Best food containers and Tupperware boxes for leftovers and meal prep | The Standard

Shopping | ES Best Home | Home & Garden | Kitchen

The Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

In a cost-of-living crisis, the idea of wasting food has never been more unpalatable.

When the cost of ingredients and energy to cook them is so high, finding yourself scraping leftovers into the compost bin leaves most folks with a sour taste in their mouths. Yet whether you’ve overestimated portion sizes or deliberately bulk-cooked to save power and treat yourself to an easy, nutritious lunch the next day, having extra food ready or ingredients trimmed, chopped and ready to cook with is no bad thing.

All you need is the right containers to keep them as fresh as possible until you’re ready to dine.

Tupperware may be a brand, but it’s captured the market so successfully that it’s become the byword for all food storage containers.

The American company was founded in 1942 and still offers hardy, reusable containers to store everything from cereal to soup. Single-use plastic this emphatically is not.

While some pieces are designed for fridge and freezer use, Tupperware also makes things like salt and pepper shakers, popcorn makers, potato, onion and garlic storage and larder tubs to house strands of spaghetti without them snapping.

Of course, it’s not the only company specialising in this foodie field. A simple search on Amazon reveals there are more than 2000 options on its site alone. Many are simple box and lid designs, available in a range of sizes, so whether you’re saving leftover pistachios from a recent bake or you want to divide a family lasagne into individual portions to inhale when you’re ravenous, there’s something on the market at a price that will appeal.

Another option? Combining storage with a food vacuum, as B!pod does. The innovative company sells the DRO!D food vacuum and three watertight containers in its starter set. Used together, they suck out all of the air and keep food fresher for longer in a similar way to clothes vacuum bags. You can use it on wet and dry foods, and containers can be stored in the freezer with no danger of dreaded freezer burn when it's time to thaw.

This sort of tech comes with a hefty price though, so if it’s not viable for you yet, don’t despair. There are still plenty of options available, the best of which we’ve listed in our edit below. We’ve found glass options for those who want to steer clear of any kind of plastic, as well as oven-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe options for the most flexibility and variety.

Help fight the good fight against food waste. Shop the best Tupperware and meal prep containers below.

Best food storage containers from plastic boxes to glass jars

Best deals on fridge freezers from Hisense, Russell Hobbs, Haier and more

Best slow cookers for delicious winter stews and casseroles

Best lunch boxes for adults from bento style to sandwich boxes

Best frozen meals to fill your freezer with tasty and easy to heat classics

The war against single-use plastic rightly wages on, but not all plastic is bad. Able to survive extremes in temperatures, a well-made set of BPA-free boxes will help to curb your river of food waste.

This bundle of 16-lidded boxes in various sizes help you prepare for any leftover or meal prep eventuality, stacking neatly to keep your fridge and freezer interiors looking orderly.

Lids clasp on with a four-hinge locking system, forming an airtight and waterproof seal to keep food untainted.

You too can be that smug one in the office who's had time to make their own meal come lunchtime.

Sistema's pack of three nestable food containers allow you to sling leftovers in a bag, safe in the knowledge that the leak-proof design won't leave a mess in your bag, no matter how packed the commute. The transparent boxes come with clip-locking lids and are safe for practically any environment, from the freezer to the microwave and dishwasher.

And, when they reach the end of their lifecycle, Sistema's products can be recycled at Terracycle drop-offs.

Sick of the same old plastic boxes? Try Mepal, a set of food-safe boxes offered in a range of bright colours, so you can organise food by type - or just add some cheer to your freezer drawers.

Hues aside, each one offers an airtight seal that can be placed in the fridge or freezer, microwaved, put in the dishwasher or used as servewear (something to remember when we start picnicking again).

The three-piece set comprises a 750ml, 1500ml and 3000ml box, so you've got options for meal prep and bulk cooking as well as lunch.

Food bloggers may love using plastic boxes for meal prep, but glass is easier to clean and won't wear as easily. This set of 10 meal prep containers comes in two sizes with matching clip-top lids to prevent spills. They are freezer-safe and oven-proof, making storage and reheating a breeze. Oh and when you're done, you can stack them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. A simple solution that will streamline batch cooking and meal prep.

Perfect for portion control or separating wet food from dry, these glass containers are made for housing batch-cooked meals or leftover ingredients to use again at another time.

You can expect to find 10 in the set (two for every day of the working week), each with matching air-locking lids to prevent spills as well as keep your food fresher for longer.

Perfect for storing leftovers or using them as an office lunch box, ProCook's set of five nesting food storage box should be in every kitchen. Contents are kept as fresh as possible with grey airtight lids and the boxes are dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe. Comes with a one-year guarantee.

Keep your baking ingredients, snacks, spices and grains organised with these containers which feature an airtight lid-lock mechanism. You’ll get six tubs, all holding just under a litre each and measuring 10L x 32W x 30Hcm.

The included labels and chalk make labelling each container easy to change if you decide to store something else in them.

They stack easily too, saving cupboard space and making them look neater too.

It may be sold as a sandwich bag, but the truth is Stasher’s flexible bag has so many uses. It can keep batch-cooked food in the fridge until you’re ready to eat, stand in as a makeup bag and stop your lotions and potions spilling over the rest of your bag, and act as a wet pouch for your swimming gear on your way back from the beach or pool.

As a sandwich bag though, it does very well, with the soft silicone casing expanding to fit the heftiest of lunches. It’s not only oven safe to 220 degrees, but will stand the test of the dishwasher, microwaves and freezer too. Our new kitchen fave.

Waste not, want not. Keep produce fresh and crisp with this four litre container featuring an an elevated colander and adjustable vent. Available in multiple sizes, say farewell to water-logged lettuce and mushy strawberries.

Sometimes a sandwich just isn’t enough to power you through the day. Hungry diners can give themselves even more options thanks to this lunchbox, which features a divider tray in the lid to keep fruit and salad from meddling with your homemade sandwich in the more spacious section below. The clip-lock lid will give you peace of mind that your meal is safe and sound until you’re ready to devour it.

Nothing ages excess food like oxygen. If you're fed up of being confronted by mouldy food, it could be time to go one step better than a storage container and opt for B!POD. The company is behind the DRO!D food vacuum, which, along with three round containers made from reclaimed ocean-bound plastic, forms B!POD's starter set.

The premise is simple: fill a container with wet or dry, raw or cooked ingredients and push its lid on. Line up the Droid over the rubberised valve and press start.

The machine works at either high or low speed, removing 95 per cent of oxygen molecules, meaning food oxidisation cannot occur. When you’re ready to crack open the lid tomorrow or in a few weeks and get to the food once more, simply lift the rubber valve first to depressurise. We tried it on cucumber sticks, strawberries and coriander - things that spoil easily if not consumed right away - and came back to fresh, edible food weeks later.

It is pricey, but if you add up all the cash you’ve chucked away over the years binning grotty food, the three-figure sum pales in comparison.

MORE ABOUT

Have your say...