Glass meal-prep containers are the answer.

If you want to freeze and microwave without transferring, get Glasslock or Pyrex Snapware.

Plastic is lighter, but it stains, warps, and holds onto last week’s chili smell no matter how many times you wash it. Glass doesn’t. It goes straight from the freezer to the microwave, and you’re not washing an extra plate or bowl afterward. The tempered glass handles the temperature swing fine as long as you don’t do anything dumb like throwing a frozen block under the broiler.

Get the rectangular ones with tight snap-lock lids, not the round soup jars. Flat and wide reheats more evenly than tall and deep. And yes, you know this, but pop the lid off before you hit start — the air vent only does so much.

Your future self gets a clean lunch with zero extra dishes.