Keeping Sandwiches From Getting Soggy

I like to use the mayo to moisten the bread, and my kids don't find that it is soggy. Perhaps you use a lot, and if so perhaps you should package it separately.

When I pack sandwhiches for my grandsons lunch I put his catsup and or mustard in small squeeze bottles you buy for when you travel, for shampoo or body soap. You buy them empty and they are about 2 inches tall and usually found in the sample section at Walmart or Target. He Likes his small catsup and mustard containers.

Scope out the inside seeds out of the tomato and chop up and use between the ham and cheese etc.

I use a longer piece of plastic wrap and when the sandwich is completely wraped then I put the lettuce and tomato pickle etc and continue wrapping. No soggy

When I am at a fast food place, I take a few extra packs of ketchup or mustard or etc.

I bought one small, cheap plastic container to send pickles or tomatoes with the lunch, or a small zip top bag would work just as well.

All these suggestions seem great and useful for many reasons but I simply butter both pieces of bread and then add my tuna or lunch meat and I'm done. For tomato and other veggies a separate container (like a zipper sandwich bag has always worked for me), however the plastic containers seem to me to be more economical in the long run as they can be reused. Good advise from all !

1. Separate containers for bread/meat/cheese and veggies/tuna. Use small re-usable containers rather than plastic wrap or baggies, since the wraps and baggies will almost certainly go directly into a landfill.

2. Pick up a big box of condiment packets at Sam's Club, Costco, Big Lots, or other bulk discount store. They come in ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and sometimes pickle relish. Each box will last several months.

3. Leave off the tomatoes because they do cause sogginess, but include lettuce, and also a little pickle, maybe.

4. Make a "dry" sandwich of bread, meat or cheese, lettuce, and side-packets of condiments (see #2). Then include a separate container with a bit of cucumber-tomato salad (no lettuce -- that adds bulk, but not a lot of nutrients) or fruit salad. Don't forget a fork! Sam's Club has a pack of 36 forks for something like $7 or $8, ditto with spoons, and about $13 for 36butter knives. If your child has her own utensils, she's less likely to forget and leave them somewhere, especially if there's a convenient place in her lunch box to put them.

5. If the kid just loves tomatoes and other soggy sandwich ingredients, make toast the night before (or make a whole loaf of toast on Sunday) by laying the bread in the oven on the lowest setting for an hour. It will dry out a LOT and become very crispy. That way, when you put the tomato slice on in the morning, the bread will be soft but not horribly soggy by lunch time.

Put the tomato in a separate baggy and use mayo packets. I just grab a couple from the gas station when I get my coffee in the morning.

I had this same problem so I put the ice pack in a ziplock bag and put a folded paper towel between the ice pack and the sandwich. I haven't had a soggy sandwich since.

And if msconni1's idea doesn't work for you try adding your condiments just before eating. All you need is very small tupperware containers and a knife.

Leave off the condiments and tomatoes, lettuce, etc. if you use those. Put them in a separate sandwich bag. The bread is absorbing the moisture from the "wet" stuff.

It might not be the ice pack, but the sandwich ingredients. Try lightly toasting the breqad and spread with butter. Then add the meat, cheese, what ever. If you have tomato, don't put it in the sandwich but in a separate bag. Then bag the sandwich in plastic or waxed paper.

The only time I had a similar problem was when the ice pack itself was leaking. Ice packs are filled with chemicals that might not be good to have around food. I threw mine away and bought another for only $1. These smaller ice packs are available just about everywhere and are worth the money. I have two, one for in the insulated lunch bag and the other for in the freezer to use the next day. Recycling at its best!

Answers:

No More Soggy Sandwiches

Tired of soggy sandwiches? Instead of making the sandwich before you leave, pack the sandwich ingredients separately. Put the bread, meat and cheese in one bag or container and the lettuce and tomato in another. Use small reusable condiment containers to bring your favorite condiments. It will only take a minute or two to put the sandwich together and it will never be soggy. (07/15/2005)

By ThriftyFun

Packing a Lunch - Not Soggy Sandwiches

I do pack the lettuce separately but I put the cheese & meat against the bread. And then I put the mayo/mustard on the cheese or meat. As long as it's not on the bread they don't get soggy. (07/15/2005)

By Vicki

Packing a Lunch - Not Soggy Sandwiches

This works with tuna sandwiches as well - pack 2 slices of bread, but put the tuna/mayo filling mixture in a small tub (half cup size Rubbermaid worked well for me) and then put the sandwich together at lunchtime. No more soggy sandwiches, and it stops your lunch box from getting that fishy smell, too! (07/19/2005)

By Nicola

Packing a Lunch Without a Soggy Sandwich

Vicki has the right idea. I layer my sandwiches in this order- 1st a drier meat such as salami or Genoa, then juicier meats such as ham or roast beef. Be sure to lay the whole slice out against 2 slices of bread. Add condiment, fold over the other half of the meat on top, add another layer of drier meat, and then cheese. You can then just remove the top slice and throw on your separate veggies at a later time. Be sure to wrap sandwich in a paper towel before putting in a Tupperware container. Perfect sandwich every time, I can even make them the night before and enjoy the next day. (04/08/2008)

By KMC