Affordable Meal Prep Must Haves & More!

When it comes to meal prep, simple and convenient are the words I like to hear! Of course, I also enjoy things that look great and are good quality too. And let's not forget the most important, affordable!

Simple, Convenient, Stylish, Quality, & Affordable!

We use to have so many plastic containers that we used for meal prep and food storage (yes, even some butter dishes like grandma had). I enjoyed the affordability of plastic containers, but they didn't hold up for very long. They were easily stained or cracked in a short amount of time, and somehow would disappear quickly.. (I probably threw them out... on purpose or on accident.)

We finally made the leap and invested in glass storage and prep containers. Honestly, it took an amazing black Friday deal for us to make the dive, so I understand it can be kind of intimidating when you see the price tag. Rest assured, we love a good bargain, so I have made it my mission to find you the most affordable, dependable meal prep items!

Over time we have slowly upgraded our containers. We made sure to purchase items that made the most sense for our needs and functioned the best. Pictured are a couple food storage containers that you will regularly find in our fridge and on our shelves. I love their durability, the fact that they don't stain, are easy to clean, and that you can stack them to save space!

A couple tips for choosing your next storage containers.

As you upgrade or build your meal prep storage container options, start by replacing 1-2 items at a time. No need to go to your cabinets and start tossing all your storage containers after reading this post. I am all about reusing and recycling items, so keep in mind there may be a way to utilize the containers you already have.

*See my post about how to reuse items you already have at home*

Ask yourself, which products will make your life easier and make the most sense for your needs. Remember to cater to your lifestyle. Do you need something that is space saving or maybe travels easy?

For example, I appreciate glass containers for their durability and storage, but am hesitant use them for storing frozen meals and am less likely to put them in our cooler when we travel.

*Check these out for frozen meals.

*Shop the best on the go containers

Lastly, make sure to compare your options. Not always is a name brand item better than off brand. Read the reviews and do your research. Taking a few minutes to check can save you money and get you the best quality.

To save you some time & money, I have done some comparison and shopping for you. Here are my most affordable finds!

Time to upgrade the rest!

After updating our storage containers, it motivated me to upgrade more of our kitchen items. We donated and sold several items, and some were tossed (they were in awful shape.. we had one spatula that was literally melted from laying on a coil stove once..) Most of our items were handed down, thrifted, or found at garage sales. We had quite the modge podge of well loved kitchen tools, and if you should know one thing about us, it's that we spend the majority of our time cooking at home. We needed durable and cost friendly upgrades, and I wanted things that look good too! Little did I know, upgrading would not only help us declutter our kitchen and make it look good, but it would make our lives even easier. The biggest win.. I found some great deals along the way!