For meal prep, skip most bento boxes

Divided bento boxes are worth it for daily packed lunches, but for actual meal prep — cooking once and eating all week — portioned glass containers are the better buy.

The whole point of meal prep is making your week easier. A bento box locks in one lunch at a time. That’s great if you’re packing tonight’s work lunch or a kid’s school meal, but you’ll either buy five of them or wash the same one every night. Glass containers with separate compartments (three sections works well) stack better, reheat better, and don’t hold onto yesterday’s curry smell.

If you do want a bento box, get one with fixed dividers, not snap-in plastic bars. Those always fail and let sauce sneak into the next compartment. Stainless steel with a lid that actually seals is fine, but make sure it fits in your fridge and, honestly, your bag.

My rule: bento if you’re packing one meal ahead, glass compartments if you’re eating from it all week.

And if you hate food touching, either beats a Tupperware that forces you to make a tiny wall out of lettuce.