Your salad needs a dressing jail

The best way to pack a salad is to keep the dressing completely separate and toss a dry paper towel in the container.

Dressing is the enemy. It wilts leaves in minutes. That little plastic sauce cup or a small jar with a tight lid is non-negotiable. Add it at lunchtime, not at 7 a.m.

The second biggest mistake is water. If you wash your leaves, dry them like you mean it — salad spinner, then pat down. Wet leaves turn to mush in a sealed box. The paper towel trick is real: one dry sheet on top absorbs the moisture that collects in the container and keeps everything crisp for hours.

Pack hard stuff on the bottom (carrots, cucumber, tomatoes), leaves on top, and don’t cram it airtight. Leaves need a little breathing room. If your container has a vent, use it.

The dressing goes in last, right before you eat. Otherwise you’re just making soup with extra steps.

Future You deserves crisp lettuce.