Jar salads beat Tupperware shakes

Packing a salad so it’s actually crisp by lunch comes down to one rule: keep the wet stuff away from the greens until you’re ready to eat.

Your dressing goes in a separate container. Or the bottom of a mason jar with something sturdy between it and the lettuce. Cherry tomatoes, snap peas, shredded carrots, diced cucumber—they can sit in dressing for hours without turning to mush. Greens on top, lid on. When it’s time to eat, shake the jar and dump it into a bowl. That’s the whole trick.

But the sneaky killer isn’t dressing, it’s water on the leaves. If you wash your greens in the morning, dry them properly. A salad spinner or a few pats with a kitchen towel. Damp lettuce wilts even with zero dressing involved. Throw a folded paper towel in the lid or on top of the greens to catch condensation from the fridge.

Do that and you can prep salads on Sunday that hold up all week. No fancy containers, no seasoning packets, no soggy mess.