This Ingenious $15 Container Actually Makes Me Want to Bring Lunch to Work (and Is Saving Me So Much Money in the Long Run!)

Whether or not you live in a major metropolitan area, buying your lunch every day can get pricey. For me, packing my lunch when I’m in the office is a more affordable — and often more nutritious — alternative to spending $50 at Taco Bell picking up a salad in downtown Manhattan. However, to make this work, I’ve gone through a slew of meal prep container options, from cheap-o “reusable” meal prep containers (read: You will never, ever get the stains out of these) to super high-quality ceramic and metal containers which I still use to this day. However, the latter two can be pricey, and while it’s a worthwhile investment, sets of expensive meal prep containers might not be a priority in many folks’ budgets. That’s why, when I heard that editor-favorite home and organization brand Yamazaki Home dropped affordable and stylish bento boxes, I had to give them a try. Lo and behold, these lightweight, easy-to-pack bentos are my new favorite meal prep gadgets. 

These chic yet practical bento boxes (available in rectangular and square versions) are meal prep superheroes — besides being sleek, freezable, microwavable, and dishwasher-safe, these easy-to-clean containers have vacuum-sealing valves with a silicone lining to prevent spills, lock in freshness, and keep your lunch or leftovers in tip-top shape. You can use them to pack your daily work or school meals or grab a bunch of them to bring some order to your current refrigerator leftover situation. They also feature removable dividers to keep your food separated, which you can move within the bento boxes to create space for whatever you’re packing. 

Since I pack my lunch when I’m in the office — buying lunch in SoHo every day isn’t easy on the wallet — I’m always on the hunt for lightweight, easy-to-pack meal prep containers that won’t leak. I’ve found a bunch of high-quality options on the market, and the Yamazaki Vacuum-Sealing Bento Boxes are among the best in the game, in my opinion. The vacuum-sealing function is unique and effective, and I don’t worry about the bentos opening up in my lunchbox when I’m commuting.

Personally, I use the square bento as a snack/side dish container and the rectangular bento as a box to hold my main. Each box is great on its own, but snagging both gives you the perfect size for say, a cup of rice, some chicken, and a side of veggies. (Or you could just pack them both full of Thin Mints and call it a day.)