Sushi for lunch works if you split it up

Packing sushi for lunch is totally doable — the trick is keeping the fish cold and keeping the rice from turning into a hockey puck.

Safety first, because this is raw fish: it needs to stay under 40°F until you eat it. A decent ice pack in an insulated lunchbox does the job. If it’s been out of the fridge more than two hours (one hour on a hot day), don’t risk it.

The real enemy is the rice. Sushi rice gets hard and chalky when it’s chilled, and it dries out fast. Best move: pack the rice and fish in separate containers and assemble at your desk. Takes thirty seconds and tastes like it was made that morning.

If you can’t do that and you’re packing assembled nigiri or rolls, lay a barely-damp paper towel over the rice — not the fish — to keep it from drying out. And spring for a leakproof mini container for soy sauce, or just grab the packets from your last takeout order.

A little separation is all it takes. Cold fish, soft rice, no sad desk lunch.