When it comes to meal planning, prepping and organizing the meals is a really big, important factor. Storage accessories are a really important factor to making the process super easy and convenient. So, we’ve curated a list of all the meal planning essentials that you should add to your kitchen. Not to mention that using reusable storage means you’ve done your part to helping the planet.
Check out our list of our top 10 kitchen must haves to make your meal planning routine even easier than you thought it would be.
Table of Contents
Lunch boxes:
Lunch boxes are a great way to store the food that you want to eat the next day or later on in the week. You can find sets for a really good price in most supermarkets and homeware stores. If you can, try and get the leak-proof ones. Most of these will have a seal which will stop liquids from spilling out, so whether you’re having a fresh, chicken salad or last night left over chili-con-carne, you can be sure the inside of you bag will stay dry.
Freezer bags:
Freezer bags are a must have when doing meal planning. These are an easy and convenient way to keep left over food and store it in the freezer. Using freezer bags rather than boxes takes up less room which means more meal planning and freezing for you.
Measuring cups:
If you want to make sure you’re getting the right portion sizes, making sure you get the correct ratio of milk to porridge oats or just don’t want the hassle of using scales, measuring cups will be your new best friend.
Storage containers:
Storage containers of different sizes are another helpful piece of equipment to have in your cupboards. Whether you use them for freezing, breakfasts, lunches or as snack holders for your bags, they’ll always come in handy.
Tin foil:
Tin foil is one of the greatest but most forgetful cooking accessory. When cooking fish, chicken, chops or vegetables, wrapping them in tin foil keeps the moist and flavorful. It’s also great for when it comes to storing food. Simply wrap your half cut onion or tomorrows sandwiches in some and pop them in the fridge and you’ll be sure they’ll stay fresh and yummy.
Mason jars:
Mason jars are great for cereal. If you find yourself in a rush in the morning before work and sometimes skipping breakfast, look no further. Mason jars are a great way to store homemade granola and overnight oats. Simply prep the night before or a few days in advance and all you have to do is grab and go.
Slow cooker:
If can afford it, purchasing a good slow cooker is a great investment. You can pop all your ingredients for a few days’ worth of meals in one go in the morning before you head to work or university and then you’re done. Using a slow cooker like this means you don’t have to worry about cooking your dinner after a long, hard day of work. With the extra food cooked you can either save it by popping it in the fridge for the next few days or using your freezer bags to save for a few weeks’ time.
Thermal flasks/containers:
Investing in good quality thermal flasks/containers is another useful investment. If you enjoy and want to make homemade soup to take to work but don’t want the hassle of having to use a microwave or don’t have one in your staff room, these will be your life saver. Simply heat up your soup in a bowl the morning before you leave, then place the hot soup into your thermal flask and you’re good to go for up to 12 hours.
Mini cooler bags:
If you want to have cooked meats or meals that need to be refrigerated but don’t have a fridge or work or going on a long trip, mini cooler bags are what you need. Coming in different sizes and cool patterns, you’ll be able to keep your delicious food at an even more delicious temperature.
Nutribullet:
Though a little more on the pricey side, buying a Nutribullet (or any other smoothie maker) is a really good idea. You don’t just have to use this to make smoothies, they are really useful for making homemade soup, hummus and many more. So for a one-time purchase piece of equipment, it’ll definitely show you it’s worth.