Avocado needs acid and a tight seal. Lettuce needs a damp paper towel.

Avocado browns from oxygen, and lettuce wilts from moisture loss — so the fix is a squeeze of citrus, an airtight container, and a damp paper towel.

For avocado, the acid helps but the real trick is keeping air away. Press plastic wrap directly onto the cut surface before you snap the lid shut, or use a container that fits the avocado snugly. Cut it in the morning, not the night before, and it’ll still be green by lunch. Skip the pit trick — the wrap does more. If you hate lime flavor, skip the acid entirely and just seal it hard.

For lettuce, the problem is usually too dry or too wet. Wash it, spin it dry, then lay a damp — not soaking — paper towel in the container on top of the leaves. That keeps humidity up without drowning them. If it’s already limp, soak it in ice water for ten minutes, dry it gently, then pack.

Last rule: dressing always goes in a separate little container. Dressed lettuce is limp lettuce by noon.

Your future self will take the extra two minutes.