I’m a giant fan of meal prepping. By cooking meals upfront, it makes it a lot simpler to eat wholesome all through the week, even while you’re pressed for time. It may possibly additionally assist prevent cash, particularly for those who get takeout ceaselessly, and guarantee much less meals goes to waste in your kitchen. Plus, with the proper meal prep necessities — and my free weekly meal plans — it’s simple to cook dinner a variety of wholesome recipes upfront.
I’ve been meal prepping for years, and there are a number of instruments I at all times attain for to make the duty sooner and simpler. I’ve listed 12 of my must-have meal prep necessities under, together with my favourite meal prep containers, must-have freezer trays, the very best meals scale, and several other different useful instruments that make cooking a breeze.
My Prime Picks
- Greatest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meal Prep Container Set – $31.22 at Walmart
- Greatest Meals Scale: OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Meals Scale – $55.95 at Amazon
- Greatest Freezer Trays: Souper Cubes – $34.99 at Amazon
- Greatest Salad Dressing Containers: Salad Dressing Containers – $12.99 at Amazon
- Greatest Vegetable Chopper: OXO Good Grips Vegetable and Onion Chopper – $22.95 at Amazon
Evaluations of Meal Prep Necessities
1. Greatest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meal Prep Container Set
In the event you’re going to cook dinner meals upfront, the meal prep containers are important. I’ve tried out a number of choices over time, and my present favourite are the Ello Glass Meal Prep Containers, which are available a set of 5. They’re constructed from sturdy glass with colourful silicone sleeves to guard the fabric, and the lids are hermetic and leak-proof, making it potential to take your meal on the go if wanted. Plus, the entire thing can go proper within the dishwasher for simple cleansing.
Nevertheless, for those who choose to maintain the elements of your meal separate, you may like these 3-compartment containers from Bentgo. They’re cheap and are available a set of 10, and the BPA-free plastic will be put within the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safely. The containers have one massive compartment to your most important dish, in addition to two smaller sections the place you’ll be able to put sides, snacks, or dressings.
For basic meals storage, I additionally love this glass container set from Pyrex. It comes with 9 totally different class containers of various sizes which can be nice for saving leftovers and can be utilized to prep totally different elements to your meals for the week. Plus, the colourful lids are freezer, microwave, and top-rack dishwasher secure.
Purchase the Ello Glass Meal Prep Container Set:
Purchase the Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Meal-Prep Containers:
Purchase the Pyrex Meal Prep Merely Retailer Glass Rectangular and Spherical Meals Container Set:
2. Greatest Meals Scale: OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Meals Scale
It may be difficult to eyeball equal parts while you’re meal prepping, so I at all times prefer to have my kitchen scale close by to verify each container will get the identical quantity of meals. I personally love the OXO Good Grips Meals Scale, which has a big measuring plate and easy-to-read show. It may possibly measure in ounces, kilos, grams, or kilograms, and the show truly pulls away from the bottom to make it simpler to learn for those who’re measuring into a giant bowl or container.
3. Greatest Freezer Trays: Souper Cubes
Every time I make considered one of my soup recipes or a bunch of rice, I like to save lots of the leftovers utilizing my Souper Cubes. These silicone trays are extremely helpful—they’ve pre-portioned trays that maintain a single cup of meals, and you may put the entire tray proper into the freezer. The lids are sturdy plastic, permitting them to be stacked on high of one another, and while you wish to take a serving out, the versatile silicone makes it simple to come out the frozen meals and reheat it.
4. Greatest Salad Dressing Containers: VITEVER Salad Dressing Containers
Salads are a fast and simple meal to make upfront, however I don’t suggest placing on the dressing, as it will probably make the components mushy. As a substitute, I prefer to preserve the dressing separate, and these cute salad dressing containers are the right measurement. They’re constructed from dishwasher-safe stainless-steel with silicone caps, they usually every maintain round 2.4 ounces. You may simply tuck the little cups into your meal prep containers, they usually’re additionally nice for condiments like mayonnaise or ketchup.
5. Greatest Vegetable Chopper: Cuisinart Core Customized 4-Cup Mini Chopper
Some meal prep recipes, akin to my Rainbow Quinoa Salad, require fairly a little bit of chopping, and if you wish to velocity up the method, the Cuisinart Core Customized 4-Cup Mini Chopper is a useful device to have within the kitchen. As a substitute of dicing the components along with your chef’s knife, you’ll be able to merely place them inside this small meals processor and whirl away for completely sized items. It’s vital device to save lots of time for those who like making chopped salads, sauces, salsa, or any dishes with numerous chopped greens.
6. Greatest In a single day Oats Containers: Ball Common Mouth Mason Jars
I like making Cinnamon-Raisin In a single day Oats or Apple Pie In a single day Oats for a straightforward, high-fiber breakfast on busy mornings, and Ball Mason Jars are good for portioning out single servings. These cheap jars, which are available a pack of two, maintain 8 ounces every—good for one breakfast—and include screw-on lids that create a leak-proof seal. Additionally they can be utilized for different meal prep recipes, like my Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad.
I additionally like utilizing these thicker plastic lids for my mason jars as an alternative of the lids they arrive with. Not solely do I really feel that they’re extra sturdy, however additionally they look tremendous fairly!
7. Greatest Storage Luggage: Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag
In the event you like to cut up veggies upfront or portion out snacks to seize and go, Stasher’s silicone storage baggage are an ideal different to single-use plastic baggage. They’re constructed from a thick layer of silicone that is available in a rainbow of colours, they usually kind a decent, leak-free seal to maintain the contents from dripping into your lunch field. One of the best half is the luggage are dishwasher-safe, so you’ll be able to simply wash them and reuse them each week.
8. Greatest Muffin Pan: Wilton Recipe Proper Muffin Pan
Muffin pans won’t seem to be a meal prep important, however they’re truly fairly versatile. I exploit them to make handy single servings of recipes like Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups, Loaded Egg Muffins, and Mini Quiche, all of that are easy, wholesome breakfast choices for busy mornings. In the event you don’t have already got a muffin pan, I like this set from Wilton, which incorporates two pans and has a nonstick end that ensures your meals comes out simply. Every of the trays holds six muffins, which is nice while you don’t have to make a full dozen.
9. Greatest Salad Spinner: OXO Good Grips Massive Salad Spinner
I like to scrub my lettuce after chopping it up, and the OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner can deal with massive portions — ideally suited for those who’re prepping salad for the entire week. The bowl can maintain greater than 6 quarts (roughly 24 cups), and it’s simple to function because of its non-slip backside and huge pump button. It has a brake that can cease the internal bowl from spinning immediately, and the lid comes aside so you’ll be able to clear it simply. The outer bowl can even double as a salad bowl!
10. Greatest Stress Cooker: On the spot Pot Duo 7-in-1
A few of my favourite meal prep recipes, akin to Baked Oatmeal Bars and Hen Noodle Soup, will be made in an On the spot Pot. These versatile stress cookers are in a position to cook dinner recipes tremendous quick in comparison with different cooking strategies. It’s additionally practical and has different cooking features, together with a sluggish cooker, rice maker, steamer, and extra. The On the spot Pot Duo has a 6-quart capability that may put together as much as six servings directly, and I nonetheless use mine on a weekly foundation, which makes it completely price it..
11. Greatest Egg Cooker: Sprint Speedy Egg Cooker
Laborious-boiled eggs are a great supply of protein while you’re meal prepping, and I prefer to eat them for breakfast, add them to my salads, or use them to make Egg Salad. There are a number of methods which you could make boiled eggs, however the Sprint Egg Cooker is among the sooner and best choices. This cute little equipment holds as much as six eggs at a time, and it’ll cook dinner them to tender, medium, or onerous boiled firmness in just some minutes. It may possibly additionally make different sorts of eggs, together with scrambled, poached, and even omelets.
12. Greatest Mixing Bowls: Pyrex Sensible Necessities Mixing Bowl Set
If you wish to put together massive batches of meals to retailer within the fridge, these mixing bowls have tight-fitting lids. The goass are available a set of 4 that nest collectively, they usually vary in measurement from 1-quart to 4-quart. The lids and bowls are colour coordinated, so you’ll be able to at all times discover the proper one, and I like that the containers are see-through, so you understand what’s inside. Plus, each the bowls and lids will be put within the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher.
13. Greatest Sheet Pans: Nordic Ware 3 Piece Baker’s Delight Set
Bulk roasting greens at first of the week is tremendous useful for meal prepping. Afterward, you’ll be able to retailer them in containers and add them to grain bowls or salads for fast wholesome meals. I like this set from Nordic Ware, which comes with 1 / 4 sheet, jelly roll, and half sheet pan, and the number of sizes will be useful for various parts.
Why You Can Belief Me
I’m Gina, the writer and recipe developer behind Skinnytaste, which is devoted to sharing wholesome, family-friendly recipes made with seasonal, clear, entire meals. Along with posting my newest recipes, I additionally publish free weekly 7-day meal plans that can enable you plan forward and make scrumptious recipes for your loved ones, together with choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whereas you can also make the meals as you go, the plans are additionally good for meal prepping — particularly when you’ve got a busy week developing.
I put collectively this checklist of meal prep necessities utilizing my very own experiences. Most of the merchandise are ones that I exploit in my very own kitchen, and I like that they make meal prepping sooner, simpler, and extra handy. The gadgets I haven’t personally examined are highly-rated choices that come beneficial by different cooking professionals and hundreds of critiques.
Costs have been correct at time of publication.
