Meal Prep Containers

I don't meal prep in the usual way. I cook in lots tho. I'll cook up a big pan of lean ground beef for example then through the week use it in different meals eg: spaghetti, tacos, low fat sloppy Joes. I do the same thing with store bought roast chicken. eg: fried cauliflower rice, better butter chicken, chef's salad. I do however eat the same thing for lunches and breakfasts and don't mind that at all. If you are concerned then freeze several different things and you will have a variety.

I meal prep my lunches only, so if you're looking for advice on dinners and things, just ignore me! For lunches though, I use ziplock's divided rectangle containers - they're a lot cheaper than the fancy "bento" containers (which don't always stack well either), but are genuinely sturdy and seal very well. I don't like to cook so I stick with five items per meal: fruit, veggie, cheese, meat, cracker. I also regularly rotate out one of the non-fruit or veggie options for a pasta salad or quinoa or something like that, and often add nuts or dried fruit or olives if I'm still hungry. I rotate between two to three options for each "slot" during the week for variety, and when I run out of something try to replace it with something different. Some weeks I prep everything but the crackers on Sunday, but at this point it only takes about five minutes to build and log a lunch in the morning so I've been doing that in an attempt to integrate leftovers into my meals more. In any case, maybe that wasn't responsive to your question, but I am always happy to talk about lunches at the slightest prompting.

ETA: My husband cooks 3-4 nights a week, and when he doesn't I often just graze from my lunch drawer since it's filled with foods I genuinely like and are easy to log and portion control.

Fitblkorchid wrote: »

Do any of you use meal prep containers to plan you meals during the week. If so. Do you get tired of eating the same meals each day? Do you alternate between days? I am thinking about purchasing meal prep containers and prep my food during the week. Any advice? or suggestions?

I use plain old Pyrex. (Glass dishes, plastic lids, various sizes.) I do eat a lot of the same things, but the combos vary. I typically toss in frozen veggies and a protein (chicken or fish). Sometimes quinoa, a few Trader Joe's mashed potato nuggets, Carba-Nada noodles, or beans. Lots of options. A couple days I bring a massive container of mixed greens (I keep a low-cal balsamic vinaigrette here at work) and eat that with my protein or throw some tuna in there. I eat a lot of egg whites and home and love to saute shrimp. I do try not to eat "work" food at home too much so I don't get tired of it.

I grocery shop and meal prep every Sunday. I always make a shopping list so I make sure I get all the needed ingredients. I have a couple of different sizes of containers I use depending on what I make for the week. I usually prep lunches and some snacks to take to work. For dinner I usually have more time so I tend to make something instead of eating a prepped meal. If there are leftovers, that becomes another option for a work lunch.

You don't need to order anything fancy, just get several different sizes (1// cup, 1 cup, 2 cup, 5 cup) by stackable containers by Hefty or Ziplock and a lunch bags that's large enough to hold several. Then weigh everything for a month or two. For example, a 50g serving of blueberries fill a 1/2 cup container. Have 2-3 options for breakfast, lunch and snacks (all pre-made) and put together a combo of what sounds good each morning. No need to eat the same thing every day.

I use glassware with a plastic lid because I don't like microwaving stuff in plastic. If I were to invest in something new I'd invest in a bento box. There are also some very cute lunch containers and bags on Etsy.

I cook, portion and freeze. Then I have plenty of time to eat it, and many different choices.

I like Pyrex

ezekielsherrard205735 wrote: »

I like Pyrex

Ya, I mostly store in glass, especially if I'm going to be microwaving it.

I used plastic to send meals home for my OH's mother, when we lived separately, before she went into the nursing home. I didn't trust him to not put my Pyrex's lids in the dishwasher

I meal prep my lunches on Sundays, I have to otherwise I set myself up for failure. I plan quick healthy food for breakfast as well. I don't mind eating the same thing for lunch because I have a fruit or something else with it to make it different each day and dinner is always different but I also plan out those recipes before I go shopping. It's very helpful!

I meal prep all my lunches. Clean and season meat once a week then freeze in portions so I can cook it a few different ways.