Packing a lunch, I think, is one of the trickiest challenges for me. I'm not super fussy, or snobby about food but I do lose interest in it really quickly if it looks a bit sad.

Being that the sun has started to show it's face around these parts and the possibility of having to put a bikini of sorts on my parts is looming ever closer- salad is the lunchtime order of the day.

The uber enemy of the packed lunch is soggyness. Not only do you run the risk of soggyness if you pack a salad with anything more than leaves in it, if you use a vinaigrette dressing you can look forward to cooked, soggy lettuce. Yum.

This is not a recipe it's a tip that I use to pack a salad that still resembles a salad when it's unpacked.

Keep hold of the sauce pots you get with take aways/take out, usually filled with sour cream, dressing or some kind of dip. Wash them out really, really well before filling them with your salad topping mixed with dressing. Though they may look small they are actually a pretty reasonable lunch time portion for any salad topping. I don't bother with the lids, just fill your lunch box with leaves and salady bits then pop your pot on top so that the lid of the lunch box seals the topping pot.

By mixing your dressing with the topping it will thicken it up and stop it sploshing about and leaking out of a separate container.

I wouldn't go throwing it about, but it will keep your topping from making you leaves soggy.

Here are some dressing/topping mix suggestions:

• Tuna with a little mayonnaise and white wine vinegar
• Prawns with creme fraiche and lemon juice
• Shredded chicken with light sour cream and tarragon or Caesar dressing
• Cheese colslaw
• Fresh tomato salsa with cilantro
• Creamy mushroom dip
• Herbed cous cous and yoghurt sauce
• Crab with lemon and herbs
• Babaganush 
• Hummus
• Guacamole