I’m a giant fan of meal prepping. By cooking meals prematurely, it makes it a lot simpler to eat wholesome all through the week, even whenever you’re pressed for time. It may possibly additionally assist prevent cash, particularly for those who get takeout continuously, 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 prematurely.
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 High Picks
- Finest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meal Prep Container Set – $31.22 at Walmart
- Finest Meals Scale: OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Meals Scale – $55.95 at Amazon
- Finest Freezer Trays: Souper Cubes – $34.99 at Amazon
- Finest Salad Dressing Containers: Salad Dressing Containers – $12.99 at Amazon
- Finest Vegetable Chopper: OXO Good Grips Vegetable and Onion Chopper – $22.95 at Amazon
Critiques of Meal Prep Necessities
1. Finest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meal Prep Container Set
In the event you’re going to cook dinner meals prematurely, the meal prep containers are important. I’ve tried out a number of choices through the years, and my present favourite are the Ello Glass Meal Prep Containers, which are available a set of 5. They’re created from sturdy glass with colourful silicone sleeves to guard the fabric, and the lids are hermetic and leak-proof, making it doable to take your meal on the go if wanted. Plus, the entire thing can go proper within the dishwasher for simple cleansing.
Nonetheless, for those who choose to maintain the components 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 on your primary 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 parts on your meals for the week. Plus, the colourful lids are freezer, microwave, and top-rack dishwasher protected.
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. Finest Meals Scale: OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Meals Scale
It may be difficult to eyeball equal parts whenever you’re meal prepping, so I at all times prefer to have my kitchen scale close by to ensure 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. Finest Freezer Trays: Souper Cubes
Every time I make one in all my soup recipes or a bunch of rice, I like to avoid wasting 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 prime of one another, and whenever you wish to take a serving out, the versatile silicone makes it simple to come out the frozen meals and reheat it.
4. Finest Salad Dressing Containers: VITEVER Salad Dressing Containers
Salads are a fast and simple meal to make prematurely, however I don’t advocate placing on the dressing, as it might probably make the elements mushy. As an alternative, I prefer to maintain the dressing separate, and these cute salad dressing containers are the right measurement. They’re created from dishwasher-safe chrome steel with silicone caps, they usually every maintain round 2.4 ounces. You’ll be able to simply tuck the little cups into your meal prep containers, they usually’re additionally nice for condiments like mayonnaise or ketchup.
5. Finest Vegetable Chopper: Cuisinart Core Customized 4-Cup Mini Chopper
Some meal prep recipes, equivalent to my Rainbow Quinoa Salad, require fairly a little bit of chopping, and if you wish to pace up the method, the Cuisinart Core Customized 4-Cup Mini Chopper is a useful device to have within the kitchen. As an alternative of dicing the elements 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 avoid wasting time for those who like making chopped salads, sauces, salsa, or any dishes with plenty of chopped greens.
6. Finest In a single day Oats Containers: Ball Common Mouth Mason Jars
I really 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—excellent 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 a substitute of the lids they arrive with. Not solely do I really feel that they’re extra sturdy, however in addition they look tremendous fairly!
7. Finest Storage Luggage: Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag
In the event you like to cut up veggies prematurely or portion out snacks to seize and go, Stasher’s silicone storage baggage are a fantastic different to single-use plastic baggage. They’re created from a thick layer of silicone that is available in a rainbow of colours, they usually type a good, leak-free seal to maintain the contents from dripping into your lunch field. The most effective half is the luggage are dishwasher-safe, so you’ll be able to simply wash them and reuse them each week.
8. Finest Muffin Pan: Wilton Recipe Proper Muffin Pan
Muffin pans may not 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 whenever you don’t have to make a full dozen.
9. Finest 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 — very best 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 enormous pump button. It has a brake that may cease the interior bowl from spinning immediately, and the lid comes aside so you’ll be able to clear it simply. The outer bowl also can double as a salad bowl!
10. Finest Stress Cooker: Prompt Pot Duo 7-in-1
A few of my favourite meal prep recipes, equivalent to Baked Oatmeal Bars and Hen Noodle Soup, will be made in an Prompt 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 Prompt 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. Finest Egg Cooker: Sprint Fast Egg Cooker
Exhausting-boiled eggs are a great supply of protein whenever 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 that you would be able to make boiled eggs, however the Sprint Egg Cooker is likely one of 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 gentle, medium, or onerous boiled firmness in only a few minutes. It may possibly additionally make different forms of eggs, together with scrambled, poached, and even omelets.
12. Finest 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 shade 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 realize what’s inside. Plus, each the bowls and lids will be put within the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher.
13. Finest Sheet Pans: Nordic Ware 3 Piece Baker’s Delight Set
Bulk roasting greens in the beginning 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 creator and recipe developer behind Skinnytaste, which is devoted to sharing wholesome, family-friendly recipes made with seasonal, clear, complete meals. Along with posting my newest recipes, I additionally publish free weekly 7-day meal plans that may show you how to plan forward and make scrumptious recipes for your loved ones, together with choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whereas you may make the meals as you go, the plans are additionally good for meal prepping — particularly if in case you have a busy week arising.
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 really like that they make meal prepping sooner, simpler, and extra handy. The objects 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.
