Soft fruit needs its own container. Period.

Soft fruit survives lunch only if you give it a hard-sided container and keep weight off it.

The rule is simple: never stack things on top of berries or avocado. A sandwich, an apple, a yogurt cup — any of that will crush them by noon. Put the soft stuff in a small rigid container (those little glass or plastic meal-prep cubes work great), and place that container on top of the rest of the lunch, not at the bottom.

Also, don’t cram the box full. If the lid has to press down to close, it’s pressing down on your fruit. Leave a little air.

For avocado specifically, keep the pit in, brush the cut side with lemon or lime, and nestle it cut-side down in a snug container so it can’t jiggle around. Berries last better if you line the bottom of their container with a folded paper towel to catch moisture.

If you really want to go the extra mile, wedge the fruit container between things that don’t move, like a sandwich bag and the side of the box, so it doesn’t slide into anything sharp or heavy.

Future berries will thank you.