Keep the wet stuff in the middle

The best way to keep sandwich bread from getting soggy is to build a dry barrier between the bread and everything wet. That means no tomatoes, pickles, or mayo touching bread directly.

For a classic lunch-box sandwich, layer it like this: bread, then a dry barrier (lettuce leaf, slice of cheese, or even a light smear of butter), then the wet stuff (tomato, pickle, mayo), then another barrier, then the top bread. The wet stuff sits in the middle, surrounded. Lettuce is the most reliable barrier; cheese works too but can’t handle super juicy tomatoes as well.

Also, pat your tomato and pickle slices dry with a paper towel before assembling. That does more than you’d think. And if you’re truly paranoid, toast the bread — it won’t taste like a grilled cheese, but it will hold up like armor.

This is not where you save six bucks.