Go flat and stackable

For a standard work fridge, the best lunch boxes are slim, rectangular, stackable containers — not bulky bento boxes or round bowls.

Work fridges are always a mess. The trick is to think in shelf space, not volume. A tall bento box or a wide salad bowl takes up a whole shelf even when it’s half empty. A flat, 2-3 inch deep rectangular container uses less footprint and lets you stack another person’s food on top of yours without drama. That’s the entire game.

Look for containers with straight sides and a small footprint — roughly the size of a paperback book or a sheet of printer paper. Glass works fine if you don’t mind the weight; plastic is lighter and just as stackable. The important thing is that the lid seals and the shape is boring. Skip anything with compartments unless you actually need them. Compartments waste space.

And don’t try to force your lunch into one container. Two small flat boxes stack way better than one big awkward cube. You can always carry them in a tote or a paper bag.

Your coworkers will thank you.