The Simple Trick That Prevents Sandwiches From Getting Soggy

There's truly nothing worse than finally getting to sit down during your lunch break and enjoy the tasty sandwich that's been occupying your mind all morning, only to pull it out of the bag and find that the bread encasing your delicious combination of meats, cheeses, and veggies has gone from fresh and fluffy to gross and mushy. Many of us have been there, and if you haven't, consider yourself lucky. A soggy sandwich is a fate that we wouldn't even wish on our worst enemy! This sad sight will leave you tempted to ditch your homemade meal for an outrageously priced, calorie-laden burger and fries, or in some cases, ready to skip lunch altogether.

For years, sandwich lovers have tried to find a solution to the soggy bread problem that's been plaguing the lunch packers of the world. While a number of solutions have been found, several of them come with a price. The Kitchn, for example, suggests packing all the components of your sando separately, but that also means having to do some extra work once lunchtime finally rolls around. Oola offers the idea of avoiding tomatoes when building your sandwich in the morning, which is a fine method until you find yourself craving a BLT for your midday meal. So what, then, can you do to preserve your sandwich's pizzaz?

As with several of our most difficult kitchen conundrums, our favorite soggy sandwich prevention method has been found on, you guessed it, TikTok. In October 2020, user @bornunicornyt shared a video that showed them building what appeared to be a bologna and cheese sandwich. They then wrapped said sandwich in a paper towel to help absorb moisture before storing it in a plastic sandwich container. 

"No more soggy sandwich," the TikToker captioned the clip, and if your mind is blown, you're not alone. "So that's why my mom packed it this way," one user commented on the clip, while another simply took a moment to thank the TikToker for their genius hack. A third inquired about what would happen if they added dressings or condiments to the sandwich, which @bornunicornyt advised against, though another commenter chimed in saying that the paper towel hack would still work just fine.

So there you have it, folks. The answer to the soggy sandwich problem has been right there in your kitchen this whole time — who woulda thought? Make sure to tear off a few extra pieces to dry off the lettuce, onion, and any other produce you want to add to your sando, which Southern Kitchen says will further ensure the bread component of your lunch won't get mushy. Before you know it, soggy sandwiches will be nothing but a distant memory.