The Meal Prepping Containers You Need To Do It Right
You have your recipes. You’ve grocery shopped until you nearly literally dropped. You have everything you need to embark on a new meal prepping routine – except for something to store your well-prepared, delicious, healthy meals in. You’re going to need some containers. The last thing you want is your Crockpot Maple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal leaking out of some shoddy faux Ziplock bag all over your fridge.
The world of meal prep containers can be surprisingly overwhelming, however. It’s not as simple as just grabbing some tupperware. If you’re putting hours into your meal prep, you want it to last, stay fresh and be ready to hit the road when you need to take it on the go. Don’t freak out. We’ve worked out the qualities you need from your meal prep containers and how to spot the worthy receptacles from the underwhelming. Here’s what you need to look for when you’re choosing a container to hold your perfectly prepared meals.
A Sturdy Construction
The first thing you want in a meal prep container is solid construction. You’re going to need something that can carry a load without bending and breaking, something that can handle being reheated over and over again as you warm your meals and something that’s going to withstand travel if you plan on bringing your prepped food with you on the road. You need a container as tough as you are.
The big debate here is between glass and plastic. Each have their benefits and their drawbacks and meal prep devotees swear by one or the other. Plastic is less of an upfront investment. A 38-piece set of Snapware containers of all sizes is going to run you about $32.50. Plastic is lighter, easier to carry and, if you’re prone to dropping things, more durable upon impact.
If you decide to go the plastic route, make sure you’re spending your money on a set of containers that are going to meet all your needs. Look for plastic that’s microwave-safe. If you don’t, you could find yourself with a melted mess. Make sure your plastics are BPA-free as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, BPAs that seep into food or beverages from storage containers can be the source of possible health effects on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses, infants and children. BPAs have also been linked to increased blood pressure.
If you opt for glass containers, you’re going to have a heftier investment up front, but there’s a good chance that your containers are going to last a lot longer than plastic ones. A Pyrex set of 18 pieces will cost you roughly $37, a few dollars more than the Snapware set for half of the pieces. The good news is your containers are going to be automatically microwave-safe and BPA-free. They’re going to be a little bit heavier to carry, though, if, you’re bringing your prepared meals on the road.
Airtight, Leak-Proof Lids
No matter what material your container is made out of, you want to make sure its lid fits securely. The last thing you need is a leaky lid. Lids that aren’t air-tight can lead to your food going bad sooner than you expected, too. BodyBuilding.com has a few, surefire ways you can test your container’s lid to make sure you’re getting the security you need from it. They might seem a little bit destructive, but at the end of these tests you’re going to know for sure whether your lids are working for you.
The first thing you can do to test the quality of your lids is to fill your container with a liquid and then tilt it on its side to see if gravity can best the seal of your lid. Most quality lids will have some sort of seal, suction or locking mechanism designed to hold it firmly to the container and prevent this kind of leakage. This test could save you a whole lot of grief if your container gets bumped around in your bag, spilling its contents on the rest of your stuff.
The second test that BodyBuilding.com recommends is similar, but a bit more intense. Fill your container with a liquid like you did before, but this time, instead of gently tilting it on its side and waiting for gravity to work its magic, shake that sucker up. Whipping your container around for a full minute is going to let you know for sure whether or not the lid is going to stay put, even while in motion.
Ready for more potentially destructive action? For the third and final test, you’re going to take your precious meal prep container and drop it on the floor. Yep. Just drop it. If the lid flies off or cracks, you know it’s a container not worthy of your hard meal prepping work.
A Way To Take It With You
You’ve spent a good chunk of time preparing your meals for the week and you’ve selected the perfect containers to hold them, but now you need to leave the house and take some of those meals with you. You need a bag or a lunch box or something to keep your food fresh and protected. You could stick to your old Power Rangers lunch box – nostalgia is trendy, you know. But you’re an adult. An adult with goals, needs and some standards. It’s time for an upgrade.
There are surprisingly few options for adult lunch bags out there, especially if you need to carry more than one meal at a time. If you’re just looking to bring your lunch to work or pack up some after-gym snacks, a standard, small lunch bag is going to fit the bill. Look for something with a little structure so your food, even if it is protected by a sturdy container with a stellar lid, isn’t going to be squished.
If you need to lug a bunch of meals at one time, something like a Six Pack Bag might work well for you. Six Pack makes everything from totes to purses and duffle bags specifically designed to hold your prepared meals. The insulated bags come with some serious meal prep containers, so if you’re going all in on your meal prepping and you need to bring a few meals with you at a time, this could be your solution.
Now that you’ve committed to a meal prep lifestyle to help you meet your diet goals and take a little pressure off of your everyday food decisions, make sure you’re supporting all of your hard work in the kitchen with containers that will protect your food, keep it fresh and help you get where you need to go. Look for sturdy construction, stable lids and a bag that will help you get out the door, meals in tow.
