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Meal planning and prepping can be a real game changer. It'll give you access to quick, healthy meals, it'll save you money, it'll keep leftover food fresh, and it's perfect for busy parents — those are just a few of the reasons we love it. If you're ready to start your meal-prepping journey, the first thing you'll need to do is stock your kitchen with containers that are up for the job.
From oven-safe containers to snack boxes, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite kitchen finds from Amazon Canada to make storing your culinary creations a little less stressful. Whether you want to take your overnight oats on the go, bring your lunch to work, or store soups and salads without spillage, these are the best containers on the market to help you get the job done.
Made of high-quality borosilicate glass, these meal prep containers are safe to put in the freezer, microwave, oven, and dishwasher. They have BPA-free plastic lids with 4-hinge snap locks that keep freshness (and food smells) sealed in. They're also stain-resistant, so you won't have to worry about tomato sauce or chana masala leftovers tinting them. And when they're not in use, they can be stacked into each other for easy, clutter-free storage.
If you prefer plastic over glass, look no further than the Bentgo 2-Compartment Meal Prep Containers. This 20-piece BPA-free set is a great option for people who like a little variety in their meals. The smaller side has room for one cup of food and the larger side has room for two, so you won't need to measure out your portions — just pack and go. For good measure, they're also freezer-safe, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-safe.
Variety truly is the spice of life, and if you crave it in your meals, these 3-compartment containers will be right up your alley. They have one 480ml compartment, one 180ml compartment, and one 120ml compartment, making it easy to portion out your mains and sides. Made of sturdy microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe BPA-free plastic, they're also a cinch to store, serve from, and clean. And the cherry on top? Each lid is a different colour, so you can colour code by day of the week.
For those looking to get the most bang for their buck, the Zogsnton Plastic Meal Prep Containers are well worth looking into. While these takeout-style boxes might not be as sturdy as some of the other options on this list, they are airtight, stackable, and microwave- and freezer-safe. Reviewers say they're the perfect portion size for lunches, so they're a great option for anyone who wants to bring food to work instead of ordering from Uber Eats or relying on Subway sandwiches.
If you taking snacking seriously, you'll want these in your container cupboard. While the compartments are the perfect size for dips, chips, and sweet treats (½ a cup each), you can also use them to make homemade Lunchables-style meals. They have a stackable design, are microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe, and have different coloured lids, making it easy to colour code your family's snack boxes.
This food-safe silicone tray is great for meal prepping ahead and storing leftovers. Not only will this ensure you always have an easy meal to grab, but it'll keep food waste at bay. It has four compartments, each of which is labelled with fill lines at the ½ cup and one cup marks, so you’ll never have to do any guesswork. The flexible material will make popping out your food easy, even when it’s frozen solid, and the lid will save you from spilling on your journey from your kitchen island to your fridge. Plus, thanks to their stackable design, you can use more than one in your freezer and not take up every inch of real estate.
Salads can be a pain to pre-pack, but these to-go containers make it easy. Not only are these BPA-free plastic bowls the perfect shape (flat, rectangular containers just aren't great for tossing salads), but they also come with dressing cups that fit conveniently in the lids. If you're not into leafy green lunches, they're also great for prepping grain bowls, stir-fries, and cereal in advance. And when they're not in use, simply stack the container on top of each other to save space.
The first thing you'll need to consider when choosing a set of meal prep containers is what material is best suited to your meals and lifestyle.
Glass containers are typically more durable and won't leave you questioning if the materials are BPA-free and safe to eat from (though they usually are). They are also less prone to staining, won't hold onto smells, and are typically safe to run through the dishwasher, making them easy to care for.
Plastic containers also have their benefits. They're more lightweight and durable, so you can throw them in your bag and not worry about them breaking, and you don't have to handle them with as much care. They also come in more shapes and styles than glass alternatives. Plastic containers are almost always cheaper than glass ones, making them a better option for those who don't want to invest a ton of money in new containers.
This depends entirely on what you want to meal prep. Small-sized containers are a great choice if you plan on taking dressings and sauces on the go. Larger containers are great for full meals. You can also get containers with multiple compartments to keep your sides and mains separate.
Most are designed to be stackable, which means you can store the containers on top of each other. You may also want to invest in a lid organizer to keep your tops from creating a sea of chaos.
Luckily, most meal prep containers are known for their ease of cleaning. Most are dishwasher-safe, so you can simply throw them in with the rest of your plates, bowls, and utensils. If they require being washed by hand, fill the containers with water and soap, snap their lids on, shake them around, and scrub them out. You'll want to take extra care if you're cleaning out foods that are prone to leaving lingering smells and stains, like tomato-based sauces.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.