Every year, many people have goals of eating healthier and cooking more meals at home. But once we start getting into the thick of the year, it’s easy to abandon those goals for a cheeseburger and fries from a fast food restaurant. However, meal prepping is a great way to stay on track and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. The best part about meal prepping is that it’s so versatile. You can make anything from breakfast sandwiches to overnight oats to salads to pasta and so much more! Plus, you feel better when you’re aware of the ingredients you’re putting in your body and saving money on fast food and restaurants.
If you haven’t meal-prepped before or need new kitchen essentials, I’m here to help. From Crockpot lunchboxes to containers to Bento boxes, here’s everything you need to get started on your 2026 meal prepping journey. And these items start at just $13.
Shop These Meal Prep Essentials
- Hot and Ready: When I worked in an office, I brought this Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box every day to heat my food up. It’s so much better than using the shared microwave in the breakroom, and my food was piping hot in under an hour — $30
- Storage Staple: These Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers are my favorite meal prepping essential. They’re 100% leak-proof, lightweight and have a stackable design that saves space in your fridge. I love using them for overnight oats, homemade whipped cream, salads, pasta and more — $30
- Glass Containers: Similar to the containers above, these are made of glass and come in a set of nine. And they’re also leaf-proof, have built-in vents and are even oven-safe up to 450 degrees — $80
- Keep Meals Fresh: If you plan on freezing your meals, this FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer will come in handy. It keeps food fresh longer and includes bags to get you started — $147
- Yes, Chef: Perfect for large batches of food, these Freshware Food Storage Containers hold everything from soup to salad to meat and more. Since it’s a 24-pack, there’s enough to meal prep for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week, and the lids are airtight so you don’t have to worry about your food spilling — $13
- No More Soggy Salads: If you’re prepping salads for the week, keep your dressing in these little condiment and salad dressing containers so they won’t get soggy and mushy — $13
- Organized Lunches: These Bentgo Bento Box Containers are great for separating your lunches and dinners for the week. The all-in-one stackable lunchbox has two tiers with three separate compartments and even comes with a built-in utensil set — $15
- Warm Meals: Keep your meals hot or cold for up to 14 hours in this Thermos Stainless Steel Food Jar. It’s a number one bestseller with a 4.6-star rating and reviewers love the the durability and high-quality material, saying it “keeps food warm all day” — $29
