Glass is the safest bet, #5 plastic works too.

Glass or #5 polypropylene plastic — those are your two options if you want a lunch box that handles both the freezer and the microwave without drama.

Glass is the easy answer. Tempered glass takes cold and heat fine, won’t stain, won’t smell like last week’s curry. Just don’t screw the lid on tight when you freeze (pressure builds up) and leave it cracked or off when you microwave. Also, don’t be dramatic about going straight from freezer to microwave — it’s fine, but letting it sit on the counter for five minutes is nicer to the glass.

If you want plastic, check the recycling triangle on the bottom and look for a 5. That’s polypropylene, and it’s the only common plastic that’s honestly both microwave-safe and freezer-safe. #1 containers are freezer-safe but melt in the microwave. #7 is a grab bag, usually not safe. If there’s no number, don’t trust it.

One catch with plastic: the lids are usually the weak point. They’re also #5, but they stain and warp eventually, so expect to replace lids faster than bases. And skip melamine entirely — it looks nice but it’s not microwave-safe, no matter what the listing says.

The “microwave safe” symbol and the snowflake symbol on the bottom are the real stamps of approval. If you see them both, you’re good. Anything else is a gamble.

Future-you on Sunday night will thank you.