Another freezer question! Has anyone found the perfect tuperware for the freezer and how do you work out portion size?

[Toowittoowoo]

Getting things ready in advance of my big batch cook preparing for DC2 and I realised that my assortment of tupperware are all different sizes and as I'm rubbish at estimating portion size sometimes the portions in the freezer are huge and i end up wasting loads while other times we are still hungry.

Has anyone found the perfect tupperware for freezing stuff in? I'm looking at feeding 2 adults and a 3 year old but we all have fairly healthy appetite so I don't want to make the portions too small!!!!

Use freezer bags - if you use a recipe and you divide it up then it usually serves 4. So you half it and add a bit. If for instance I was making a big batch of bolognaise then I use the icecream containers (the 1 litre ones) This portion will feed two adults and 2 young children. If you use your ladle you can imagine popping it on a plate and this also works for me.

I use containers that use a lock 'n' lock system. My local pound shop sells 3 for a £1 and the quality is pretty good. I suggest you weigh a portion before you eat it.

I keep the plastic tubs that Chinese/indian takeaway comes in. The shallow ones are 1 portion, the deep ones are 2. And theyre free (assuming you're not buying the takeaway just for the tubs!). You can usually buy them in pound shops if you don't like or want takeaway.

Ecuse - I have been using the old chinese take away containers but it never seems to be enough food anymore (I obviously entirely blame the 3 year old!!). I've just poured water in one of our big ones and they seem to 600ml.

I have also measured a portion of bolognese that I have just defrosted for tea tonight in another container and that seems to be 700ml. I suppose I will find out when we eat it if 700ml is enough and that should help.

Gosh - this is all a bit scientific! Don't think I'll do anyone googling on portion size as I'm sure it'll turn out that we eat far too much....

Chinese boxes do two adults packed with dense stuff like spag bol. Lakeland do sets of small boxes as do pound shops, some times that do 1 toddler.

Calodor or Kelly's ice cream boxes, may do all three of you.

I'm not allowed to hide the decent lock and seal boxes in the freezer, because the DDs use them for sandwiches.

Home bargains sell takeaway type containers that you can use in freezer, microwave and dishwasher. £1.50 ish for 5. Sit nicely in the freezer, labelled with contents otherwise you end up eating freezer surprise.

I do use take away boxes, or also freezer bags. Unless you are freezing the pasta as well, surely a 1 litre ice cream box is too much for 2 adults and a 3 yo?

DH is a chef so likes to batch cook. Bolognaise is one of our staples. We usually get 10 bags of sauce into a rage ice cream tub for storing in the freezer. Of that, I use 1 each for DH or myself and usually two for my 3 DC (aged 9, 6 and almost 3).

I always use the same serving spoon when bagging up the sauce, and I put in one very heaped spoon of sauce (I can heap it as it is cold when I bag it so not as fluid IYSWIM)

Please don't think that we are eaters of small portions, we really aren't. The DC can really put it away too.

I would say the small take away containers are a single portion if adding something to it, such as pasta added to a container of sauce, or a large one is one adult portion if it already contains the pasta.

Sorry, a large tub will hold 10 of our bags of sauce.