Ever thought about packing your salad in a mason jar or using cupcake cases to organise your lunchbox? Mix up your lunchtime routine with these handy hacks and tips.

Say goodbye to soggy lettuce with one simple step: use a small jam jar or well-sealed plastic pot to store your dressing. Salads are always best dressed at the last minute.

Even if you're not dressing your salad, separate crunchy elements like nuts, seeds and croutons. If you've prepped your packed lunch the night before, they'll absorb moisture from any vegetables and quickly lose their texture.

Chunky and heavy mason jar salads are better in theory than in practice, but they do provide a useful tip: salad layering. Keep your greens crisp by starting with grains, carbohydrates and sauces, then layering chunky vegetables beneath more delicate ingredients.

Prefer something more substantial than a salad? Bento-style lunchboxes are the perfect way to split everything from rice and curry or couscous and chicken to carrot sticks and dip.

Cupcake cases are surprisingly handy when it comes to organising your lunch. Minimise waste by investing in silicone cases – not only can you reuse them, but you can also freeze food in the cases and then put them straight into your lunchbox to defrost.

Homemade miso noodle pots are an easy lunch and great way to use up leftover vegetables. Start with a packet of instant miso ramen noodles and pimp them up to your heart's desire. We love this recipe, which adds peas, carrots, spring onion and corn. 

Don't throw away the spare soy sauce packets that came with your last desk-side sushi. Put them to work pepping up bland noodles, leftover stir-fries and broth-style soups.

Under-seasoned lunches are simple to correct, if you've got the tools to hand. Stock up on salt, pepper and sugar and you might be surprised how often you find yourself using them.

Limit the amount of vegetable juice seepage by soaking up extra moisture from sliced tomato or cucumber before adding to sandwiches. It’s also a good idea to spread some sort of fat such as butter, cheese or mayo directly onto the bread first – this acts as a barrier against moist ingredients.

To avoid fillings overhanging the edge of your sandwich, cut two round slices of meat in half. Lay the first two halves with their curved edges touching, then the second two halves crossways, also with the curved edges touching.

If you’re preparing sandwiches for the next day, learn how to prevent them from drying out. Keep the bread fresh by storing them in an airtight plastic container: cover with wax paper then place a damp piece of kitchen paper under the lid.

You can't beat just-cooked crispy bacon in a BLT. But what do you do without access to a stove? Simply microwave the rashers on high between two paper towels for around three minutes and build your sandwich at the last minute.

There's nothing more frustrating than spending ages making the perfect sandwich, only to have it fall apart before lunch. Use string and wax paper to keep the fillings in place.

You can now make toasted cheese sandwiches in a conventional toaster. Reusable toaster bags keep molten cheese and mess neatly contained. They're also useful if you suffer from allergies, as they prevent the bread coming into contact with leftover crumbs.

Forget sandwiches and salads, prep dishes in bulk and your lunchbox can be packed with anything from chilli to mac ‘n’ cheese. Whether you prefer brownies and banana bread or tomato soup and pasta bakes, these are our 30 favourite batch-cook recipes. 

If you're batch-cooking soup, portion it into lunch-size portions straight away. Either freeze them or keep them in the fridge to minimise fuss in the morning.

Muffin trays aren't just for muffins. One of our favourite hacks is using them to make snack-sized omelettes. Simply bake your favourite omelette mixture in a medium-hot oven for 20–25 minutes, then reheat in the microwave before you eat.

Microwaving baked potatoes from raw just doesn’t cut it. Instead, prep them the night before by slow-baking in an oven with a little olive oil and salt. Just use the microwave to reheat them, and they'll stay perfectly crispy.

Don't just reheat last night's leftovers: turn them into something new. These are 18 of our favourite recipes, including stuffed peppers, roast vegetable pasta and the ultimate roast chicken sandwiches. 

Frozen grapes are the ideal lunchbox treat on hot summer days. Eat them partially thawed, or pop them in your drink as a replacement for ice.

Brownies are a great way to sneak fruit into your lunchbox. Cherries, strawberries and raspberries all work well, or you could try this recipe for antioxidant-rich chocolate and beetroot brownies.

Got ten minutes to spare? There's simply no end to the mug cake variations you can make in a microwave. Start with this four-step coffee and chocolate cake and experiment from there.

Fancy a barista-style coffee to round off your lunch? Try this trick to elevate the humblest of cappuccinos. Fill a jar halfway with milk, screw on the lid and shake. Once frothy, remove the lid and microwave on full power for 30 seconds. Your froth should double in size.

Yogurt is a great lunchbox filler, but by the time it gets to lunchtime without a fridge it can look a little worse for wear. Try freezing your yogurt the night before and taking it out in the morning. By midday, you should have a thawed yogurt that’s nicely chilled.

Frozen bottles of water will stay cool until lunch, and act as an ice-pack. Keep a few bottles in the freezer so they're ready to grab and go.