I have a microwave at my office space rental, but I'm on the road a lot with my job, so I've looked into many different solutions. There are a variety of options available.

Non-electronic storage:

They make a squattier version of the Thermos you have from RTIC, which is what I sometimes use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DRP86T1

Spoon for size comparison:

https://i.imgur.com/AR4itKB.jpg

It's not so deep that I can't get a spoon in. It'd be nice if it were a little wider, but it does the job. A bit smaller than your Thermos at 17 ounces. Pinnacle Thermoware sells insulated a pretty nice insulated bowl set, if you specifically want a bowl shape:

https://www.amazon.com/Pinnacle-Serving-Salad-Soup-Dish/dp/B07RT1X47C/

If you need more food than just one bowl can hold, Ailijin makes a 2-bowl, single-tote insulated solution: (kind of a round bento-style)

https://www.amazon.com/AILIJIN-Leakproof-Insulated-Stainless-Portable/dp/B07QQ9JYG3/

If you need to heat up a soup before you go to put into an insulated storage container, I use one of these vented microwave mugs, so it doesn't explode all over the inside of my microwave when heating up:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F5IC478/

Electronic storage:

Beyond that, there are 3 common electronic options, depending on what power you have available: (12V in a car or an A/C wall plug)

1. Crockpot Lunch Crock (A/C power)
   
2. RoadPro 300F lunchbox oven (12V car power)
   
3. HotLogic lunchbox oven (A/C power, car-compatible A/C, or 75w+ inverter for car power)
   
   The Crockpot unit is basically like your Thermos, except you plug it in to heat it, and it has a pretty nice wide bowl size. My buddy has one & it's pretty dang handy! My brother has the RoadPro, as he's on the road all day long, and it's super nice because it does a pretty decent job (heats up to 300F, basically like a mini oven), so you can heat up burritos, melt cheesy stuff like lasagna, etc.
   
   The HotLogic is nice because instead of just being a mini portable crockpot, it's also a mini oven, and can be used from a wall plug, a newer-vehicle 2-prong car plug, or with a 75-watt (minimum) inverter. There's a good Facebook group available as well! It heats up to 218F & then holds the food at 180F, so it's more for reheating food than cooking food, like the RoadPro can do (HotLogic says you can cook chicken breast in it in about 2 hours, but ehhh...), but it's also a bit more versatile as you can plug it directly into the wall an hour before lunch & have your food ready to go without needing a microwave or toaster oven.
   
   Homemade soup:
   
   If you're into soup & haven't heard of Souper Cubes, it's basically a silicone ice cube tray with 1/2-cup & 1-cup markings (4 per tray) & lids, plus a wire frame around the top to hold it together, which makes portioning out bulk soup cooks super easy:
   
   https://www.soupercubes.com/
   
   I mean, just look at this insanity:
   
   https://www.instagram.com/p/B0cU_UFBSQp/
   
   Also, if you're into making soups at home, the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) is my BFF...it makes cooking soup a lot faster & more automated (aka easier overall!). Poaching from another one of my posts, here are some soup ideas: (I use the IP for soups, stews, bisques, broths, stocks, etc.)
   
   

• Ham & bean
  
• Vegetable beef
  
• Chili con carne (chili is just thick soup...lol)
  
• Olive Garden's creamy chicken gnocchi
  
• Broccoli cheddar potato soup
  
• Asian chicken noodle
  
  Some ideas for soup toppings & easy no-knead breads:
  
  
• Ranch oyster crackers
  
• Cheese & onion roasted chickpeas
  
• Homemade flavored croutons
  
• Crusty rolls
  
• Ciabatta bread
  
  Also if you're trying to get more veggies in your diet, check out this master guide on making blended soups in the Instant Pot, definitely worth a read:
  
  https://allthenourishingthings.com/make-blended-soup-instant-pot/
  
  I tend to make soup about once a week in my Instant Pot at home, then freeze it in my Souper Cube containers, and keep a stash of different varieties in my freezer so I can just grab one & go. When you have a solid storage system setup (electronic or non-electronic), it makes the whole process pretty dang easy:
  
  

1. Store a variety of soup flavors at home (Souper Cubes or canned soup)
   
2. Heat it up in the vented mug if you need it hot before you leave
   
3. Put it into your container of choice
   
4. Heat up your container (if needed) & enjoy!
   
   For me, it's really about nailing down a solid process & taking care of all of the little annoying details. Like you said, the tall insulated mugs are too small to get a spoon into & eat out of, so you have to find something better that meets the needs of your individual situation better. Then, setting up a system to support convenience means you can always have a variety of soups to grab before you leave the house, whether it's a can that you heat up in a vented mug & store in a food thermos or a frozen Souper Cube that you toss in a Crockpot Lunch Crock & plug in before lunch!

No one has mentioned it yet, but I learned a lot from cook books.

These are not just lists or recipes, but instruction about techniques and methods and processes.

Some good ones are:

• How to Cook Everything: The Basics
  
• Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
  
• Cook's Illustrated Cookbook
  
  Having an actual dead tree book can be more convenient in the kitchen than a laptop or mobile device with an ebook.
  
  If you can find episodes of Good Eats by Alton Brown he is really good at explaining things. Videos can be good, but a lot of times but really only when you know what it is you're looking for. With a book it is going to give you topics that you might never have thought of.
  
  But for reals now, you are going to get the best value learning how to cook the basics. Your Instant pot is AWESOME for cooking dry beans. Get pound of dry black beans and 3 pounds of water (obviously you need a good kitchen scale). I just put the inner pot of my Instantpot on the scale, dump in the beans, tare it, then pour water in with a big cup till I have 3 lbs. Put in 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt. I also add granulated garlic and powdered onion and some cumin but you don't have to. Set your instanpot to manual for 45 mins and wait. Let it naturally release, if you manually release the pressure the skin on the beans will break, to me it still tastes the same but you have far fewer whole beans. Now you have a weeks worth of delicious, healthy black beans. No need for overnight soak or anything.
  
  Small white beans (a.k.a navy beans) can be cooked the same and they taste different but just as good. Or you can add the extra ingredients and make pork and beans.
  
  You can cook pinto beans with the same basic recipe, and they taste great too. When you want to take the extra time, then with a slotted spoon dish the cooked beans into a large frying pan with some lard or shortening and make your own refried beans. You smash the beans with the back of the spoon or a spatula, and use the bean broth to add liquid till you like the texture.
  
  If you can't tell I like cooking beans in my Instantpot. I have a rice cooker but you can cook rice in the Instantpot too. Beans and rice is healthy and cheap!!! (cook them separately and mix them after cooking).
  
  

Fall is in full swing which means it's PUMPKIN time! This muffins are made with coconut flour and almond flour and sweetened with monk fruit and allulose. So tasty and just 3g net carb, 1g of sugar, and 170 calories per muffin.

Recipe Source: Low Carb Keto Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (includes pictures, tips, and full nutrition facts)

RECIPE: GLUTEN FREE & KETO PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

SERVINGS: 12 MUFFINS (170 CALORIES EACH)

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

BAKE TIME: 25 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

We were able to grab all of our ingredients from a local Walmart, but you can find the ingredients in most grocery stores or online on Amazon.

• 1/2 cup (56g) Coconut flour (we used Walmart’s Great Value Organic Coconut Flour)
  
• 1/2 cup (56g) Blanched almond flour (we used Nature’s Eats Blanched Almond Flour but Blue Diamond Almond Flour works as well)
  
• 2/3 cup (140g) AlluMonk Allulose & Monk Fruit Sweetener (Hoosier Hill Farms Allulose is also a viable choice if you want to skip the monk fruit; Lakanto’s Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol is another option)
  
• 1 Tablespoon (14g) Baking powder
  
• 1 Tablespoon (6g) Pumpkin pie spice (we used Walmart’s Great Value Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon (3g) Sea salt
  
• 4 large Eggs (200g)
  
• 3/4 cup (180g) Pumpkin puree (we used Walmart’s Great Value 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin)
  
• 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) Unsalted butter
  
• 1 teaspoon (4.3g) Vanilla extract (we used McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract)
  
• 1/4 cup (45g) Unsweetened chocolate chips (we used Bake Believe Dark Chocolate Chips, but Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips or Pascha 100% Cacao Chips could also work!)
  
  

  INSTRUCTIONS
  

  
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line your muffin baking pan with 12 muffin baking cups.
   
2. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds to soften, but it should not be melted if possible. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and vanilla extract until completely incorporated.
   
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut flour, almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Make sure there are no clumps. Stir into wet mixture.
   
4. Stir in your chocolate chips.
   
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups and smooth the tops. (They should be almost full, not 2/3 or 3/4 full)
   
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are very slightly golden around the edges.
   
   Recipe Source: Low Carb Keto Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I use 2 to 3 cups of rice which probably makes for about 10 - 18 servings. I typically have a bowl of rice every few days or so, which it's up lasting me about 2 weeks. If I'm sharing with a group it'll last less time of course. This is the exact cooker I have, https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPC-600-Electric-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B000MPA044/ref=sr_1_4?crid=22OPXIM6VHEJ1&keywords=pressure+cooker+cuisinart&qid=1562420388&s=gateway&sprefix=pressure+cooker+cuisinar%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-4 , but there are others out there. Instant Pot seems to be the most common one out there these days but I've had this one prior to that one came to the market.

​

If you do get one, which you definitely should, i HIGHLY recommend checking out this website, https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/ . It's been a lifesaver in terms of cooking near-perfect meals, like rice, meats, etc. Their recipes are written using the scientific method, meaning they experiment with different techniques (quick release value vs natural release; more vs less time, etc). It's been hugely valuable in terms of getting your food to come perfect. I guarantee if you follow their instructions you'll come out with the same results that they do, or close to it. Serious eats also has some nice articles on pressure cookers.

I don't have exactly what you're looking for, but there are some pretty great bento books that let you make and freeze sides that you can mix and match with fresh or other frozen things to make a balanced, quick lunch in the morning. The two I have are Effortless Bento and The Just Bento Cookbook.

​

I know that's not exactly what you mean, but it's the closest resource that I use.

This Tupperware! I loved it so much I bought 5! I’ve seen them everywhere from target, Tj Maxx, to even my local grocery store!

Sistema To Go Collection Salad Compact Food Storage Container, 4.6 Cup, Blue | Great for Meal Prep | BPA Free, Reusable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R97IJ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RWhyDbZVDQWQP

You can get containers that screw on. I think ziplock has some?

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077FXNWGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jZvlDbCWE6R0C


I second the glass containers though as well, just don't get the snapware lids. Pyrex has some on Amazon that are an entirely rubber like lid that are glass. I know a few people with them and they are pretty quite.

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157G34AY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lYvlDbQR0985G

I hope you find something!

Amazon also has some decent-priced containers:

[18 PACK VALUE] MiscHome 2 Compartment Meal Prep Containers | 32 Oz. Two Compartment Food Storage Containers with Lids | BPA Free Bento Boxes | Stackable Meal Prep Containers Two Compartment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BF3KBF9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0S6mDbGFY2WCW

And

Enther Meal Prep Containers [20 Pack] 36oz 3 Compartment with Lids, Food Storage Bento Box BPA Free/Reusable/Stackable Lunch Planning, Microwave/Freezer/Dishwasher Safe, Portion Control, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072B9F7W4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eU6mDbCB17HHZ

Some tips/comments for anyone interested in doing something similar:

• Make sure you have enough freezer space. Our fridge freezer can only hold about 30 boxes (and that's if it's crammed full), so we had to buy a small standalone freezer to hold the rest.
  
  
• Pick meals that freeze & reheat well. I didn't do that the first time around, and had a couple of meals that were not so great. Pasta seems to freeze and reheat really well, for example. Cream or cheese based recipes...not so much. This time around I did some research online to get an idea of what works well - lots of people out there with tips and suggestions on freezer meals.
  
  
• Next time we do this, we plan to split it out over two days, just so that it doesn't turn into a whole day effort. Day one: brownies, one meal, and any cutting/prep we can do. Second day will be the rest of the meals, and plating.
  
  
• If you have a slowcooker, that's a good way to do one meal with minimal effort.
  
  
• We basically used every pot, pan, and cooking utensil in the house.
  
  
• The boxes we used are these ones. The lids are a bit of a pain to get on, but once on properly, they work fine.
  
  
• We use a dry erase marker to write down the meal name and the date.
  
  
• Cost: can't be exact, but this was roughly $150 at the store (with some non-prep groceries mixed in that total, so I'd estimate closer to $130 for just these meals). We're still filling in some blanks in our pantry, too, like sugar/flour, some spices, etc., so some of those are upfront costs that will apply to future recipes, rather than being a normal monthly cost. I'd estimate, though, that if this month and last month are typical, that it will cost roughly $100 - $130 a month to do 5 separate meals.

Check out these things. They work quite well at keeping food hot/warm. Takes an extra 10 min in the morning to warm everything up, but last for awhile and you can portion things out for easy calorie count.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000246GSE/

Step 1: buy lunchbox with a freezer pack in it. PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag with Zip Closure, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJ8DFGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sQmezbTR9MCBN


Step 2: buy meal prep containers. btw these meal prep containers fit in the lunchbox I linked you and to give you an idea of the size of the lunchbox, that's the only thing that will fit in there. Meal Prep Haven 3 Compartment Food Containers with Airtight Lid, Bento Box, Fitness Lunch Box for Meal Prep, 21 Day Fix and Portion Control, Set of 7 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011SY4P9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ARmezbD10DBBX


Step 3: buy food. You say you don't want to do any prepping which is fine but if that's the case buy applegate chicken breast. Not very high in sodium but not very low either. If you have the energy for just a litttttle bit of prep, try a rotisserie chicken. You will have to cut it up initially when you get it but once it's done, it's done for the whole week. You can eat this cold too if you don't have access to a microwave. Get canned vegetables. Rinse them off, it will lower the sodium content. Get fruit and vegetable platters that people get for parties, they are pre cut already. Other sides that do not need to be prepared can include string cheese, yogurt, mixed nuts (unsalted), granola bars, protein bars, veggie chips, boiled eggs, guacamole, hummus (this hummus company has their hummus paired with like pretzel chips on the bottom it's really just an open and eat thing).


Step 4: distribute into your meal prep containers

I use this and it is so amazing. I literally use it every day I have to work. It has three compartments. One is for soup (or a wet/saucy food), the largest is for whatever else you want to keep hot, and then there is one for warm/room temperature items. It’s a great lunch container system!

Big fan of these; definitely go with glass

https://www.amazon.com/Containers-Compartment-BPA-Free-Microwave-Dishwasher/dp/B07GXF1NN5/ref=sr_1_38?crid=3E8RFUL49ZHJH&keywords=meal+prep+containers&qid=1557373930&s=gateway&sprefix=meal+pre%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-38

I use these... They work great prevent balsamic vinegar from leaking

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07GXF1NN5/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Get one of these (or similar) fat separators. Put your pan drippings or whatever else in. It lets you pour out the liquid, while keeping the fat behind.

Or just heat it up, melt the fat, and enjoy the flavor!

Sure! Here's a link:

​

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B012UNPNNI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like these come in a couple different sizes.

I’ve found that the glass Rubbermaid containers like these are quiet.

Pyrex Simply Store Glass Rectangular and Round Food Container Set (18-Piece, BPA-free) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157G34AY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8bPkDbRGTDN7D

https://www.amazon.com/PackIt-Freezable-Lunch-Closure-Black/dp/B00HJ8DFGC

Use something like this.

I use the Oxo brand ones and amazon sells at least some of the sizes individually.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Smart-Rectangle-Container/dp/B019F079F4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=oxo+glass+food+storage+containers&qid=1569192056&sprefix=oxo+gl&sr=8-4

Thank you for the replies, guys! I bought this set on Amazon for 44$. 10 glass containers with lids. Dunno if links are allowed but if they are I'll leave it below just in case someone is interested.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WXN5QW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OYRpDbP8KK7DC

Edit: wrong link

https://www.amazon.com/SETS-VALUE-Compartment-Glass-Containers/dp/B078WXN5QW/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1543527988&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=glass+food+prep+containers&dpPl=1&dpID=51XhEQ713bL&ref=plSrch

Pyrex 3-Cup Rectangle Food Storage Container (Value Pack of 6 Containers) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012UNPNNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QnhVAb4PE4W9Y

Nordic Ware 64702 Microwave 2 Cavity Egg Poacher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004W4UR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_l25YDb56HCDK0