Hard container plus paper towel beats any padded lunch box

The trick is a rigid container lined with paper towel, packed so fruit doesn’t rattle — not a special insert.

Berries and peaches bruise when they slam into each other or the side of the bag. So give them a fixed space: a hard plastic or stainless steel container. Skip the collapsible silicone ones — they flex, which is exactly what you don’t want.

The paper towel does most of the work. It cushions and absorbs moisture, so berries stay dry and peaches don’t sit in their own juice. For a peach, wrap it in paper towel and lay it crown up. For berries, one layer is ideal; if that doesn’t fit, don’t pile them deep. Then put the fruit at the top of the lunch bag, never under anything heavy. And don’t swing the bag like a weapon.

A regular container with a snug fit is all you need. The padding is just a paper towel you were going to throw away anyway.

This is one of those cases where a few extra seconds saves a perfectly good snack.