As summer season break attracts to an finish, the back-to-school season could make your schedule fairly hectic. Between searching for faculty provides and signing up for extracurriculars, you in all probability don’t have fairly as a lot time to deal with cooking, which is why these back-to-school meal prep necessities from Walmart are such a time-saver.
As an alternative of frantically making an attempt to make everybody’s lunches within the morning earlier than they head off to high school, I like to have wholesome meals ready upfront. A lot of my meal prep recipes make for nice weekday lunches, and a few may even be packed forward of time if wanted! Should you’re on the lookout for methods to ease the transition into the brand new faculty yr, the next are a number of of my meal prep necessities for back-to-school, all of which you will get from Walmart.
My High Picks:
- Greatest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meals Storage Meal Prep Container Set – $34.76 at Walmart
- Greatest Bento Field: Bentgo Leak-Proof Lunch Field – $19.98 at Walmart
- Greatest Soup Container: Thermos 16-oz Insulated Meals Jar – $16.97 at Walmart
- Greatest Mason Jars: Ball Vast-Mouth Mason Jars – $15.44 at Walmart
- Greatest Storage Baggage: Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag – $12.99 at Walmart
Critiques of Again-to-College Meal Prep Necessities at Walmart
1. Greatest Meal Prep Containers: Ello Glass Meals Storage Meal Prep Container Set
These reusable glass containers from Ello are the finest meal prep containers I’ve tried, they usually’re nice for older kids and adults. They arrive in a set of 4, and the thick glass has a colourful silicone sleeve that protects it towards bumps and makes it simpler to grip. The containers, which include matching lids, are simply the appropriate dimension for a single serving, and since they’re constituted of glass, not plastic, they gained’t stain or develop odors.
They can be put within the dishwasher for straightforward cleanup and might go within the microwave, so long as the lid isn’t on.
2. Greatest Bento Field: Bentgo Leak-Proof Lunch Field
For youthful kids—or adults who snack—this bento field is ideal for smaller parts of meals, and it has 5 compartments to maintain snacks separated. Beneficial for ages 3 to 7, the bento field is constituted of BPA-free plastic, and the lid has rubber seals that forestall liquids from leaking. Plus, the sides of the field have a rubber lining, defending it towards drops. The design is available in a wide range of kid-friendly colours and patterns, and the detachable meals tray is dishwasher-safe.
3. Greatest Soup Container: Thermos 16-oz Insulated Meals Jar
Should you’re meal-prepping one thing like my Instantaneous Pot Hen Noodle Soup, this Thermos is a superb choice for preserving it heat and mess-free. The leak-proof, insulated jar holds 16 ounces—loads of meals for older children—and it retains its contents sizzling for as much as 7 hours and chilly for as much as 9 hours. It’s sufficiently small to tuck right into a lunch field, and it even comes with a folding spoon that’s saved contained in the lid.
4. Greatest Mason Jars: Ball Vast-Mouth Mason Jars
Whereas historically used for canning, Ball jars are a flexible device for meal prepping, too! They’re nice for storing make-ahead recipes like Cinnamon-Raisin In a single day Oats, that are a fast and filling breakfast for varsity days, and for those who go for bigger jars, you too can use them for meals like Cobb Salad in a Jar. To not point out, they’re ultimate for storing chopped fruit and veggies, which you’ll be able to toss into lunch packing containers for a wholesome faculty snack.
5. Greatest Storage Baggage: Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag
Do you undergo dozens of plastic luggage every week whereas packing lunches? If that’s the case, you may need to spend money on Stasher Baggage, that are handy and reusable. They’re constituted of high-quality silicone, and you will get them in all totally different sizes, from sandwich and snack luggage to bigger half-gallon sizes. They’re straightforward to seal, and the most effective half is that you would be able to clear them within the dishwasher and use them time and again. I like packing all the pieces from sandwiches to fruit slices to pretzels for varsity.
6. Greatest Mandoline Slicer: OXO Softworks V-Blade Mandoline Slicer
An excellent mandoline slicer may help you rapidly and simply prep fruit and veggies for lunch. My favourite is that this one from OXO, which comes with blades for straight and wavy cuts, in addition to each skinny and thick julienne cuts. There are 4 thickness choices to select from, and the slicer features a meals holder that protects your fingers from the sharp blades.
7. Greatest Ice Pack: Your Zone Reusable Ice Pack
Ice packs are vital for lunch packing containers, and these reusable ones are budget-friendly, so you may stash a number of in your freezer to get you thru the week. Every ice pack weighs only a few ounces, and it’s stuffed with a non-toxic gel that may preserve meals chilled till lunchtime. At simply $1, you may as properly seize a couple of.
8. Greatest Dressing Containers: Ello Duraglass Condiment Containers
These condiment jars are made by the identical model as my favourite meal prep containers, they usually every can maintain 4 ounces. They’re nice if you wish to pack salad dressing, hummus, or one other dipping sauce, and you’ll simply fill them up upfront and retailer the containers within the fridge. This 3-pack is constituted of glass with colourful silicone sleeves for added safety, and they are often cleaned within the dishwasher on the finish of the day.
9. Greatest Vegetable Chopper: Cuisinart Core Customized 4-Cup Mini Chopper
For meal prep recipes that require a lot of chopping, like my Greek Orzo Salad, you may velocity up the method with the assistance of this Cuisinart Mini Chopper. It’s primarily a mini meals processor, and you need to use it to rapidly chop up components—no chef’s knife wanted! It holds as much as 4 cups at a time, and it has separate buttons for chopping and grinding, relying on what you’re cooking. I like to make use of it to make dips and hummus for varsity snacks, too!
10. Greatest Freezer Trays: Souper Cubes 1-Cup Silicone Freezing Tray
One among my favourite methods to meal prep is to make huge batches of pasta sauce, rice, or soup forward of time, then freeze them in Souper Cubes. These helpful silicone trays portion out components into 1-cup increments, and each has a sturdy plastic lid so you may stack them within the freezer. When it’s essential make a meal, simply come out one of many cubes and defrost it within the microwave. It’s nice to have a couple of frozen servings for these busy faculty nights.
11. Greatest Muffin Tins: Wilton Bake It Higher Non-Stick Muffin Pan
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins are a tasty grab-and-go breakfast for varsity days, however that’s not all you may make in a muffin tin, like this one from Wilton. For an additional enhance of protein, you may whip up a batch of Loaded Egg Muffins for the household to eat within the morning. I like that this recipe could be personalized based mostly on no matter components you might have helpful. Or, my Excessive Protein Egg White Muffins are one other straightforward choice for busy days while you’re dashing out the door.
12. Greatest Sandwich Cutter: Ihvewuo Sandwich Cutter and Sealer
For youthful kids who like sandwiches however not the crust, this cool gadget creates lovable crust-free pockets which might be good for his or her lunch field. It comes with two cutters—one sq. and one spherical—and all it’s important to do is place the sandwich contained in the gadget and press it shut. It’ll chop off the crusts and seal the sides shut, preserving all of the scrumptious filling in place till lunchtime.
13. Greatest Egg Cooker: MyMini Premium 7-Egg Cooker
Exhausting-boiled eggs are a protein-packed snack that works properly in lunches, and this helpful egg cooker allows you to make as much as seven at a time with minimal fuss. It may well prepare dinner comfortable, medium, or hard-boiled eggs in a matter of minutes, and it additionally comes with a bowl that permits you to make poached or scrambled eggs.
Why You Can Belief Me
I’m Gina, the creator and recipe developer behind Skinnytaste, which options lots of of wholesome recipes for the entire household. I’ve two daughters of my very own, and over time, I’ve discovered methods to make back-to-school rather less worrying, together with meal-prepping lunches for the entire household.
I’ve personally used lots of the merchandise featured on this article, and those I haven’t tried myself come extremely advisable by different meals publications and Walmart customers.
Costs have been correct at time of publication.
