Scales / The picks
The best portion control containers, for people who'd rather fill than weigh
A portion kit turns a number into a shape: fill the red one, fill the green one, done. Four picks ranked on how repeatable the portion is, what the maker publishes about the capacity, and whether the container also survives a lunch bag.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-page researched, not used by us
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Quick picks
The picks at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Rubric score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  BODi 21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers (7-piece) Color-coded portion kit The only pick here that is actually a portion system: seven color-coded measures from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup. It scores lowest on the container rubric because it isn't a lunch container — the lids seal for a fridge — which is the trade this page is about. | Best portion kit | 5.6 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 |  Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Containers (20-piece) PFAS/BPA-free plastic · 3 compartments The divided tray with embossed cup marks — the kit and the lunch box in one, if the meal is dry enough for a divider. | Best portioned lunch container | 6.1 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 |  Souper Cubes 1-Cup Freezer Tray Silicone tray · steel frame Fill lines at half-cup and 1-cup (and 125 / 250 mL) make every frozen block the same portion. | Best for freezer portions | 7.6 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 4 | Sistema KLIP IT Plus 1 L Rectangle (3 pack) PP plastic · locking clips 4.2 cups, three of them, clips shut — the container as the portion, for a one-size meal. | Best fixed-size box | 7.0 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them; the button checks today's. Order is the author's pick for this page's buyer; the score is the rubric's judgment of the product against its whole category, from the maker's page (or the retailer's, where labeled), not tests — the two can disagree, and the write-up says why. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
How a portion kit works
Each container is a fixed volume assigned to a food group: BODi's green is vegetables at 1 cup, purple fruit at 1 cup, red protein at ¾ cup, yellow carbs at ½ cup, blue fats at ⅓ cup, and the two orange containers seeds and dressings at 2 tablespoons, per the maker's own explainer. A plan tells you how many of each color per day; you fill them level and tip them into your meal container. The point is speed and repeatability, not precision: every Tuesday's rice is the same yellow container as every Monday's.
The kit is a measuring tool, not a lunch box. BODi's page rates the containers microwave and top-rack dishwasher safe and says they nest; it doesn't claim a leak-proof seal and they are too small to carry a meal. You still need real containers, which is where the other three picks come in.
The capacities, in cups
| Container | Published capacity | Portion it makes | Travels? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BODi green / purple | 1 cup | Vegetables / fruit | No — measure and tip |
| BODi red | ¾ cup | Protein | No |
| BODi yellow | ½ cup | Carbs | No |
| BODi blue / orange | ⅓ cup / 2 tbsp | Fats / seeds & dressings | No |
| Bentgo Prep 3-compartment | 2 cups + 1 cup + 1 cup, embossed | A whole lunch | Yes, carried flat |
| Souper Cubes 1-cup tray | ½ and 1 cup fill lines (125 / 250 mL) | Frozen blocks of protein, chili, rice | The blocks do |
| Sistema KLIP IT 1 L | 4.2 cups | The whole meal as one portion | Yes, clipped |
Capacities from the makers' pages (BODi's from its container explainer) linked in Sources.
How precise a cup is
Most people end up using both: the kit on weeknights when the scale feels like homework, and the scale on Sunday when five containers get filled at once. The scale side is on the best food scale for macros.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 01
Stock photoBest portion kit
BODi 21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers (7-piece)
The only pick here that is actually a portion system: seven color-coded measures from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup. It scores lowest on the container rubric because it isn't a lunch container — the lids seal for a fridge — which is the trade this page is about.
EvidenceResearched · not used by us
How the 5.6 score breaks down
- Seal & leak design (25%)
- 3
- Material & thermal range (25%)
- 5
- Lid longevity & replacement availability (15%)
- 5
- Stack / nest footprint (15%)
- 9
- Dishwasher & stain resistance (10%)
- 7
- Value (10%)
- 8
What the spec page supports
- Portion by container instead of by scale on nights you can't face a scale
- Nests into a single stack
- The capacities are published, so the system works with any plan, not only the one it was sold with
Where it falls short
- No leak-proof claim — these aren't for carrying
- Seven small containers; you still need real meal containers
- The color scheme is tied to one program's food groups
Skip this if…
…you already weigh in grams — a 1 g scale is more precise than a cup, and cheaper than a kit plus a scale.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to BODi 21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers (7-piece)
Rank 02
Stock photoBest portioned lunch container
Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Containers (20-piece)
The divided tray with embossed cup marks — the kit and the lunch box in one, if the meal is dry enough for a divider.
EvidenceResearched · not used by us
How the 6.1 score breaks down
- Seal & leak design (25%)
- 4
- Material & thermal range (25%)
- 6
- Lid longevity & replacement availability (15%)
- 5
- Stack / nest footprint (15%)
- 9
- Dishwasher & stain resistance (10%)
- 6
- Value (10%)
- 9
What the spec page supports
- Ten identical trays — one stack, a full work week for two
- Embossed measurements do the portioning without a scale on rushed nights
- 3 oz per tray: the lightest full-meal container here
Where it falls short
- No leak-proof claim from the maker; sauces migrate between compartments when tipped
- Lids are hand-wash recommended
- Thin plastic scratches and clouds over a year of daily use
Skip this if…
…your meals are saucy and travel on their side — divided trays without a gasket are for dry-ish meals carried flat.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Bentgo Prep 3-Compartment Containers (20-piece)
Rank 03
Stock photoBest for freezer portions
Souper Cubes 1-Cup Freezer Tray
Fill lines at half-cup and 1-cup (and 125 / 250 mL) make every frozen block the same portion.
EvidenceResearched · not used by us
How the 7.6 score breaks down
- Seal & leak design (25%)
- 5
- Material & thermal range (25%)
- 9
- Lid longevity & replacement availability (15%)
- 9
- Stack / nest footprint (15%)
- 8
- Dishwasher & stain resistance (10%)
- 8
- Value (10%)
- 7
What the spec page supports
- Portions frozen as blocks you can bag — the tray is reusable, the freezer space isn't wasted
- Steel frame means no sloshing on the way to the freezer
- Lifetime warranty on a silicone product is rare
Where it falls short
- Four cups per tray; a big chili batch needs three trays
- Up to 24 hours to freeze solid per the maker
- The lid is snug, not sealed — freezer only, not transport
Skip this if…
…you want the container to also be the lunch box — this is a freezer tool, and the blocks go into something else to travel.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Souper Cubes 1-Cup Freezer Tray
Rank 04
Stock photoBest fixed-size box
Sistema KLIP IT Plus 1 L Rectangle (3 pack)
4.2 cups, three of them, clips shut — the container as the portion, for a one-size meal.
EvidenceResearched · not used by us
How the 7.0 score breaks down
- Seal & leak design (25%)
- 8
- Material & thermal range (25%)
- 6
- Lid longevity & replacement availability (15%)
- 5
- Stack / nest footprint (15%)
- 8
- Dishwasher & stain resistance (10%)
- 6
- Value (10%)
- 9
What the spec page supports
- Four clips and a flexible seal the maker calls leak proof
- 1 L is a real single-meal size; three nest when empty
- Made in New Zealand with published care rules
Where it falls short
- Microwave without the lid — no vent
- Polypropylene stains and holds odors more than Tritan or glass
- Three per pack; a week needs two packs
Skip this if…
…you reheat with the lid on to stop splatter — Sistema says lid off.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Sistema KLIP IT Plus 1 L Rectangle (3 pack)
Buyer's guide: kit, tray or box
Kit if you follow a color-coded plan or want portions without arithmetic. Divided tray if the meal is protein-carb-vegetable and dry enough to keep apart, and you want the portion built into the lunch box. Fill-line tray if you freeze in batches and want every block the same size. Fixed box if one meal size is your meal size and you want a clip lid on it. The divided-tray ranking is on best 3-compartment containers.
How Meal & Macro scores gear
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Plenty of sites say they packed every container on the list for a week. We didn't, and we say so. What we do instead: read the lid, material and care ratings the maker actually publishes and repeat its wording ("leak-proof", "oven safe to 450°F", "top-rack only"), do the container-fit and ice-pack arithmetic from published dimensions and the USDA's numbers, and score every pick on a public rubric for its category that weights the seal, the material and the fit first. Every figure links to where it came from; where the maker's page would not load we cite a retailer and say so.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not test results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubrics and their weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
What sizes are the 21 Day Fix containers?
Per BODi's explainer: green 1 cup, purple 1 cup, red ¾ cup, yellow ½ cup, blue ⅓ cup, orange 2 tablespoons.
Are portion control containers dishwasher safe?
The BODi kit is top-rack dishwasher safe and microwave safe per its page. The other picks list their own care rules on their cards.
Is a portion kit as accurate as a food scale?
No. A cup varies by packing; a gram doesn't. The kit trades precision for speed and is the right tool when the alternative is not measuring at all.
Keep reading
Related on Meal & Macro
Receipts
Sources
- BODi — Portion Control 7-Piece Container Kit page (colors, BPA/DEHP-free, top-rack dishwasher, nesting) (checked 2026-09-21)
- BODi blog — Understanding the 21 Day Fix Containers (container capacities by color) (checked 2026-09-21)
- Bentgo — Prep 3-Compartment Containers 20-piece page (capacities, dimensions, materials, care) (checked 2026-09-21)
- Souper Cubes — 1-Cup Freezer Tray page (portions, dimensions, silicone with steel frame, oven to 415°F trays only, dishwasher, lifetime warranty) (checked 2026-09-21)
- Sistema — KLIP IT Plus 1 L Rectangle 3 Pack page (capacity, dimensions, leak proof seal, locking clips, care, made in New Zealand) (checked 2026-09-21)
We don't own or use-test this gear and we don't pretend to. Materials, capacities, seals and care ratings come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product) or, where the maker's page would not load, from a retailer listing we label as such. Food-safety numbers are quoted from the USDA and FDA pages linked above. Where a figure isn't published we say so. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Read the full method.