestles inside it. That half has three completely different compartments for particular person substances, together with a small container for dressing or dip. 

It prices $22 and is simple to search out at Goal.

Pyrex Glass Storage Containers For All Meals Storage Wants

If you happen to’re simply on the lookout for a single meals storage container so as to add to your meal prep container set, then we suggest the Pyrex glass meal prep containers with BPA-free lids. They’re freezer-, dishwasher-, and microwave-safe, and we personal them in a number of sizes. 

The three- and 4-cup containers are nice for storing meals like cooked rice, cooked quinoa, or pre-chopped veggies. The 6-, 7-, and 11-cup sizes come as both round or rectangular containers, and we love them for storing issues like pasta salad, our Jennifer Aniston salad, or a recipe of beef stew. 

The person containers vary from $6 to $10 every, relying on measurement, and every comes with a snug-fitting lid.

Prepared, Set, Meal Prep

Now that you recognize which meal prep containers are greatest, it’s time to start out meal prepping! If you happen to’re new to meal prep, keep in mind to ease into it. Begin by simply writing out your meal plan for the week. When you’ve mastered that, you can begin prepping a few of the substances you’ll want (or perhaps a full recipe or two) a number of days forward of time. We discover that weekend mornings or afternoons usually work greatest for becoming in a bit meal prep. Take a look at our suggestions for tips on how to meal prep and a few recipes that work nice for meal prep periods.

For final success, we extremely suggest studying the guidelines within the full weblog publish above. All pictures and content material are copyright protected. Please don’t use our pictures with out prior written permission. If you happen to want to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your individual distinctive phrases. Hyperlink again to the supply recipe right here on The Actual Meals Dietitians. Thanks!