Dressing goes in a separate container. Period.

The only reliable way to keep lettuce crisp until lunch is to keep the dressing out of the salad until you’re ready to eat.

Dressing wilts greens because the oil and acid break down the cell walls. Even a light vinaigrette turns crisp leaves into a wet mess within a couple of hours. So separate them. A bento box with a little sauce cup is perfect. If you don’t have one, a tiny mason jar or a cleaned-out condiment container works just as well.

Second enemy is water. Wash your greens, then spin them dry or pat them with a towel. Damp leaves go limp even without dressing. And stick a folded paper towel in the container to absorb condensation—it acts like a little dehumidifier.

That’s it. Put the dressing in its own thing, dry the greens, add the paper towel. No fancy gadgets, no reusable single-use plastic that you’ll lose.

A salad that’s actually crisp at noon is worth the extra 30 seconds.