We Found the Best Meal Prep Containers for Every Situation

Here’s the deal: if you’re planning every single weeknight meal from scratch, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Meal prep may sound like it’s a hassle, but really, it’s an excellent way to eat healthily no matter what time constraints present themselves during the week. In our book, this is a great act of self-care — you can take a little time out of your weekend to give an assist to your future stressed-out self.

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For those who find chopping and sizzling soothing, it’s also a nearly meditative act. Careful meal prepping even has the power to save us from our most self-sabotaging instincts when they arrive. After all, you’re a lot less likely to place an unhealthy takeout order that you don’t really want if you have a totally delicious, healthy meal ready to go in the fridge.

But as we have discovered after attempting to meal prep into regular kitchen bowls covered in a fragile layer of saran wrap, meal prepping becomes so, so, so much easier with a small investment in some accessories. To that end, we’ve rounded up the best, BPA-free meal prep containers we could find for your meal-prepping, organizational pleasure.

1. Best for limited cabinet space: Zoku Nesting Storage Containers

We’ve all had to work with kitchens that don’t have enough cabinet space, and this can sometimes feel like a deterrent to strategic meal-prepping — after all, where are you going to keep all those containers when they’re clean? This compact kit from Zoku is a great way to get started: the 11-piece set nests together neatly while still providing four different size options and even a coordinating freezer pack.

2. A classic for a reason: Pyrex Glass Storage Containers with Lids

Whether you want to prepare individual meals to grab-and-go or pre-cook batches of grains, proteins, and vegetables so you can mix-and-match different meals throughout the week, Pyrex has been in the food storage game way before meal prepping was Instagrammable. This assortment of glass vessels and matching lids of various sizes will serve you regardless of your prepping style. This Pyrex set is also incredibly versatile: you can throw them in the freezer or fridge, and you can also put them directly into the oven or microwave — although please don’t move them directly from the freezer to the oven, or vice versa.

Image credit: Amazon

3. Best leak-proof set that seriously commits you to meal prep: Fulstar 50 Piece with Labels

If you’ve really committed to the idea of tackling a week’s meals in one go, this 50-piece set from Fulstar really sets the kitchen stage for you to be a meal-prepping star. This robust set includes containers of eight different sizes, including round and square shapes, and mini-containers perfect for condiments or dips. We love that everything comes with tight-fitting, snappable lids. For the truly organized, the chalkboard stickers allow you to label accordingly, too.

4. An economical choice for multiple lunches: Bentgo 3-Compartment Meal Prep Containers

Bento boxes have long been a boon to savvy meal-preppers, as multiple compartments within each container separately store different components of your carefully-packed lunch. We even love the protein-packed lunch depicted in the product photos: salmon with greens, hard-boiled egg, and quinoa — yes, please. However you make it your own, these containers will keep every component fresh and appealing. This set of 10 is easy on the budget and easy to stack — plus, Bentgo donates a portion of their profits to Feed the Children.

5. For those with a bag habit: Reusable Storage Bags

Strategic meal prepping isn’t only limited to that which must be stored in boxes or bowls. For those whose carefully packed lunches seem to require a preponderance of disposable plastic baggies, you too can get into the pre-prepping and storing game. These leakproof, freezer-safe, reusable bags are perfect for cut fruits and vegetables or prepping pre-portioned snacks like air-popped popcorn for the week.

Image credit: Amazon

6. Meal prep, but make it fashion: Ello Duraglass Storage Containers

Everyone eats with their eyes first, so in order to feel truly satisfied with meals we’ve prepped for ourselves ahead of time, style matters. What is otherwise a basic set of five glass storage containers with air-tight lids becomes a strong fashion choice when adorned with silicone baskets that also protect your hands from hot glass right out of the microwave. These Ello storage containers come with silicone baskets in a range of palates, including “Melon,” “Fruit Salad,” and “Evening Orchard.”

7. Best for overnight oats and jarred salads: Mason Glass Jars

An attractive set of mason jars are especially handy when meal prepping breakfast. Overnight oats are not only a time saver when you’re feeling rushed in the morning, they’re a great way to give yourself a burst of energy with a balanced breakfast. But mason jars aren’t only limited to breakfast prep. They make excellent vessels for portable, layered salads that can help maintain the integrity of each component until you’re ready to eat.

8. For meal prepping liquid lunches (not that kind): Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Tray

Soups, stews, and chilis are not only all-in-one balanced meals, but they basically represent the genesis of meal prepping, since it takes nearly the same time to cook two servings of these types of dishes as it does to cook 20 servings. If you like to cook once, then eat all week with a nourishing, homemade soup, this ingenious silicone tray allows you to freeze single servings for easy access later in the same week and beyond.

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