The Best Meal Prep Containers Of 2023

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Meal prepping isn't just for bodybuilders who need to eat six carefully portioned meals throughout the day, or working parents trying to get ahead of the game for the week. Meal prepping can save you time, energy, and money, and it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing commitment to cook and store a week's worth of meals in a single day. In fact, small meal-prep solutions, like washing and storing fruits and veggies after you get home from the grocery store, or portioning out your smoothie ingredients into separate freezer bags for easy access in the morning, can help ensure you're eating more produce and making healthier choices even when you're pressed on time. 

Whether you're ready to go big with your meal prep game plan or you're just hoping to save some time and energy throughout the week, having the right containers can make your plan easier to follow. Here we've rounded up some of the best meal preparation and storage containers available to help make meal planning, prepping, and eating a little more enjoyable. 

When it comes to satisfying a wide-ranging assortment of meal prep and storage needs, it's hard to beat the fullstar food storage sets. The 17-piece set includes 17 separate containers of varying sizes and shapes with matching, lockable (or in the case of the small sauce containers, screwable) lids. The lids are color-coded for easy container matching, while the containers themselves are clear — great for seeing what's available at a glance. 

Plus, at roughly $35, the set is an affordable way to get started with meal prepping of all types, whether you want to wash and store carrots and celery for the week or you plan to portion out your lunches on Sunday night. The fullstar brand also comes in larger and smaller set sizes, so you can choose the one that's right for you. Just keep in mind that only the 17-piece set comes with different color lids — the other sets all come with black lids. 

Order the fullstar 17-piece food storage set from Amazon for $34.99 as of March 2023. 

It's true that you may not need to spend over $200 on a set of food prep containers, but if you prefer a mix-and-match system that could be considered "designer," Caraway's glass food storage set is the way to go. This 14-piece set includes five larger containers of varying sizes, as well as smaller "dot" and "dash" containers that can be used independently or as inserts within the larger containers (bento box style) to create separate food compartments. The set also comes with container straps to help keep the lids secure as well as a storage system you can use in your kitchen to keep your containers organized. 

The glass containers come in six different colorways, each with clear lids so you can easily see what's inside. The classy design makes them a good option for serving as well as storing. Plus, the ceramic-coated glass is microwave-, oven-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe, which makes this set one of the most versatile on the market, as you can easily transfer the dishes from the freezer to the oven. Just keep in mind the lids and inserts aren't microwave-safe. 

Order the Caraway glass food storage set from Caraway for $245 as of March 2023.

Sometimes the best containers are the simplest and most straightforward. Bentgo offers a wide range of meal prep solutions, and we love its two-compartment containers. The set comes with 10 trays and 10 lids separated into 1-cup and 2-cup sections. The trays are freezer-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe and come in three classy colors — rose gold, burgundy, or blush pink. They're perfect for portioning out your weekly lunches in a way that lets you design your own frozen meals. After all, you can store them in the freezer and pop them straight into the microwave when you're ready to chow down. 

One thing to keep in mind is that these containers aren't intended to last forever. Each tray is good for up to 10 uses, so keep track by marking the lid with a permanent marker every time you use it. If you're using them just to pack your workweek lunches, you'll enjoy about 20 weeks' worth of use from a single set (unless, of course, you're packing lunches for multiple people).

Order the Bentgo Prep 2-compartment meal prep containers from Bentgo for $12.99 as of March 2023.

You don't always need large containers when it comes to meal prepping. Reusable storage bags are another great option to keep on hand, especially if you like to set apart individual servings of snacks or veggies to throw in your bag before leaving the house. Likewise, if you need to keep pills or supplements at hand on a daily basis, baggies are a more space-efficient manner to carry them around. 

The SYEENIFY set of 24 reusable storage bags is a great option because the bags come in a variety of different sizes with color-coated leakproof seals that make it easy to grab the right bag for your needs. They're also freezer-safe, so you can portion out smoothie ingredients and throw the bag in the freezer to make it easier to whip up your breakfast in the morning. Just keep in mind that they're not microwave- or dishwasher-safe. 

Order the SYEENIFY reusable food storage bags from Amazon for $14.99 as of March 2023.

Tupperware is the OG when it comes to high-quality meal prep containers, and the brand has only continued to hone its craft with time, remaining one of the top options for food prep and storage. The Tupperware 7-piece set of Vent 'N Serve containers is the perfect option for anyone who uses a microwave to reheat their prepped meals. These long-lasting containers come in multiple sizes and can be transferred directly from the freezer to the microwave without missing a beat. Unlike some containers, the lids on this set are microwave-safe and come with a unique venting system to allow steam to escape as you reheat your food. 

You can even store any leftovers back in the fridge without worrying about food safety or quality. The set comes in a see-through blue color — a nice change from the standard clear, while still making it possible to see what food you've stored inside.

Order the Tupperware Vent 'n Serve 7-piece set from Tupperware for $189 as of March 2023.

Like glass, stainless steel is a good option for meal prep containers if you want to avoid using plastic. This set of five stainless steel food containers from Everusely is suitable if most of the food you plan to prep doesn't need to be heated in the microwave. After all, stainless steel is a metal and therefore not microwave-safe. That said, these containers and their matching silicone lids are freezer-, dishwasher-, and oven-safe, so if you have food you need to reheat, you can pop the box in the oven to get it nice and hot. 

The containers come highly reviewed on Amazon with more than 600 reviews and an average 4.8-star rating. Reviewers note that they appreciate the clean look of the dishes and how they nest easily when stored, although some people wish there were larger sizes (the largest holds 32 ounces). Also, because the lids and containers are opaque, you can't see what's inside at a glance. 

Order the Everusely stainless steel containers with lids from Amazon for $39.90 as of March 2023.

Salads are another item that can be tricky to prep in advance. While veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet peppers can certainly be washed and cut ahead of time, mixing salad greens with other salad fixings (especially crispy croutons, shredded cheese, and dressing) can leave you with a wilted, soggy mess come lunchtime. That's where the Bentgo glass salad containers come in handy. These vessels are designed to allow you to completely prep your salad in advance — including portioning out toppings and dressings — without actually mixing the goodies together until you're ready to eat. 

Each set comes with two 7.6-cup capacity glass bowls that can be used with or without the snap-on compartment container and a sauce tray that holds up to four toppings or dressings. The set also comes with a reusable fork that snaps onto the provided lid, so you don't even need to think about toting around other utensils. 

Order the Bentgo glass salad container set from Bentgo for $39.99 as of March 2023.

Meal prep doesn't always need to involve individually-sized meal containers or the ability to take dishes on the go. Some of the best meal prep can be done when you get home from the grocery store to save you time in the middle of the week. Washing salad greens and fruits, chopping veggies, grating cheese, and even marinating meat in advance are helpful tasks that don't require you to cook a single meal. That said, you need a safe and secure way to store the prepped food items until you're ready to use them. 

Tramontina offers a 10-piece set of covered stainless steel mixing bowls (five bowls and five lids) that are perfect for this purpose. They nest easily inside each other when not in use, and the lids make them perfect for storing your pre-prepped ingredients without worrying about spoilage or cross-contamination.

Order the Tramontina 10-piece covered stainless steel mixing bowl set from Tramontina for $49.95 as of March 2023.

Any parent who packs lunches for their kids knows that it's not the time to figure out what to throw in a lunch bag five minutes before leaving the house in the morning. Just as meal prepping your own lunches for the week can save time (and sanity), meal prepping your kids' lunches can, too. Bentgo's kids lunch box set is the perfect solution to keep hectic mornings a little more controlled. 

It comes as a pack of three lunch boxes (so, it's a good idea to buy at least one set for each of your children), each with five separate compartments so you can prepare and store a full lunch. The compartments are all sealed when the box is closed, so you don't have to worry about moisture from one compartment seeping into another section and making food soggy. The inner tray is also removable and dishwasher-safe to make it easier to clean between uses.  

Order the Bentgo kids lunch box 3-pack from Bentgo for $67.99 as of March 2023.

You may not immediately think of breast milk storage when you think of meal prep, but really, breast milk storage is meal prep for the littlest of humans. Plus, it can be a huge time and sanity saver for new moms, especially those who need to return to work but don't want to switch to formula. The key to breast milk storage is to have the tools and plan in place to make it happen. 

Motif Medical's Luna Starter Essentials Kit is the perfect first-step solution to getting on track with pumping and milk storage. The set comes with a Luna breast pump of your choice, along with two accessories to make pumping and storage easier. For instance, you can choose a 40-count of milk storage bags and a set of two Luna milk collection containers to start storing pumped milk in your fridge and freezer. Other accessory options include helpful items like a hands-free pumping bra and a breast pump backpack to make it easier to stay on track with pumping. 

Order the Luna starter essentials bundle from Motif Medical for $165.58 as of March 2023.