Besides living on the support of oxygen, humans are also maintained by a constant input of nutrition and energy. Foods are the most common types for a person to consume and generate energy as well as collect essential vitamins and minerals. It is the easiest way and the most enjoyable way. But, the meals you prepared cannot live long outside in the open air, so a container is a must. Thus, spending on the best container to use for meal prep is understandable, if you want to have enjoyable moments with your food.
On the markets, there are 3 common types of containers that are said to be the best container to use for meal prep.
Types of food containers
Glass: with a high melting point, which could be seen in its manufacturing process with high heat, could withstand any kind of hot or cold food. It is microwave safe and contains the least toxins or potential toxins formation during cooking or containing. Some of its advantages could be listed out:
Hygiene
Easy decorative
Chemical property
Microwavable
Transparency
Glass containers locate themselves as the best container to use for meal prep when it allows users to have a comprehensive observation of the food contained and the container itself. This will help users evaluate the food, and container’s conditions and make room for a painless cleaning process, preventing odors.
There are 2 types of glass containers commonly used in the market for drinks and foods: narrow-neck bottles and wide-opening jars and pots. Resulting of its transparency, the contents within are visible and create a more refreshing feel for people to look at. Additionally, glass containers are also used to provide food or drink freshness.
Some suggestions for using could be to contain spices, fresh vegetables/fruit, dairy products, and meat.
Metal: the most common types of metals would be stainless steel containers and aluminum foil. As its nature of withstanding extreme heat with its softness, and flexibility, metal could be cast into any kind of shape. This provides a variety of metal containers of shapes, sizes, and styles. Moreover, due to its flexibility, it is nearly impossible to puncture or break the containers, preventing leakages. Some real-life examples are:
Cans
Lunch box
Bottle
Foil or wraps
Small boxes
Due to metal containers’ durability and easy to manufacture, they could come at affordable prices. However, if a container is equipped with more functions, the price might be higher than usual ones. Make sure to check for the functions and the price before purchasing and compare it to your needs, as this is selected as the best container to use for meal prep among other materials.
Plastic: this is the standard choice of most people for average food storage demands and often comes with a cheap price and a variety of forms. Being the lightest among others container materials, plastic containers are simple to operate and require fewer impact cautions when used. People could squeeze, twist, throw, and bend it and most likely it will remain in the original casted form. Due to this ductility, plastic containers are applied everywhere:
Plastic wraps
Plastic bags
Bottles
Candy wraps
Sauce bag
Moreover, it could be painlessly thrown away – but not painlessly decomposed – and easy to craft. People are using it more and more, since it is convenient for them to just buy and then get rid of it. The most typical types of plastic used on the market would be polyolefins and polyester. Despite there are crafted plastic containers that are microwavable and could withstand high heat, it is not advisable to use in hot conditions or contain hot meals. As the heat could denature the material and release toxins.