
While this is an important step, many manufacturers have actually replaced BPA with BPS, which it turns out may be problematic as well. Thankfully, more and more BPA-free products are available. Some studies show that BPA can mimic estrogen and act as a hormone disruptor, as well as impact your thyroid. But what about BPA-free plastic?īPA, or bisphenol A, is a component used in plastics to make them more durable and help maintain their shape. This alone makes the decision easy for me. Lastly, glass containers mean fewer dishes, which I'm all about! You don't have to transfer food from a glass container to another container or pan to heat it up. Glass containers are also much better for the environment as many plastic containers cannot be recycled. This offsets the initial higher cost of buying glass. This means they actually last much longer. You can check a chart like this one to determine which type of plastic was used and what chemicals may potentially leach out.Īnother reason I think glass makes the best food storage containers is that glass containers do not absorb stains or smells from food. There should be a little triangle with a number between 1 and 7 inside. If you'd like to know what type of plastic your containers are made of, check the bottom of the container. The chemicals contained in plastic containers vary by the type of plastic used. In contrast, you can place hot food directly in glass containers without waiting for the food to cool. This means with plastic containers you not only have to avoid heating food in them, you should also avoid placing hot food in the plastic containers. Of all of the above criteria, probably the most important to me is using glass food storage containers.įirst of all, even with BPA-free plastic, there are chemicals that can potentially leach into your food. Bonus if they're oven safe! Why I Only Use Glass Food Storage Containers Look for something that can safely go in the freezer, as well as the microwave. I put my meal prep containers through a lot and I need them to be relatively temperature proof. Stacking / NestingĪlong the same lines, in my mind, the best meal prep containers should nest for storage and stack easily in the fridge. This makes it super easy to store the containers and find the appropriate lids when needed. I know it can be tempting to get meal prep containers in *all the sizes* but, trust me, it's so much easier to just pick a few shapes and sizes and get multiples of them. Hand washing your lids, or at least sticking to the top rack of your dishwasher, will also help them last longer.

I look for lids that are BPA-free, but also that have an airtight seal and are sturdy enough to keep their shape.

Have you ever had the experience of buying new containers, only to have the lids warp within a few months? It's pretty frustrating to say the least. Not only do I not have to worry about BPA, I also just find that they keep food the freshest. I personally prefer to buy glass food storage containers. Here are a few factors I always consider when buying food storage containers: Material The Best Meal Prep Containers – What I Look For Well friends, fear not, today I'm sharing all of my food storage container expertise so that you can invest in a quality set of meal prep containers with confidence. There's nothing worse than putting in the time to meal prep and finding that your food is less than fresh when you go to heat it up. If you want your food to stay fresh until the end of the week, you need a quality container.

When you prep most of your food at the beginning of the week, the type of container you store the food in makes a difference. I've tried many types of food storage containers over the years and, let me tell you, quality matters. Looking for the best meal prep containers? Learn what a chef, RD and meal prep expert looks for in food storage containers.
