MPOF's Guide To The Best Plastic Meal Prep Containers
Meal prep can be a great way to save precious time in your daily. It’s also a no-brainer for lunches on the fly. We understand that it can be a bit stressful thinking about meal prep for an entire week, especially if you’re just getting started, but when you get into the groove, you’ll realize how easy it is and how much time it actually saves. No more worrying about what you’re gonna feed the kiddos because you have it all prepped for the week. Meal prepping helps you stay on track with your healthy eating goals for you AND your entire family.
One of the most important elements of meal prepping is naturally one of the things that make it possible at all— finding the best meal prep containers! There are endless meal prep containers to choose from, many of them being glass and others being plastic. Not only that, but once you start looking at plastic meal prep containers, do you choose the disposable, semi-reusable, or long lasting? What size meal prep container would be best? If it's too big, your portions could be way out of wack... and even if your portions are right, but you put the food into a meal prep container that is too large for the portions, your mind won't trigger that your body is full and curve your hunger. Yikes!
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Benefits of Plastic Meal Prep Containers:
- Durable
- Cheaper than glass
- Ideal for traveling
- Easily disposable
- Will not shatter if broken
- More convenient size options to choose from
Cons of Plastic Meal Prep Containers:
- May contain BPA or other chemicals (most plastic containers are BPA free these days)
- Not as heat resistant as glass
- Shorter longevity versus glass
- May be porous, leading to bacterial growth
- Can warp over time which leads to leakage and decreases the time your food stays fresh
- Not ideal for hard scrubbing or stuck-on foods
Can Plastic Meal Prep Containers be reused?
Yes and No... If you are using the cheap plastic meal prep containers, they will warp and crack after one use if you wash them in the dishwasher. The Meal Prep on Fleek meal prep containers are durable and meant to be reused. They are plastic, but they are crafted for quality and durability so you will definitely be able to reuse them. This may lead you to ask, are meal prep containers safe?
Again, rest assured that our meal prep containers ARE SAFE! You will want to make sure that if you're purchasing other containers, that they are BPA free so that there is no chance of chemicals absorbing into your food when you put them in the microwave.
Now...
Because there are so many options, we’ve compiled you this list of our favorite plastic meal prep containers, plus real Amazon reviews, to help make your meal prepping journey more intuitive, without the potential hazards of glassware.
So, here is the deal... this is a little self-serving, but we are stoked to be able to say that we have helped produce the best meal prep containers on the market for meal prepping. We worked for over a year with GoodCook to produce a durable plastic meal prep container that is not going to leak and takes meal prep portions (and macros) into consideration.
Features of the new MPOFxGoodCook Meal prep containers include:
. Lightweight & easy to transport
. Ideal for an on the go lifestyle
. Great for make-ahead meals, batch cooking/freezing, individually portioned meals, and ready-to-cook ingredients
. Perfect set for the week with 10 units (10 lids and 10 bases)
. Bonus starter guide included with each set that contains recipes and tips for the item
. Allow you to plan healthy, time-saving meals
. Traditional meal prep shapes and sizes plus unique shapes and sizes not found in the market
. Bases nest into the lids for easy stacking
. Translucent lids to see the food you are storing
. Easy-find color-coded container and lid
. Multi-compartments to separate flavors and sides
. Containers include helpful volume measurements embossed in the container bottoms
. Patented sidewall design adds additional structure to the side wall for greater product stability over straight lines provide average support**
. Reusable up to 10X
. Top rack dishwasher safe
. Microwave safe
. Freezer safe
. BPA Free
Single Compartment Meal Prep Container – 10 piece
These single compartment meal prep containers are a simple and versatile solution to a huge number of meal prep needs. Not only are they deep enough for a full one-pan meal or stir fry, but they also stack neatly. These meal prep containers are microwavable, freezer and dishwasher safe as well, to add to the benefits. It’s great for a bowl of warm hearty soup, especially in the winter time.
Rating:☆☆☆☆☆
“I couldn't review these immediately. Why? Because I had full intent of abusing the heck out of these so that I could really see the quality. (for science, of course, not just because I'm lazy)
It said dishwasher safe. "Okay, that's pretty cool" I thought. Instead of putting them on the top rack like a normal person, I decided that the bottom rack was more than fine. Heated dry. None of that eco-friendly air drying garbage. Maximum temperature for maximum cleaning power amiright?
And did I do just one container to test to make sure they wouldn't melt? Nope! I did 8 of them at once so that if they didn't work, I could ruin half the order. I'm a pretty logical person.
Long story short, they didn't melt or warp! However, if you want to bring something to work like applesauce, you need to make sure that you get a lunchbox that can hold these flat and not turned over. This is because even though the lids prevent leakage outside the container, it won't prevent one compartment from leaking into the other. Again, this can be easily solved by getting a lunchbox that's shaped so that the container can be laid flat.
Overall, I love these. They're great for people like me in college who want desperately to eat healthily but will happily eat a ketchup and ramen sandwich if I don't adequately plan ahead. You should get some.”
Dual Compartment Meal Prep Containers – 10 piece set
We love these dual compartment meal prep containers because they have a 2-cup compartment for the main dish and a 1-cup compartment for a side of healthy vegetables! Great for light lunches or leftovers. Mom’s we know you would love these. They are also great for veggie sticks with a delicious dip on the side. Yum! A simple way to ensure everyone gets their daily serving of veggies. As with all our meal prep containers, these dual compartment meal prep containers come with with a starter guide that features 3 healthy recipes made for this container. That means you have your next 3 meal prep recipes outlined for you with your purchase. It also includes some useful tips on how to make meal prepping work for you!
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
“I have a similar set of these meal prep containers but it has only one large partition. I use these regularly for storing pre-prepared meals in my fridge and freezer, also use these to carry lunches to work as they are such a versatile size, and decided to pick up a set that has a partition so I have the ability to use them for storing meals where there are more than one food item being stored and I don't want them to mix and mingle. This is perfect for things like meats or pasta on one side and either veggies or potatoes on the other. The containers are durable and work really well. The tops stay on and do a good job of preventing any leakage. The size is really good as well so I can put a good size meal in for my kids when preparing meals. I really like how they stack and store very well to minimize storage space in my cupboards. These get used very regularly in my house.”
Three Compartment Meal Prep Container – 10 piece set
They say things that come in threes are more satisfying to the mind. Well, these three compartment meal prep containers can be more satisfying to the body! At MPOF, we recommend filling the large 2-cup compartment with protein and the two 1-cup compartments with carbs and veggies! We also love that each container is embossed with helpful volume measurements, so you can be certain that your portion control, is truly under control. The recipes included in this three compartment meal prep container set include Turmeric Scrambled Eggs packed with a protein boost for breakfast. It also includes an Apple BBQ Meatloaf and Pesto Chicken for lunch and dinner, respectively! These are one for the best meal prep containers to pack lunch for 2 people for the kids' playdates or double portion meals for the husband when he has to work late hours.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“One of the best things I've ever bought on Amazon! PROS:
They are the perfect size for a meal with two sides left over
The lid snaps on great
They stack inside each other without lids or on top of each other with the lids on (like in the fridge), making it so easy to heat up portions for lunch or dinner left over, and make leftovers look so much more appealing
CONS (tiny things really)
You have to be careful microwaving because if you leave it too long (like way too long) it'll melt, but any plastic would do that, and for the price you can't complain really use the auto reheat button on your microwave so it doesn't get too hot and too much power to cook the plastic and you'll be fine.
There are little grooves in the base of each section that make it a tad bit more difficult to clean.... But like I said, not enough so to not buy them again.
NOT dishwasher safe
The pros definitely out weight the cons by A LOT! My kids will actually eat leftovers now because it looks more appealing and they don't have to get our big bowls of each thing and scoop it onto a plate. A friend of mine has leftover nights on Thursdays and each mod fights over which container they get to eat... Fighting over leftovers!!! MOM WIN!!”
Round Meal Prep Containers – 10 piece
Have you ever heard that a smaller plate does psychological wonders for how full you feel after you eat? Well, we think these round meal prep containers are absolutely excellent for putting that idea to the test. These meal prep containers are great for an intuitive eating lifestyle. Not to mention, they are bright red, and studies have shown that eating from a bright red place can lead to less eating overall. The round dinner plate shape with perfectly measured compartments for healthy meal planning that include 2-cup veggies, 1-cup protein, and 1-cup grains. For maximum user-friendliness, these round meal prep containers even feature orientation tabs to ensure the lid is positioned correctly on the vessel.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
“A meal prep essential for me now! The package arrives super compact, but it contains 30 containers and lids- so you can prep a full month of lunches or dinners so easily. You can fit the perfect sized serving in there and they remind me of what you’d get your restaurant salad in for a to-go order. I can freeze, microwave and throw these in the dishwasher and not have to worry about bpa, either. (Note: the brand sent this to me in exchange for my honest feedback and opinion.)”
Snack Size Meal Prep Container – 10 piece
It’s hip to be square, and since two is better than one, these snack size meal prep containers with two square compartments will have your Meal Prep On Fleek! These are one of the best meal prep containers because of their low-profile form factor, and with two square compartments for snacking, we recommend filling them with two servings of berries or some crunchy veggie sticks, in case a sugar craving hits you in the middle of your day.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
“I have some of the other, larger meal containers, but i found that i subconsciously overfilled them because their large capacity and my smaller lunch portions made them look pathetically meager. I tended to add a little more, which, over time, became almost a double portion. i decided to look for some smaller capacity containers, and found these - turns out these are perfect - filling them with the measured food makes them look copious, and i no longer have too much food when lunchtime finally arrives.
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