What size meal prep containers do you need?

Container sizes are confusing because they are sold in ounces, cups and millilitres. These are the sizes that suit most meals.

What size do you need for each meal?

• Main meals: about 3 cups (24 to 28 oz, around 750 ml).
• Large salads: about 4 cups (32 oz, around 1 litre), so there is room to toss.
• Breakfast jars, such as oats and chia: about 2 cups (16 oz, a pint jar).
• Snacks and sides: about 1 cup (8 oz, around 250 ml).
• Sauces and dressings: 2 oz pots.
• Soup portions: about 2 cups, or a quart freezer bag laid flat.

How do the units convert?

One cup is 8 fluid ounces, or about 240 ml. So a 24 oz container holds 3 cups, and a 1 litre container holds a little over 4.

How many should you buy?

Start with five main-meal containers of one size and four or five small pots. That covers lunches or dinners for a week. Buy more once you know what you cook. Buying one size means the lids are interchangeable, which matters more than it sounds.

Divided or single?

Divided containers suit meals with something wet beside something dry: curry and rice, hummus and pita, or chicken with a salad. Recipes like Greek chicken bento boxes and hummus snack boxes need them. Single containers suit bowls, pasta and anything you stir together.

Does shape matter?

Yes. Rectangular containers stack better and waste less fridge space than round ones. Shallow containers cool food faster and reheat more evenly than deep ones.

Which jars work for oats and salads?

Wide-mouth pint jars for overnight oats and chia pudding. Wide-mouth quart jars for layered salads such as the lentil and feta lunch jars. A wide mouth makes them easy to fill, eat from and wash.

What should you check before buying?

• Lids that seal on all four sides.
• Labels saying microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe and freezer-safe.
• A size that fits your lunch bag and your fridge shelf.

Glass or plastic?

Glass for anything you reheat, plastic for cold food you carry. See glass or plastic containers.

What about the freezer?

Flat quart bags take far less space than containers for soup and chili. See freezer bags or containers.

Is 3 cups enough for a meal?

For most recipes on this site, yes. A serving of a rice bowl is roughly two and a half cups. If you eat larger portions, choose 4-cup containers.

Where to go next

The rest of the basic kit is in the kitchen tools you need for meal prep.