I really like meal planning. Each week I provide you with a brand new 7-day meal plan so I don’t must stress about what to make for my household. You’ll want among the finest meal prep containers to organize meals upfront and save leftovers for lunch, so that you’re not cooking on a regular basis. I’ve a few of my favorites that I’ve discovered that helps me save money and time and keep on observe of main a wholesome life-style.
That will help you discover the perfect ones, I compiled my prime picks that I’ve used for years. I’ve additionally discovered another top-recommended meal prep containers that deserve a spot in your kitchen. Whether or not you favor the flexibility of glass containers or the comfort of light-weight silicone ones, there’s an choice for you. Listed here are my prime picks for the perfect meal prep containers you should purchase.
Our Prime Picks:
- What’s in My Kitchen: Ello Duraglass Meal Prep Containers – $31.28 at Walmart
- Greatest Glass Set: Pyrex Merely Retailer 24-Piece Glass Meals Storage Container Set – $47.29 at Amazon
- Greatest for Freezing: Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Trays – $19.95 at Amazon
- Greatest for Microwaving: Anyday Meal Prep Set – $170 at Williams-Sonoma
Evaluations of The Greatest Meal Prep Containers
1. What’s in My Kitchen: Ello Duraglass Meal Prep Containers
My go-to containers are the Ello Meal Prep Containers as a result of they test all of my bins, and so they’re so cute and colourful! The duraglas materials received’t stain or scent, whereas the BPA-free protecting silicone sleeve provides a no-slip grip, which suggests I can simply choose them up even when I’ve oven mitts on. The silicone leads are hermetic and leak-proof together with useful sealing snaps for on-the-go use.
All the elements will be saved safely within the freezer and washed within the dishwasher. They’re additionally microwave- and oven-safe (as much as 450 levels Fahrenheit!) with out the lids.
The Specs:
- Materials: Glass and BPA-free silicone
- Capability: 3.4 cups
- Protected for: Microwave, dishwasher, freezer, oven
The Professionals:
- Doesn’t retain odors
- Protected for meals storage
- Oven protected as much as 450 levels F
- Leak-proof lids
The Cons:
- Heavy
- Lids will be tedious to scrub
What Others are Saying:
The Ello Duraglass Meal Prep Containers have greater than 800 critiques and a 4.8 score on Amazon. Moreover, Women’s Health named them the perfect microwave-safe meal prep containers.
Purchase the Ello Duraglass Meal Prep Containers:
2. Greatest Glass Set: Pyrex Simply Store 24-Piece Glass Container Set
With 24 items in a wide range of sizes, together with 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-cup choices, you should use this glass set for all the pieces from sauces to leftover meatloaf. I additionally love that the glass materials is protected to make use of within the microwave — as long as you’re taking the stretchy silicone lids off. They may also be used within the oven, freezer, and dishwasher too! Pyrex is thought for its sturdy design, so fortunately this set received’t shatter into items if unintentionally dropped.
The Specs:
- Materials: Glass and BPA-free plastic
- Capability: (3) 4 cup, (3) 2 cup, (3) 1 cup spherical containers with lids, and (3) 3 cup rectangle containers with lids
- Protected for: Dishwasher, microwave, freezer, oven
The Professionals:
- Sturdy
- Number of sizes
- Lids are hermetic and leak-proof
The Cons:
- Heavy
- Lids usually are not microwave protected
- They don’t nestle nicely
What Others are Saying:
The Pyrex Merely Retailer 24-Piece Glass Container Set has greater than 24,000 critiques and a 4.8 score on Amazon. Food & Wine named it the perfect stackable set, Shop Today calls it the perfect oven-safe containers, and Forbes Vetted calls it the perfect meal prep containers.
Purchase the Pyrex Merely Retailer 24-Piece Glass Container Set:
3. Greatest for Freezing: Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Trays
Souper Cubes are food-grade, BPA-free silicone molds which can be particularly designed to freeze liquid-based meals like soups, lasagnas, and stews. All the compartments have measuring strains so you possibly can portion them out to 1/2, 1, or 2-cup increments, which suggests you may make an enormous batch of rooster broth or pasta sauce and freeze some for later.
While you need to defrost your meals, simply pop one of many completely portioned squares or rectangles out of the plastic like an ice dice. It might probably get dear to purchase a ton of them, so you possibly can all the time switch the frozen cubes to a gallon freezer bag to maximise freezer house or use the Souper Cubes for one thing else.
The Specs:
- Materials: Glass and BPA-free plastic
- Capability: 2 tablespoons/1 ounce tray, 1/2-cup tray, 1-cup tray, and 2-cup tray
- Protected for: Freezer, dishwasher, oven (trays solely)
The Professionals:
- Constructed from food-grade silicone
- Portion managed
- Maximize freezer house
- Lids are interchangeable
The Cons:
What Others are Saying:
The Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Trays have greater than 1,000 critiques and a 4.9 score on Amazon. Moreover, Food & Wine named it the perfect freezer container for soup.
Purchase the Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Trays:
4. Greatest for Microwave: Anyday The Meal Prep Bundle
These bowls usually are not the identical as the opposite bowls in your kitchen. Anyday’s line of meal prep containers have hermetic and leakproof lids with borosilicate glass and platinum-grade silicone. They had been designed so you possibly can really prepare dinner your meals within the microwave, and whereas they’re a little bit of an funding up-front, they’ll prevent hours on meal prep over time.
Earlier than the beginning of a busy week, you possibly can microwave big batches of meals to retailer within the fridge or portion out meals within the freezer trays. While you’re able to eat, merely pop one out and thaw it in one other Anyday dish. Meal prep can not get any simpler!
The Specs:
- Materials: Borosilicate glass, platinum-grade silicone, microwave-safe chrome steel
- Consists of: Massive deep dish, massive shallow dish, medium deep dish, medium shallow dish, 2-Tbsp tray, ½-Cup tray
- Protected for: Freezer, microwave, dishwasher, oven
The Professionals:
- All-in-one resolution
- Cooks meals within the microwave
- Versatile
The Cons:
- May leak throughout transport
- Costly
What Others are Saying:
The Spruce Eats recommends the Anyday Meal Prep Bundle of their testing.
Purchase the Anyday Meal Prep Bundle:
Different Meal Prep Containers to Take into account
Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers
This set has compartments for a Bento-style lunch and is product of high-quality borosilicate glass so that they received’t stain, retain odors, or leach chemical compounds into your meals. In addition they stack properly, which saves house in your kitchen or fridge. Plus, they can be utilized within the oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher. The Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers can be found at Amazon for $31.99.
OXO Good Grips Smart Seal Food Storage Container Set
The general high quality of those containers is with a sturdy borosilicate glass design that’s constructed to go from freezer to oven (or microwave!) with out the necessity to totally thaw. They’re additionally dishwasher-safe and stainproof with lids that match tight and are leakproof. However, as a result of the lids may ultimately put on out, this set didn’t make my listing. OXO Good Grips Good Seal Meals Storage Container Set is obtainable at Amazon for $54.
Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Meal-Prep Containers
The Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Meal-Prep Containers are nice for lunches as a result of you possibly can separate meals into little pockets. They’re straightforward to retailer with trays and lids that nest collectively and stack neatly. I really like that they’re protected for the microwave, however they didn’t make the reduce as a result of they put on out fairly rapidly. The Bento Prep 3-Compartment Meal-Prep Containers can be found at Amazon for $13.99.
Ziploc Endurables Silicone Containers
The Ziploc Endurables Silicone Containers can go straight from the freezer to the oven (as much as 425 levels Fahrenheit) and are microwave protected. In addition they have an easy-grab deal with, which may make them simpler to pluck out of a sizzling oven or microwave. The Safe Seal Know-how is actually leak-free however they’re cumbersome to scrub and reuse. The Ziploc Endurables Silicone Containers can be found at Amazon for $13.99.
Why You Can Belief Me
Again in 2008, I launched Skinnytaste to function scrumptious, wholesome, family-friendly recipes made with seasonal, clear, entire meals. At Skinnytaste.com, you’ll discover wholesome dishes that don’t sacrifice any of the flavour that may be discovered of their full-fat origins. My creations must be “tasty” since this is identical meals I prepare dinner each day for family and friends, and they’re a few of my hardest critics!
After making an attempt out dozens of meal prep containers over time that I’ve used for meal prep myself, I centered on my private favorites to create this listing. For those I didn’t personal, I learn by tons of on-line critiques from prime culinary websites to determine which of them deserve a spot in your kitchen. I checked out supplies, measurement, efficiency, sturdiness, and ease of use to make my remaining selections.
Every thing to Know Earlier than Shopping for a Meal Prep Container
What to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for a Meal Prep Container
There are a number of issues to remember to be sure to’re shopping for the perfect meal prep containers to your wants and preferences. Listed here are some issues that I feel are crucial:
Measurement: Meal prep containers are available a wide range of sizes and shapes, so make sure that they’re massive sufficient to suit the parts and varieties of meals you need to put together.
Materials: Most meal prep containers are constituted of plastic or glass. There are execs and cons to every one: Plastic containers are light-weight, moveable, and simple on the finances, however they’ll stain and aren’t essentially the most sturdy. You additionally have to double test what sort of plastic is used to make sure they received’t leach into your meals when heated. I desire glass containers which can be sturdy, straightforward to scrub, and versatile as a result of they’ll go within the oven, however they’re heavy.
Ease of Use: When you plan to make use of your containers for long run meal prep and storage, test to see if the containers are protected to retailer within the freezer and will be heated up within the microwave or oven. Dishwasher-safe containers make for simple cleansing.
Stackability: There’s nothing worse than grabbing for a container amongst a mountain of lids and bottoms that don’t nestle. When you’re prioritizing space-saving containers, you’ll need a stackable set.
Are Plastic Meal Prep Containers Protected?
Most pliable meal prep containers available on the market are protected, however all the time search for containers labeled as BPA-free and food-safe to be sure to aren’t permitting dangerous chemical compounds to leach into your meals. Since some plastic containers is probably not appropriate for heating within the microwave or oven, all the time test the producer’s directions on learn how to use them. In any other case, you’ll must switch them to a separate microwave-safe plate or bowl to warmth them, making extra cleanup for you.
Can You Freeze Meal Prep Containers?
So long as the producer’s directions say the supplies can stand up to the intense temps of the freezer, you’re good to go. I even have a number of suggestions that can assist you guarantee the perfect outcomes with frozen meals:
- Depart some room for the meals to develop because it freezes. That is particularly essential for liquids.
- Permit your meals to chill all the way down to room temperature earlier than putting it within the freezer. Not solely does it forestall your freezer from working additional time, quickly cooling sizzling meals has an elevated danger of rising micro organism.
- Label and date every container with its contents and the date it was frozen. This can provide help to preserve observe and be sure to eat the meals inside a sure time!
Are Meal Prep Containers Microwave- and Dishwasher-Protected?
Most meal prep containers constituted of glass and microwave-safe (BPA-free) plastic are fantastic in each the microwave and dishwasher, however typically you’ll discover a container set the place the dishes are dishwasher-safe however not the lids. Double test the packaging to learn the producer’s really useful directions to verify.
How Lengthy Can You Retailer Leftovers?
Most leftovers will be left within the fridge for 3 to 4 days and within the freezer for two to three months. Listed here are a number of normal pointers for various meals:
- Cooked meat, poultry, fish: 3 to 4 days within the fridge, 2 to six months within the freezer
- Cooked rice and pasta: 3 to 4 days within the fridge, 2 to three months within the freezer
- Soups, stews, sauces: 3 to 4 days within the fridge, 2 to three months within the freezer
- Cooked veggies: 3 to 4 days within the fridge, 10 to 12 months within the freezer
All the time use your finest judgment and toss out leftovers that really feel slimy or don’t move a sniff take a look at!
The Greatest Recipes to Meal Prep
When you’ve chosen your favourite meal prep containers from my prime picks, attempt your hand at a few of my favourite recipes which can be fast to whip up and retailer nicely for leftovers. Additionally remember to take a look at my weekly 7-day meal plans for much more inspiration:
Costs had been correct at time of publication.
Supply: Skinny Taste
