With the start of a new year often comes the urge to reinvent our routines and try something new. And if your goals for the new year include eating healthier, saving more, or using your time more effectively, learning how to meal prep is a three-in-one combo that can help you achieve all of the above. By preparing your meals ahead of time, you’ll set yourself up for a week of healthy eating, eliminate the temptation to order takeout, and save time and stress on busy weekdays. It’s truly a win-win-win situation. But before you run to the kitchen, you’re going to need a few meal prep essentials to get started. Read on for everything you need to start meal prepping in 2024—and actually stick with it.
1. Glass Food Storage Containers
The containers you use are truly what makes the difference between “meal prep” and “leftovers.” Both are great, but by prepping and storing individual portions, you can save even more time during the week and keep yourself on track with any healthy eating goals. To store your meals, glass containers are really the way to go. Safe for the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher, they also won’t warp over time or give your food any weird plasticky taste. Plus, they’ll look way better stacked up in your fridge.
2. Freezable Portion Trays
If you plan on freezing any of your meal prep recipes, let me give you a tip: Portion out your individual meals before you freeze everything. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck trying to chisel off a suitable portion from a frozen block of food. You could store each meal in freezer-friendly zip-top bags, or you could use these handy trays to separate and freeze individual portions. Made of food-safe silicone that makes it easy to pop out the frozen cubes, they also include lids so you can stack them in the freezer. Grab a few trays in different sizes so you can customize your portion sizes for different meals.
3. A Good Cookbook
Meal prep is way more than a basic formula of meat, veggies, and rice every time. There are so many great meal prep recipes out there, but it’s easy to fall into a rut of making the same thing every week. That’s where a cookbook comes in. Find one you love and flip through it for recipe ideas whenever you need some inspiration. Look for cookbooks that were written specifically for meal prep, as these often have extra instructions on how to store or freeze your meals when you’re done.
4. A Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
For whipping up big-batch recipes with minimal effort, a slow cooker or Instant Pot is a must. Both are great for those “set it and forget it” types of recipes that will ensure that you don’t have to spend your entire Sunday in the kitchen. Go with an Instant Pot if you’re short on time; opt for a slow cooker if you’re content to laze around (or complete the rest of your Sunday reset) while your dinner cooks.
5. Sheet Pans
Also on the list of meal prep essentials are sheet pans. There are tons of easy sheet pan recipes that work incredibly well for meal prep, so if your cooking sheets have seen better days or you have yet to invest in some, now’s the time to grab a new set. Choose sturdy pans that will stand up well to anything you throw on them, and go with a non-stick material if you want easy cleanup.
6. A Kitchen Scale
Whether you’re measuring ingredients (what does 2 pounds of chicken look like anyway?) or divvying up individual portions, a kitchen scale is an invaluable tool for meal prep. When it comes time to stow away your meals, you can use the scale to make sure you have equal amounts of each component so no portion is lacking. And since weighing out ingredients is way more accurate than using measuring cups or spoons, your recipes will likely turn out better, too.
