How To Choose The Right Salad Container
Here are a few tips to consider before you buy a salad container.
But What About All Of Those Mason Jar Salads
Mason jar salads like these ones are popular. The idea is that you put the dressing in first so it sits at the bottom of the jar. Then add all of the salad ingredients.
As long as the jar doesnt tip or tilt much, the salad should stay fairly dry. When youre ready to eat, dump out the contents onto a plate.
This isnt a great solution because:
The dressing isnt completely separated from the ingredient. Soggy salad potential.
You have to use a plate or bowl to actually eat the salad. Unless you want to feel like youre playing that game Operation every time you try to stick your fork into the jar for a bite.
Smartplanet Deluxe Collapsible Green Salad Bowl Kit
This lunch container hits the trifecta of functionality: it has a large main compartment, separate compartments for toppings, and a dressing container. It also includes a spork, the world’s greatest utensil. But the best thing about this container? It collapses, making it infinitely easier to store at home, and great for slipping in your bag at the end of the day.
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Best To Transform Your Mason Jars
Price: $9.99
Do you have a cabinet full of mason jars? Then you may already have your salad container. This silicone divider cup with form an extra leakproof compartment on your wide-mouth mason jars.
Mason jars are versatile, durable, and widely available. This divider cup has a lip that fits right under their lid. When the lid is tightened, the silicone is flexible enough that it will squeeze down and form a tight seal. The divider is dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe.
Because this will fit on any wide mouth mason jar, you can use this with multiple different jar sizes. I could see these dividers being incredibly convenient if you have a large stash of mason jars that you use for all things food storage. Or if you already use mason jars for your salads. These dividers are much more effective at keeping your greens fresh and dry than leaving dressing at the bottom of the jar.
The Good
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Can be used with existing wide mouth mason jars, regardless of jar size
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No need to buy an extra container if you already have mason jars
The Bad
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Price is on the higher end if you need to buy a mason jar too
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Less compartments than other containers on this list that were designed specifically for salads
Best for you if: You use mason jars for all of your food storage and already have a large supply of them.
Best Budget Salad Container
Price: $8.26
I used these containers to take salads to work for years. Are they perfect? No. But, theyre also a fraction of the price of the other containers on this list.
The container comes with an small cup that snaps into the bottom of the lid. Its pretty clever for storing dressings.
The main container is the smallest one on this list at 4 cups. So, you wont be fitting a huge salad.
They dont claim to be leakproof, but the lid fits fairly snug. Salads would stay fresh for 3 or so days when I used them. Not too shabby for just over $2 per container. This is great if you like to make store multiple days of lunches. They are dishwasher safe.
These arent going to look new or last forever, but theyll get the job done. Especially, for light duty use.
The Good
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Clever design for storing dressings
The Bad
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Not entirely leakproof
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Less durable and long lasting compared to more expensive containers
Best for you if: You are on a tight budget or you like to prep and store multiple salads at once.
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Here Are The Best Salad Containers So You Dont Have To Eat Anymore Soggy Lunches
You know how it goes
You went through the trouble to make extra salad from dinner the night before. Now youre ready to eat it for lunch at work.
And you open up your leftover container to a horrible scene of slimy greens that is straight out of a Ghostbusters movie. So much for that enjoyable lunch during your busy and stressful day at work.
The culprit?
Dressing your salad the night before. Most greens will wilt and lose their crisp after sitting in dressing for half a day.
But, it doesnt have to be this way. You dont have to live in a world of soggy lunch greens that ruin your one and only lunch break.
You need a great salad container that stores the dressing and greens separately. That way, when youre ready to eat your salad later on you can conveniently dress it on the spot. With this list of best salad containers, say hello to fresh salads the next day.
Rosti Mepal Salad Lunch Box
Tough this looks like a regular one-compartment container, a hidden storage space in the lid allows for small amounts of toppings like nuts or croutons. The central compartment is extra roomy, and the container is made of glassa great option for those of you who are freaked out by plastic. Of course, this wouldn’t make the list unless it had that crucial mini storage container for dressing.
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Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Salad Container
Price: $13.99
This is one of the best salad containers right now. This 100% leakproof clear plastic container wont spill even if you drop it. The airtight lid will keep greens fresh for days. The container set includes one 4.7 cup main container and lid, one removable tray, and a separate dressing container with lid. This container is the total package.
Oxo Good Grips Leakproof On
This is a stackable, two-compartment container from one of our most-trusted brands. Of course, there’s a separate 2-ounce dressing container. And yup, there’s a divider in the main compartment for keeping your lettuce away from your tomatoes. But in true OXO fashion, there’s a happy surprise: that divider is removable, so you can create more room in the main compartmentor use the divider as a plate.
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Glad Home Collection Deep Dish Food Storage Containers
How are the containers that spill out of the drawers of your grandmother’s kitchen one of the best vehicles for salad? Because they have a function we didn’t know about until recentlyone so genius, they earn a top spot. Just pop a small salad dressing storage container in the indentation at the top where the logo is, and bamcrispy, dry salads! The bonus: these old-school containers are inexpensive, so you won’t worry too much if someone steals your lunch or you somehow lose it en route.
The Parentdiary Eco Lunch Box With Divider
Award: Most Options
WHY WE LIKE IT: Japanese bento box design that can be purchased in multiple colors and partition options, with a high quality silicone-based lid and a design that is safe for microwaves, freezers and dishwasher.
Pros
- Can leak if carried on side
- Only 2.25 inches tall
- Dividers could be a bit taller
The Parentdiary Eco Lunch Box with Divider is the best Japanese bento box design on this list, with availability in several colors and partition options, suiting the needs of most consumers. It is extremely eco-friendly, made primarily from food-grade silicone, and is safe to be placed in the dishwasher and freezer, in addition to being microwavable. We also liked the high quality silicone lid, which opens and closes with ease.
Though we loved the style options on offer, we found that the dividers could stand to be a bit taller, as liquid-based food items could leak from one partition to the next. Also, this is a fairly short item, at just 2.25 inches tall, which could impact what ingredients can be stored.
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Lock & Lock Special 3 Lunch Box
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: Great for adults or children, with an airtight container, complete with a silicone lid, that helps keep foods fresher for longer and a design that is dishwasher and microwave safe.
Pros
- 50 ounces of room is fine, but there are bigger items on list
- Dividers are not removable
- Only 9 inches tall, so not great for salads
The Lock & Lock Special 3 Lunch Box with Divider is a high quality product with a fantastic lid and locking system, both of which help to keep food fresh for a long time, with a design that is also waterproof and leak-proof. The lunch box is also microwavable, and can be placed in a dishwasher or the freezer, all of which are extremely useful. We also liked that this item was manufactured without the use of BPA materials, making it somewhat eco-friendly.
Though this lunch box is large enough to suit most adult-sized meals, at 50 ounces it is still less roomy than some other items on this list. Additionally, the partitions cannot be adjusted or removed, so you may have some trouble placing some items. It will fit nicely into the best weekender bag, which is nice.
Rubbermaid Brilliance Salad Lunch Storage Container
This stylish container has three compartments, plus a separate small, round container for dressing. It’s of slightlyhigher quality than your standard plastic storage containers, and it comes in a variety of sizes, including a large 9.6 cup size, for those of you who like big salads. The insert tray that contains the two smaller sections is removable, so you can make more room for greens in the central compartment if you’re not bringing mix-ins that will soggify your salad.
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Lunchbots Protein Packer Lunch Box
Award: Lightest
WHY WE LIKE IT: Extremely light form factor, clocking in under 8 ounces, while still being made entirely of gorgeous stainless steel and featuring a virtually indestructible design.
Pros
- Dividers are on small side
- Not for microwaves
- Can leak if not careful
This LunchBots Protein Packer Lunch Box with Divider is an extremely light and compact product, clocking in at just eight ounces, that is made entirely from stainless steel, with no plastic components whatsoever. This item is dishwasher safe, with no restrictions, and highly durable, thanks to the stainless steel construction. To that end, we found that it is nearly indestructible, passing several drop tests with flying colors, easily making this the best stainless steel lunch box on this list.
Though the stainless steel is durable and aesthetically pleasing, it should not be placed in the microwave, for obvious reasons. Also, the lid secures tightly but we found that it could leak if placed on its side or if handled incorrectly. So unfortunately this would not be good to pack in the best messenger bags for men.
Cant I Just Use Another Container For My Salads
Well, not exactly.
The big difference between containers made specifically for salads versus multi-purpose containers is that they keep wet and dry ingredients separate.
If you have a salad that can be fully dressed ahead like this kale and brussels sprout one, then you dont need a salad container. But, if you have a salad that has greens in it like this arugula, avocado, and mango one then you dont want to dress that ahead of time. If you do, youll have a sad, soggy salad the next day for lunch.
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Best Salad Container: Runner
Price: $15.99
You generally cant go wrong with anything from OXO. I find most of their products to be high quality. This salad container is no different.
It has a similar configuration to the Rubbermaid winner with a large 5.25 cup main compartment and lid, removable insert, and salad container with lid. .
This container is a bit larger than the Rubbermaid. It is a bit more versatile too. You can leave the insert for even more room in this container. It is dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe. The gasket that lines the lid is easily removable for ease of cleaning.
According to one review site, the seal isnt quite as leakproof as the Rubbermaid winner. The seal is susceptible to spilling open when filled with water and dropped on the floor. But, you probably wont be this tough on yours.
The Good
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Susceptible to spilling if dropped while full
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The outside is white so you cannot see whats inside it.
Best for you if: You want a container from a trusted brand that is a little larger and a little more versatile than the Rubbermaid winner.
The Most Important Features To Consider
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Best Salad Containers Of 2021
Here are the best salad containers of 2021 for each price point.
Price: $13.99
The Rubbermaid Brilliance is one of the best salad containers right now. This 100% leakproof clear plastic, BPA-free container wont spill even if you drop it. Its airtight lid will keep greens fresh for days.
The container set includes one 4.7 cup main container and lid, one removable tray, and a separate dressing container with lid that fits inside. This container is the total package.
Plus, the container looks great. It is crystal so you can clearly see its contents. No more grabbing the wrong lunch!
It is dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe. There is a
The only potential downside is its size. At 4.7 cups it is a bit smaller than some others on this list. There were some customer reviews that mentioned the container was smaller than expected.
The Good
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Airtight seal to keep contents fresh
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Outside is clear and minimalist so you can easily see whats inside
The Bad
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4.7 cup capacity is a bit on the smaller side
Best for you if: You need a high quality, every day salad container that can handle your commute. Or, if you meal prep salads several days in advance and need an extra snug seal to keep them fresh.
Snaplock By Progressive Lunch Cube Lunch Box With Divider
Award: Best Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: Budget-friendly product that offers many features in line with higher priced competitors, including an easy-to-open lid and a design that is microwavable, dishwasher safe and freezer safe.
Pros
- 48 ounce capacity is decent, but there are larger picks on list
- Dividers are not leak-proof from one another
- Dividers cannot be moved or adjusted
The SnapLock by Progressive Lunch Cube is an extremely budget-friendly product, while still offering several high end features, including an eco-friendly design that is free from BPA materials and a fantastic lid that is both easy-to-open and easy-to-close and lock. We also liked that this product is fully microwavable, with no restrictions, and dishwasher safe, in addition to being freezer safe.
Though the 48 ounce maximum capacity is decent, and should suit most adults, it is slightly smaller than the capacities found with our top picks. Also, the dividers cannot be moved or adjusted, though the company does offer versions without any dividers whatsoever.
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How Were These Containers Ranked
The best salad containers were determined based on multiple data sources. The container recommendations took into account the following information:
Review Websites The results from several reputable review sites were gathered. Containers were assigned a score based on whether it was a top choice, highly recommended, recommended, or not recommended.
Amazon Reviews The number of review stars were gathered for each container. Each container was then assigned a weighted score based on their stars.
Personal Experience Personal recommendations were incorporated into the reviews when a product was owned and/or used.
To calculate the best salad container, the scores from the review websites, amazon review, and personal experience sources above were added together. This gave each container a final score.
The containers were then ranked based on this final score to develop the best overall and runner-up choice. Then other top ranked containers were recommended for different categories where appropriate.
Why Trust Momjunction
Sakshi John specializes in writing articles about home and kitchen necessities and furniture. She draws on her years of experience and a comprehensive study into product guidelines, user reviews, and feedback to compile a list of the finest salad containers for keeping your salad fresh. Along with each products specifications, her shopping guide will help you describe your demands regarding storage space, container construction material, quality, and other considerations so that you can choose the best container for your greens.
If you wish to eat healthy, these salad containers can come to your rescue. Salads can do wonders for your fitness, but it is important to eat fresh. However, it might be difficult to maintain your diet when you go to work or classes. Salad containers ensure your salads retain freshness for long, making it easy to pack salads for lunch without worrying about spills. When looking for the right salad container, ensure it is made from BPA-free, food-grade material, leak-proof, and easy to clean. So, pack your favorite salad and eat nutritious meals wherever you go.
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