With meal prep growing increasingly popular in recent years, due to social media and people wanting to be more healthy you may be wondering what the best meal prep containers are.
Not everyone will approach meal prep in the same way, some people prefer to make a big batch of meals at the beginning of the week so they don't have to worry about having to prepare meals for themselves or the family when are busy, while some may focus on meal prepping one meal like breakfast so they can go about their day a bit quicker.
Benefits of meal prepping
There are many benefits to meal prepping. By planning your meals ahead of time you can have full control of what you eat and how much you eat which can lead to you making healthy decisions.
Eating more healthily
Meal prepping for certain groups of people such as athletes and bodybuilders has been the norm for many years as you are easily able to monitor your nutritional intake. You will find you will eat more healthily when you choose to meal prep due to portion control and eating fewer takeaways.
Convenience
Meal prepping is very convenient and saves time. It will make your shopping lists much more simple as you will have a list of exactly what you need to buy which will also help you to avoid buying junk food and snacks. You will know when and what you will be eating all week.
Budget-friendly
Meal prepping is very budget friendly when done right. Buying the ingredients you need for your meal prep in bulk can save a lot of money in comparison to buying smaller quantities, batch cooking your meal prep can also save on energy bills which will be much needed this winter.
Best 5 meal prep containers
Igluu 2 Compartment Meal Prep Container
Best meal prep containers for portion control
Pros:
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Lots of identically sized containers.
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Different compartments keep food separate.
Cons:
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Less robust than other options.
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Not 100% leakproof.
If you've been on social media anytime in the past few years and you follow any meal prep pages you will have seen meal prep containers that are very similar to the Igluu containers. These containers have two lower compartments that are split into two compartments and have a transparent lid. These meal prep containers are the best for portion control. They are perfect for stacking in the fridge. They also have a three-compartment design available which is great if you have multiple dishes you want to pack into one container.
We tested the Igluu meal prep containers and although they are not 100% leakproof they held up pretty well during different tests. With solid foods, the seal was maintained as long as the lid was put on firmly and properly. With liquid food such as soup, a little escaped when the container was shaken or left tipped over. If you're looking for meal prep containers to store staked in the fridge or to transport solid food then they are a good choice.
There were few design flaws found, the plastic is a lot thinner than most meal prep containers, although they held up well during testing. They may also be slightly too big for smaller microwaves, so it is important to keep that in mind.
Overall all they are a good option if you are going to be cooking batch meals for the week. They are also freezer and microwave safe.
Shop:
Amazon £13.95 (Pack of 10)
Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes
Best budget meal prep containers
Pros:
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Easy to store.
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Space efficient.
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Cheap compared to alternatives.
Cons:
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Not 100% leakproof.
These meal prep containers are a set of square boxes with multi-coloured lids that are great for storing in the fridge by stacking them together. They stack very well on top of each other in the fridge, and when not being used they can be put in one another with all the lids on top for efficient storage. Each meal prep container is the same size so they are useful if you are planning on batch-cooking meals for the freezer.
These meal prep containers are made from BPA-free plastic. After we tested them we found that although they are durable compared with other budget meal prep containers they are not as good as some of the other options we tested for this article. The lids have quite a secure seal but upon tipping over and shaking some soup did escape. We have concluded that these meal prep containers are better suited for solid foods.
They are microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe, making them a great budget option.
Shop:
Amazon £11.99 (Pack of 10)
Sistema Brilliance 920ml
Pros:
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Lightweight
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Microwave and freezer safe.
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100% leakproof.
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BPA Free plastic
Cons:
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An expensive option.
This range of glass meal prep containers comes in a multitude of sizes. In my opinion, the best option for meal prepping is the 920ml version. They are transparent which makes it easy to identify what is in the container and stain resistant which is a nice feature. The lid has a silicone seal that has two clips that creates a sturdy seal.
The boxes stack well together when the lids are on. When empty they can be put in one another for easy storage.
After testing we concluded that these meal prep containers are completely leakproof. We filled the container with soup and shook it for a while vigorously and left it on its side for over an hour and there was zero leakage. It is a great size for a single meal so it's a great option for a lunchbox.
They are microwave-safe with built-in vents. They are also dishwasher safe as long as they are put on the top shelf, as well as being freezer safe.
The only downside to these meal prep containers is that they are very expensive compared to other alternatives. If you want the best overall meal prep container that is airtight and leakproof they may work out as a great investment for you.
Shop:
Amazon £7.00
Joseph Joseph Nest Lock Set
Best meal prep containers for storage efficiency
Pros:
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Sleek design
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Durable containers.
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100% Leakproof and airtight.
Cons:
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An expensive option.
These meal prep containers are designed very well, they can be stored within one another and they lock into place making them extremely storage efficient. They are made up of five containers with brightly coloured lids, which correspond with each container which makes it easy to identify.
These meal prep containers are very durable with strong clips that are easy to snap into place. They have a good seal and after testing them we found they are 100% leakproof. We filled the containers with soup and after shaking and tipping them upside down there was zero leakage.
You get three sizes and each is very useful, we found that the largest size is great for small-batch cooking, the medium size is the perfect size for one meal and the smallest size can fit side dishes or a portion of salad dressing.
These meal prep containers are microwave-safe, freezer-safe, and dishwasher-safe. I would recommend them for work lunches or a school pack lunch as they are extremely durable.
Shop:
Amazon £40.88 (Set of 10 containers)
Stasher Sandwich Medium Bag 450ml
Pros:
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Versatile containers
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Great for storing ingredients you want to cook with.
Cons:
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On the expensive side.
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Not as durable as some of the other options.
These innovative meal prep containers are designed as a reusable alternative to singular-use plastic food bags. They are made from silicone in the shape of a pouch with a sealable lid at the top. They can be used for pre-prepped ingredients or soup and other liquid ingredients to be stored in the fridge.
When we tested them we found they had a good seal that held up well. Even when shaken or laid down in the fridge and freezer there was no leakage to be found which was a pleasant surprise. I would advise that you don't stack anything on top of these bags at least until they are completely frozen.
They are microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe, and can even be used on a stovetop for sour vide cooking. We found that the dishwasher was effective in cleaning them well although there were some small traces of soup that we had to clean out by hand.
These are pouches and not hard plastic or glass containers, so it is best practice to not store them near sharp objects as this could easily damage them. We would recommend they be used for pre-prepped ingredients and not for transporting food.
Shop:
Amazon £12.09
Commonly asked questions about meal prep containers
Which meal prep containers should I buy?
Which meal prep container you should buy is very dependent on your needs and how you will be using it. You need to ask yourself some questions such as, what will you be using the container for? Do you need multiple compartments to store different foods in? Do you need it to be 100% leakproof, i.e. will you be using it as a lunch box, or is it being used for storing batch-cooked meals in your fridge? Along with many other questions.
Another huge factor is of course the price and how much you are personally willing to spend. You may need a lot of containers so you may opt for a set instead of buying them individually which can be cost-effective. If you are planning on using the meal prep containers for a long period it would be wise to invest in some high-quality ones as they will last longer and it will pay off long-term.
Are plastic containers OK for meal prep?
A question you may be asking is if plastic meal prep containers are safe for meal prep and the answer is dependent on whether or not they contain BPA. It is extremely important that you porches BPA-free meal prep containers as when plastic containing BPA is heated it can essentially leak into your food. If you are exposed to high levels of BPA your health could be at serious risk. We advise you to always check if the containers you are buying are BPA-free to be as safe as possible.
This article was last updated in October 2022. To be notified about new blogs subscribe to our email list.