Dry greens are the whole game.

Keeping salad greens crisp in a lunch box comes down to one thing: keep water away from the leaves.

The soggy culprit is almost never time. It’s moisture. If you washed your greens and didn’t spin them bone-dry, they’re basically marinating in tap water for four hours. Use a salad spinner and really commit to it. If you’re a towel-dryer, rub them dry like you actually mean it.

The second killer is dressing. Never pour it on in the morning. Pack it in a small separate container and toss at lunch. Or use the mason jar trick: dressing at the bottom, then hearty stuff like chickpeas or carrots, greens on top. The leaves stay dry until you shake it.

Wet toppings are the sneaky third one. Tomatoes and cucumber will sog out everything around them. Either pack them separately or put a paper towel in the container to soak up condensation — it genuinely works. Swap it out if you’re packing for the next day.

One more thing: don’t overstuff the box. Crushed greens bruise, and bruised leaves turn slimy fast.

Throw a paper towel in there and keep the dressing in its own container. That’ll get you through lunch.