Meal Prep Mistakes Chefs Wish You’d Stop Making

Meal prep is supposed to make your week easier, but a few small missteps can turn carefully planned recipes into soggy, flavorless leftovers. According to professional chefs, the biggest mistakes are all too easy to make, whether that’s using the wrong storage containers or prepping food too far in advance. We asked culinary pros to break down the most common meal prep mistakes they want you to stop making. Plus, they shared the smart, practical food storage solutions they rely on to keep meals fresh, flavorful, and worth looking forward to throughout the week.

Mistake: Using Plastic Containers

Solution: Storing in Glass Containers

“For meal prep, I like glass storage containers better than plastic. Glass doesn’t stain or absorb strong smells the way plastic can. Rubbermaid lidded glass containers are the best I’ve found. They’re oven-safe, so food can go straight from the refrigerator to the oven without dirtying another dish. I use the large rectangular containers for meals with more volume, like soups and grain bowls, and the flatter square containers for ingredients that I store separately as components for a larger dish.” — Marissa Stevens, recipe developer and founder, Pinch and Swirl

Mistake: Packing Warm Food

Solution: Letting Ingredients Cool

“Never add warm food to meal prep containers. This creates steam and condensation, which makes your meals mushy and spoils them quickly as they sit in the fridge. Let the warm ingredients cool to room temperature before adding them to their storage containers. Letting the ingredients cool keeps crispy ingredients delicious and preserves your meals. These glass meal prep containers are my favorite.” — Emmy Clinton, founder, Entirely Emmy

Mistake: Cooking Crispy Proteins Too Far in Advance

Solution: Cooking Crispy Proteins Last

“A meal with crispy ingredients like breaded chicken won’t last as long as other types of recipes. If you want a meal with crisp ingredients, prep things like the marinades and other ingredients, but cook the crispy ingredients right before you enjoy the meal. I use a meat thermometer to be sure I’m cooking proteins to the correct temperature.” — Emmy Clinton

Mistake: Prepping With Dull Knives

Solution: Using a Sharp Chef’s Knife

“A quality chef’s knife is essential for meal prep. A dull knife is not only dangerous but also highly frustrating. No one wants to slice and dice with what feels like a butter knife. A chef’s knife has a curved blade, which allows a smooth rocking motion. The sharp blade requires less effort and allows for cutting a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs.” — Lindsey Schoenfeld, registered dietitian nutritionist and co-founder, To Taste

Mistake: Mystery or Forgotten Foods

Solution: Using Reusable Labels

“Labeling and dating [meal prep containers] may sound like overkill, but when it’s staring you in the face, you might grab it. Stop asking, ‘What is this and when did I make it?’ Try these labels and enjoy the magic of using your food, then wash off the label for another use of the container.” — Lindsey Schoenfeld

Mistake: Prepping Too Far in Advance

Solution: Prepping With Purpose

“Most home cooks prep everything too far in advance and treat it like a chore instead of part of the cooking. Ingredients get chopped hours too early, stored improperly, and lose texture, aroma, and flavor before they ever hit the pan. [Instead], prep with purpose. Cut ingredients close to the moment you’ll use them, store them correctly, and separate items based on moisture, acidity, and fragility. Treat it like part of the cooking and not a chore. Clear, airtight glass containers let you see what you’ve prepped and preserve freshness without absorbing odors.” — Joe Nierstedt, chef and co-owner, Katsubō, Charleston