Your lunch box layout isn't the problem. The container is.

The way to keep fish from tainting the rest of your lunch isn’t clever arrangement — it’s putting the fish in its own airtight container before it goes anywhere near the box.

Bento dividers and silicone cups don’t stop odors. Odors travel through air, and the whole box shares one pocket of air. The only thing that actually works is a seal. A small glass or hard plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, packed separately, solves this completely. If the lid clicks, you’re good.

If you’re stuck with one open box, do this: pack the smelly food on top, not buried under everything else. Keep it in a corner, away from things that absorb smells fast — bread, rice, lettuce. And keep the whole box cold. Odor gets much stronger as food warms up, so an ice pack does double duty.

One more thing: pack the fish last. Every minute it’s sitting out at room temp, it’s getting smellier. Straight from the fridge into the sealed container, then into the bag.

Your coworkers will also thank you.