Meal prepping for me is a type of self-care. It means we purposely set aside some time to do our future self a favor and make sure that we have delicious, nourishing meals readily available. When you deliberately invest a few hours into meal prepping, you want the meals to stay fresh, delicious and not go bad. That's where having good food containers for meal prep come in.
What Makes A Good Meal Prep Container?
So, what even makes a good meal prep container? If you want to use a food container for meal prepping, it should fulfill two requirements:
- have a secure seal
- be leak-proof
Storing food safely is so important when meal prepping. It prevents our food from going bad quickly. So you want to use a meal prep container that has a secure, air-tight seal.
Also, it should be leak-proof. This is especially important if you prep your food to take with you on the go. A leak-proof container prevents leakage when transporting. There is nothing worth than opening your bag and finding your curry/soup/salad has spilled everywhere...
What Food Containers Are Good For Meal Prepping?
There is an abundance of different food containers available. They differ in size, material and other characteristics such as being microwave-, freezer-, or dishwasher-proof. So with all these different options available, it can feel overwhelming not knowing which one to choose.
In this blog post, I am sharing with you different types of food containers for meal prep, the pros, the cons, and the best ways to use them.
- plastic meal prep containers
- glass meal prep containers
- stainless steel meal prep containers
- silicone meal prep containers
- bento-style meal prep containers
- glass jars for meal prep
- eco-friendly meal prep containers
Plastic Meal Prep Containers
Pros
- cheap
- lightweight
Cons
- tend to break fast
- plastic is not environmentally friendly as it takes very long to break down
- sometimes they are not reusable
There's nothing wrong with using plastic containers you already own. The goal of sustainability and zero waste is not to buy everything new - instead, use what you already have.
However, when it comes to buying new meal prep containers, we might want to look for more sustainable option.
Glass Meal Prep Containers
Pros
- easy to clean
- great for freezing
- food can be reheated in the microwave
- some are oven-safe
- food can be filled in hot
Cons
- heavy
- more expensive
Meal prep containers made out of glass are a great, environmentally-friendly option. They are easy to clean (dishwasher-safe) and can also be used to freeze left-over portions. Plus, the food can be reheated in the microwave directly in the glass container, so you save yourself some dishes to clean.
Some are even oven-safe which means you can bake the dish directly into the glass box (even less dishes to clean!). This would work for lasagna, for example - like this Vegan High-Protein Lasagna.
The downside is that glass meal prep containers tend to be more on the expensive side. However, in my opinion, they are investment that is worth it as they last very long.
Glass is also a very heavy material so if you are making food to go, it can become a lot to carry. A good alternative could be to use glass boxes for prepped dinner that you enjoy at home and look for a lighter option for the to-go meals.
Stainless Steel Meal Prep Containers
Pros
- recyclable
- more environmentally friendly than other materials
- lighter than glass
Cons
- not microwave-proof
- more expensive
Stainless steel boxes are a good compromise between plastic and glass as they are more environmentally friendly than plastic but lighter than glass.
However, stainless steel boxes tend to be not microwave-proof. They can also be quite expensive.
Stainless steel food containers are great for meals that you do not need to reheat. Pasta salads, quinoa salads, snacks, muffins or banana bread are great meals to store in stainless steel containers.
Silicone Meal Prep Containers
Pros
- last longer then plastic
- lighter than glass
- mostly dishwasher-safe
- can be collapsed after eating (great for traveling)
Cons
- may stain from dark foods
Silicone food containers can be a good option when you are traveling a lot. They do last longer than plastic, and are lighter than glass boxes. Some of them can even be collapsed after eating so that you an save some space in your bag.
Bento-Style Meal Prep Containers
Bento-Style boxes have compartments to store food separately. They can be made from different materials. Depending on the material, they can be microwave-proof or not.
They are perfect for storing a meal together with a snack or to store wet and dry foods separately. Here are some ideas for what to store in bento-style food containers:
- breakfast (tofu scramble, porridge, ...) and a few nuts and fruits on the side as a snack
- curry and naan
- hummus and veggie sticks/crackers
- curry and rice
Glass Jars For Meal Prep
Reusing jars from the supermarket is a great option, especially if you want to reduce waste. Jars are perfect for overnight oats, sauces, but also for soups and curries.
They can also be used to store pantry items such as nuts, seeds, spices, grains or lentils so keeping jars from jams, pickled veggies, cherries... is a good idea!
Eco-Friendly Meal Prep Containers
While we already saw some eco-friendly meal prep containers such as glass or stainless steel boxes, I also want to share with you some innovative solutions that might be interesting for you.
- boxes made from wheat stems - they are light, microwave and freezer proof
- glass containers with bamboo lid
- stashed bags made out of silicone to avoid single-use plastic freezer bags
What Meal Prep Container Should You Choose?
Here is a quick recap of the different types of food containers for meal prep we discussed so far:
| Container | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | - cheap - lightweight | - tend to break fast - plastic is not environmentally friendly as it takes very long to break down - sometimes they are not reusable |
| Glass | - easy to clean - great for freezing - food can be reheated in the microwave - some are oven-safe - food can be filled in hot | - heavy - more expensive |
| Stainless Steel | - recyclable - more environmentally friendly than other materials - lighter than glass | - not microwave-proof - more expensive |
| Silicone | - last longer then plastic - lighter than glass mostly dishwasher-safe - can be collapsed after eating (great for traveling) | - may stain from dark foods |
| Bento-Style | - great to store dry and wet foods or main and side/snack separately | - some may not be microwave-proof (depends on material) |
| Glass Jars | - cheap - environmentally-friendly - can also be used to store pantry items | - not appropriate for all types of meals (bowls don't work so well in jars) |
There is no general answer to the question "what are the best food containers for meal prep?". In the end, it depends on your individual preferences and what you are going to use them for. If you are looking for a lightweight meal prep container for traveling or to take to work/school, stainless steel or silicone containers may be a convenient solution. When it comes to prepping food for home, glass containers are a great, sustainable solution.
What meal prep containers do you use? Let me know in the comments below!
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