Meal Prep Guide
Chop. Sautee. Sizzle. Blend. Cook. Store. Organize. We’ve got you!
Getting meals on the table day in and day out is a lot of work! It’s so much easier when you have a plan and the tools to execute. The Eat Play Say Team rounded up our favorites for meal prep - from cookware, to kitchen tools, storage options, and clean up. We’ve got you covered!
Lodge Cast Iron 5-piece Bundle: We love cast iron because it’s non-toxic and lasts forever as long as you properly care for it. Don’t forget to season it! This is a great, affordable bundle.
**Meal prep note: avoid cooking highly acidic foods in cast iron & opt for stainless steel
Tramontina Deep Sauté Pan: Everyone needs a deep pan like this. It’s a staple and great for simmering sauces or sautéing veggies. This one is made with 18/10 stainless steel.
Xtrema Ceramic Versa Pan: Jenna owns this pan and loves. When searching for nontoxic cookware, she came across Xtrema Cookware. It’s ceramic and 3rd party tested for lead and cadmium. This Versa pan lives up to its name - extremely versatile! Definitely a splurge, but worth it if you spend lots of time in the kitchen.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet: Cooking on cast iron has changed our life. No more non-stick issues or concerns about the non-stick coating peeling off. Eric uses this to cook EVERYTHING. Gently season the pan after each use!
Made In Stainless Steel Stock Pot: A good stock pot is another kitchen staple. This one is well-made, super versatile, stainless steel, and has stay cool handles. Cook up some delicious broths and soups for the cooler weather to come.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven: Another piece that can do it all - soups, casseroles, one-pot meals - and it’s beautiful to look at, too. Take it from the stovetop to the oven.
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls: These bowls have a silicone foot for a good grip on the counter and come with lids for easy storage in the fridge. There is a grater that can pop right on top of the lid, so grate your cheese or veggies right in!
Cast Iron Dutch Oven: A rectangular cast iron dutch oven means more space for food. You can use the lid for retaining moisture in the oven, or as a skillet!
Instant Pot: The appliance that can do it all! Use it as a crockpot, pressure cooker, or to make homemade yogurt. We love it because the insert where food cooks is stainless steel.
Vitamix: This is another staple in our kitchen. We use it almost every day and love it. It’s definitely an investment, but such a great tool. Jenna and Jordyn both own a Vitamix and love including the toddlers in smoothie prep!
Ninja Creami: I didn’t understand the hype until I bought this myself. We have been loving making our own protein-packed ice cream from the comfort of our own home. And it’s delicious!
Stainless Steel Immersion Blender: This is great for soups to blend them easily and make them thicker/creamier! You can also use when simmering sauces.
Electric Can Opener: Ditch the handheld can openers that can be finicky and grab this electric one that makes can opening a breeze.
Food Chopper: This doesn’t take up much space and is great for quickly chopping or blending up tomatoes for a sauce or fresh salsa! Jenna owns and loves.
Electric Hand Mixer: Small but mighty - affordable, too! Jenna grabs this when making mashed potatoes or mixing cake batter.
Cuisinart Food Processor: With an 8-cup capacity, this food processor can do so much! Chop veggies, shred cheese, knead pizza dough.
Stainless Steel Slow 10-in-1 Appliance: If you use a crockpot a lot and want a stainless steel insert, this is it! You can also use this to sear, roast, steam, and more.
Cast Iron Waffle Iron: A waffle iron without the nonstick coating to worry about! Use it on the stovetop or the grill.
Zip Top Reusable Storage Bags: Ditch your single-use plastic bags for these! Dishwasher and freezer safe, and made of food-grade silicone. Don’t forget about these when packing snacks!
Ello Glass Storage Containers: My favorite leakproof and airtight glass storage set. The silicone grips make it easy to store, and they’re just pretty, too! Jenna and I both have and love for food prep and storing leftovers.
Stasher Bag Variety Set: Cut your produce and store them here, or make a freezer meal and use these! This is a great starter set to have.
Stainless Steel Condiment Containers: Make your own salad dressings or condiments and store them in these for packed lunches, etc. The lids are leak-proof silicone.
Divided Glass Storage Containers: These borosilicate glass food storage containers are a great size and we love the divided spots. Pack your lunches in advance and just grab them out of the fridge!
Glass Jars w/Bamboo Lids: Totally plastic-free with a bamboo lid and silicone seal - what’s not to like? These would be great to store pantry staples and can be used in the fridge, too.
Weesprout Glass Storage Containers: We love that these come in 2 sizes. They’re great for storing purees, smaller portions of snacks, or prepping overnight oats.
Sophico Silicone Lids: Are your Pyrex plastic lids cracking and losing their seals? You don’t have to throw everything away! These silicone lids fit most glass storage containers and work well!
Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Cups w/Storage Lids: We love these stainless steel + silicone cups! They come with lids, so you can prep and store fruits and veggies in them, too!
Dry & Store Reusable Bag Drying Rack: This is a genius invention. Once you wash your reusable bags, you can pop them on this drying rack so they stay open, dry completely, and then store!
Pyrex Glass Storage: A great 3-piece set if you make a double batch of something or have leftovers! These store 3, 6 and 11 cups.
Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls: Mix up salads or side dishes in here and if it’s not gone after dinner, just pop the lid on and stick it in the fridge. These are great for transporting dishes for gatherings, etc. Dishwasher, freezer, and microwave-safe.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup: Plastic-free, easy liquid measuring, and pop in the dishwasher to clean.
Salad Spinner: If you make salads a lot, this is a game changer. Save money and buy heads of lettuce, cut, rinse and spin the excess water off. No more dabbing lettuce off with a paper towel - and much fresher!
Grape Cutter: Pop a grape inside and push the button with your thumb and BAM, grapes are quartered for you! The simplest tool that makes your life so much easier. Pro tip: you can also use these to quarter cherry tomatoes for soups, tacos, etc.
Jar Opener Gripper Pads: Sometimes, you need some extra elbow grease to get a jar open. These work like a charm.
Garlic Press: Fresh pressed garlic has much more vibrant flavor than jarred garlic. This little tool makes mincing garlic easy.
Silicone Slotted Turner: The best spatula. The sturdy silicone edge is perfect for sautéing or cooking ground meats.
Crinkle Cutter: It’s only $5 and has SO many uses. First, use it to slice soft solids that are slippery. It makes them wavy and gives baby a better grip on holding them. Cutting avocado, mango, peaches, banana, etc. is my fave! Then, when your little one becomes a toddler, this is a great and safe tool for them to help with food prep. Make your own crinkle fries!
Salad Dressing Shaker: Making your own salad dressing is cost-effective, healthier, and delicious. This tool is perfect for measuring and shaking it up!
Silicone Spatula Set: A great set of silicone spatulas you can use in any type of cookware and it won’t scratch. Super affordable and they come in fun colors!
Ziruma Wooden Cutting Board: This is the butcher block we have and love. It’s conditioned with clean ingredients: beeswax, flaxseed, and lemon oil. It’s one of our most used kitchen tools!
Food Chopper: This thing makes chopping vegetables a breeze. It’s got two sizes of chopping settings - so every piece is a uniform size. Jenna and her husband use it weekly to chop potatoes, onions, peppers, and more. It’s also a more compact kitchen gadget which makes it easy to store.
Fruit Slicer: Slices berries and other fruits and veggies in seconds! It makes them a thin, chip like shape. This makes fruit salad prep easy breezy, too.
Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife: Jenna has this all-purpose knife - gifted to her by a chef. The quality is unmatched and she uses it all the time.
Strawberry Huller: This little gadget makes it easy to hull and de-stem strawberries. You can even use it for mini bell peppers!
Souper Cubes 2-Cup Storage: We love Souper Cubes! Silicone meal prep storage that can go in the freezer or the oven (without the lid). Double or triple your recipes and store portioned leftovers in the freezer for an easy meal for the future.
Souper Cubes Stoneware Baking Dish: This stoneware fits the 2-cup size perfectly. Pop a cube out from the freezer, thaw, and move to the oven to bake seamlessly.
Souper Cubes 1-Cup Storage: Silicone meal prep storage that can go in the freezer or the oven (without the lid) and holds its shape. Freeze a batch, then pop the frozen portioned meals in a Stasher bag in the freezer to continue using the Souper Cubes for other meals. Grab a portion out to thaw when you’re in a pinch, or just to make life easier.
Weesprout Silicone Freezer Tray: Another silicone storage freezer tray that’s a great size for freezing purees, breastmilk, or other small portions.
Souper Cubes 2T Storage: Souper Cubes makes a 2 Tablespoon size which is great for freezing fresh herbs, tomato pastes, freshly squeezed citrus, or even breastmilk.
Cast Iron Loaf Pan: If you make breads and want a nontoxic loaf pan, cast iron is a great option. This baby has loads of excellent reviews.
Pyrex Glass 4-Piece Baking Storage: These glass baking pans are great quality and I love the built-in handles. The lids fit perfectly on top for easy storage! Fridge, freezer, oven, and dishwasher safe!
Stasher Mega Storage Bag: If you use Souper Cubes, pop the frozen portions out and store them in one of these! Great for plastic-free storage of all kinds.
Pyrex Baking Dish: The perfect deep 9x13 pan for cakes and casseroles alike.
Toddler Kitchen Prep Set: Just like the toddler knife set, this toddler kitchen set is great to get your little one involved in food prep! They can help cut fruit, peel veggies, and help use the crinkle cutter.
Little Chef Cooking & Baking Set: Everything you need to inspire the next Master Chef Junior. An apron, cooking and baking utensils, all in a wooden caddy for easy storage. Let your little one meal prep along with you!
Tovla Jr. Cooking Utensils: An affordable 4-piece set with rolling pin, whisk, tongs, and a spatula.
Lalo Toddler Tower: A great option to get your little one involved in the kitchen and food prep! Have snacks in here, play with a play sink, and more! Once your little one can stand unassisted and is cruising, this is a great option for them. Make sure to supervise always :) “EATPLAYSAY” saves 10% on Lalo products!
Toddler Knife Set: Include your little one in kitchen prep. Let them cut up fruit for a smoothie or parfait bowl, or let them slice some tomatoes for a sandwich! Little ones eat more and try more foods when they have exposure to them OUTSIDE of meals. So, food prep as much as you can!
Kids Apron & Chef Hat: Let your little one dress the part when involving them in meal prep! This could also be used for day-to-day pretend play.
Weesprout Divider Plates: These are great silicone divider plates for littles as they approach one year of age. They also come with lids, so great for traveling or packing for daycare!
Weesprout Bento Box: This stainless steel bento box is adorable and great for your little one to pack their meal and snacks. The outer silicone makes them easy to hold, so these are perfect for daycare, a picnic, or even just for eating at home!
Sandwich Cutter & Sealer Set: Peanut butter and jelly, but make it fun with these different shaped sandwich cutters that also seal the bread - like a homemade uncrustable!
Bentgo Chill: Alicia’s boys use these all the time while on-the-go! This bento box seals really well when you close it, making it leak-proof and keeping foods totally separated. Surprise your little one with the food combinations you pack!
Food Picks: These can make mealtime more fun and may help inspire little ones to try something new! Let them pick their favorite food pick and try a small bite of a new food. Always supervise when using these since some are smaller!
Silicone Bento Cups: Make any container a bento box with these! Also the perfect sizes to serve snacks in around the house, or on-the-go.
Glass Spray Bottles: Ditch plastic and keep your favorite kitchen cleaners in these glass bottles that still look nice sitting out.
Reusable Paper Towels: Ditch your single-use paper towels and try these 100% cotton reusable paper towels instead. ZeroWastely’s set can “replace up to 3000+ regular paper towels per person per year!” Machine washable for the win!
Dish Brush Set: We love this set because it has different brush shapes so you can get a good scrub with whatever you’re washing.
Swedish Dish Towels: Jenna loves these! They are great as a dish cloth or to soak up spills, etc. Machine washable and come with clips to hang dry, too.
O-Cedar Rinse Clean: This mop keeps the clean and dirty water separated and mop heads are machine washable.
Chain Mail Scrubber: Made with stainless steel, grab one of these for cleaning your cast iron pans or as a kitchen scouring pad!
Force of Nature: This is a cleaning product Jenna keeps in her house. It uses salt, water, and vinegar to create a federal EPA registered disinfectant & sanitizer. It has so many uses and no scent.
Compact Dustpan: Jenna has this and keeps it close to the dinner table to sweep up crumbs (and sometimes the food her toddler throws).
Briotech Sanitizer: This sanitizer and disinfectant uses hypochlorous acid - made using only salt, water, and electricity.
Black & Decker Floor Sweeper: Another handy cleaning tool Jenna pulls out on the regular. Push a button and the sweeper brushes dust, dirt, and crumbs off the floor in seconds.
Cleaning Gloves: Save your hands (and maybe your nicely painted nails) and use these to wash the dishes!
Extra Strength Cleaning Vinegar: Vinegar is a natural cleaner and we use it on our countertops and to clean our cutting boards all the time!
Tineco Wet/Dry Vacuum: Truly, a vacuum that does it all - sweeps and mops. What a dream!
For more of my favorites for baby, toddler, and the whole family, check out my Amazon Storefront! (It’s super organized, just like this post!)
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