Meal Prep Part 3: Meal Prep Tools

My Meal Prep Series has probably shown so far that I keep meal prep as simple as I can. Meal prep does not require fancy tools- but I do have a list of meal prep tools that I think are really useful and help save time when meal prepping.

Disclaimer: Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Here is the list of meal prep tools I highly recommend you have:

1. Slow Cooker
2. A good sheet pan
3. Glass bowls with lids, several sizes
4. Lunch Box
5. Cutting Board

Seriously, 5 tools and you have endless possibilities for your meal prep. Here is why you need these items 5 meal prep tools:

Slow Cooker. The star of this list- and I am not being dramatic about this. I use my slow cooker at least once a week to make dinner. I cannot recommend the use of a slow cooker enough. It is as close to a magical cooking device as you can get- you put ingredients in and then several hours later your house smells amazing and you have dinner ready. You can do endless things with a slow cooker- dinners, desserts, soups, or dips- a slow cooker can do it all. I have had a few over the years. When my first one broke, the inner cooker element cracked, I may have cried. I literally did not know what I would do without it.

Here is a link the current version of the slow cooker that I have and love (mine is so old I can’t find it online):

A quality sheet pan. You can use a sheet pan in so many ways when meal prepping. I use every single week to roast sweet potatoes that I use in salads and as a side dish for my children to eat with lunch. I used to buy the cheapest sheet pans I could, because I found I had to replace every year. But I have invested in some better cookware recently and upgraded by sheet pan. It does make a difference, it is easier to clean and seems to be holding up better. If you use is every week like I do, then it may be worth spending a little more on a good hand.

Here is the sheet pan I have been using for a few months:

Glass Bowls with lids. I use glass bowls for everything. I pack my lunches in these. When I make extras of food to freeze, I use these glass bowls. I also store dinners in these as you and reheat in the microwave. Glass bowls and the lids are dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. These simply looking bowls have endless possibilities and truly last. You can even buy (and I have) replacement lids. These bowls do everything you need- they are a true multi-tasking tool that is amazing for meal prepping.

Here is a link to a great set to start:

Lunch Box. I used to use plastic grocery bags to bring my food to work. However, plastic bags are no longer used in NJ, so I bought an inexpensive lunch box and I will never go back. Plus, when I take trips with the kids,I can pack drinks and snacks with an icepack to keep in the car, so we always have cold drinks for the kids. A nice lunch box is such a useful tool- there is never an excuse not to bring your own lunch or snacks if you have a nice lunchbox.

Cutting Board. This is a necessity when doing meal prep. I like to have a few cheap cutting boards, so I can throw them in the dishwasher as I meal prep different items. I don’t want to take time to hand wash in-between uses, so I use and then put in the dishwasher and move on.

Here are the flexible cutting boards I use and love for meal prepping:

What are your must have tools for meal prepping?


Disclaimer: Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Recommended Reading on Levenshire Chronicles

Meal Prep for Beginners Part 1

A Label Maker- A Daycare Necessity

Upgrading to a Jura Giga 5