You only need three lunch box accessories

For most people, only three lunch box accessories are worth buying: a leakproof sauce container, a compact utensil set, and a slim ice pack.

Skip the cheap snap-lid sauce cups from the grocery store. They leak in a backpack, no exceptions. Get the screw-top silicone ones — the 2-ounce size covers dressing, hummus, or salsa for most lunches. One or two of those is all you need.

Utensils: check your lunch box first. Most decent ones now have a fork and spoon built into the lid. If yours doesn’t, grab a basic stainless set in a clip case. Avoid the fancy bamboo — it’s heavier and annoying to clean. Add chopsticks only if you actually eat rice bowls.

For ice packs, the thin flexible gel ones beat the hard brick style. They bend around your food and pack tighter. Buy two so one is always in the freezer, and store them flat or they’ll freeze lumpy.

Cold lunch beats warm lunch. Your sandwich deserves better.