Meal prep: the essential accessories to prepare your meals for a week

Finding time to cook is not easy with our hectic work schedules. With remote work that tends to lengthen our days and the presence of our children with whom we love to spend time, what can we do? We have a solution: meal prep. If you are hesitating to get started, here are the essential meal prep accessories. Follow the guide!

What is meal prep?

Another thing that came from the United States, you will say. Yes, but when it comes to saving time in the kitchen, lightening the load of meal preparation and saving money, at Pyrex, we say a big YES to meal prep!

Meal prep has more and more fans. It consists of cooking once for the entire week and preparing your meals in advance, so that you only have to reheat them when the time comes.

Organisation wise:

• plan your meals;
  

• do your shopping;
  

• get into the kitchen;
  

• store your meals in your storage containers;
  

• reheat and enjoy.
  
  

► On this subject, we present to you what meal prep is in detail in our meal guide.

But preparing your meals for the week also means having cooking equipment and baking equipment available, not forgetting the storage containers and other essential accessories if you choose meal prep.

The essential preparation accessories for meal prep.

Here is some rather nice information: you do not need expensive equipment to get started with meal prep. So you do not have to invest in a new-generation multicooker costing over 1000 euros or in a bunch of connected equipment to succeed with your meal prep.

Multi-purpose knives and cutting boards

A good cook is recognised by the quality and care of their knives. You need at least 3 knives and other inexpensive accessories for your meal prep:

• 1 utility knife with a fairly short blade for peeling;
  

• 1 universal chef’s knife with a longer blade for cutting, chopping and slicing;
  

• 1 Japanese Santoku knife with a wide blade very practical for cutting;
  

• 1 vegetable peeler;
  

• 1 knife sharpener.
  
  

To properly cut your vegetables and meat, then choose a cutting board which can be made of wood, plastic or silicone. Always remember to clean it well between two uses.

Food processors to automate tasks

A good food processor will save you time preparing your doughs and cakes. You can then choose to invest in a steamer. This automatically manages the healthy cooking of your meat and vegetables and, for less than 30 euros, consider buying a rice cooker that takes care of everything and prepares perfect rice.

► Did you know that the Pyrex® brand created a perforated steam cooking basket to place on a pot of boiling water to steam your meat and vegetables? Small investment for a guaranteed healthy result!

A multicooker, as a replacement for your old pressure cooker, allows you to prepare tasty recipes and reheat them when the time comes.

Perhaps you already own them, but you will surely use them in your meal prep:

• an electric grater for your vegetables and juliennes;
  

• a hand blender for your soups;
  

• an electric knife for carving your roasts;
  

• an electric whisk for making mayonnaise and mixing your semi-liquid preparations, such as pancake batter, quiche mixture, etc.
  
  

Bowls and salad bowls of different sizes

Of course, you will need containers of different sizes and shapes to:

• beat your egg whites stiff;
  

• prepare your cake batter;
  

• mix your ingredients;
  

• etc.
  
  

► Advice from the Pyrex®: choose containers with a lid that withstand both heat and cold. You will also optimise your storage space in cupboards.

Cooking utensils adapted to meal prep

Since you will be cooking for several days, you need to have enough cooking utensils suitable formeal prep.

Large-format saucepans and frying pans

Choose cooking equipment that is durable and safe. A set of 3 saucepans and 3 frying pans is sufficient to prepare your dishes. Do not forget the essential stockpot which cooks a larger quantity at once.

Dishes for the oven and for the airfryer

Favour glass such as a large casserole dish from the Pyrex® brand to cook a chicken in the oven with or without a lid. Also choose an oval dish for your meats and roasts, not forgetting a round dish that can be used in the microwave.

A real revolution in the kitchen, the airfryer allows you to quickly and easily cook your meat, fish and vegetables in record time and in a healthy way using forced hot air. The Pyrex® brand has created borosilicate glass airfryer dishes to simply place in the basket for your gratins and other cakes. Some of them have a lid to then place them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Steam accessories for healthy cooking

It is never too late to start steaming. A simple pot and a steamer basket are enough to place your meat and vegetables which you will have seasoned with herbs, salt and other spices.

Cake moulds

A real taste pleasure, dessert is surely one of the favourite moments for the youngest, but also for the older ones. Since we never turn down a good cake or golden tart, nothing is better than having a collection of cake moulds for your meal prep. Choose a tart tin, a sponge cake mould, a soufflé dish, everything is possible.

Storage accessories for meal prep

Here is one of the most important moments in meal prep. The good choice of your accessories determines the good preservation of your preparations. You must therefore have a set of storage containers adapted to your needs:

• number of people;
  

• container resistant to cold and heat;
  

• ability to go in the microwave;
  

• airtight or watertight lid;
  

• shape and capacity.
  
  

FAQ: your questions about meal prep accessories

Which materials should be favoured for meal prep accessories?

It is not a matter of buying expensive, but of buying useful and healthy. In other words, favour glass or stainless steel accessories that are easy to maintain and above all safe for your health. For your storage, forget plastic boxes. Choose glass instead, which does not retain odours or taste.

Is it necessary to invest in a food processor for meal prep?

The answer is no, but… But because a food processor will save you time, but it is absolutely not essential. However, if you still want to invest in a food processor, it is possible to find one with basic functions, such as kneading, mixing and blending, which are perfectly affordable.

How to choose container sizes adapted to my family?

Placing your meal prep dishes in too large a container is not recommended due to the large presence of air in the box which does not allow ideal preservation. Prefer a set of containers adapted to your quantities and divide your preparations according to the number of people at the table. These sets of storage boxes are very practical because they give you the choice of container according to the prepared quantity.