Ever sit down for lunch, open your bento box and find everything messed up? Here are some tips on how to avoid that problem.
1. Pack it full.
If you pack your bento box full, things won’t slide around and get all mixed up with each other. This isn’t that hard normally since bento boxes are quite small. Except for mine - its big and shiny! 
2. Leave sauces off.
When you pack the lunch, everything should be quite dry. If anything needs a sauce, include small containers that hold the sauce. This keeps foods from getting soggy, and keeps flavors from mixing up too.
3. Use foil, plastic dividers, and cups.
In many bento lunches you see foil cups or mini-muffin papers or even silicon cups holding food. These are great ways to keep things that are moist (like fruit salad or veggies) in place. They can also add a flair to your meal! Plus you can use the plastic grass or even just waxed paper to divide foods so they don’t become mixed together. However, these dividers don’t help much with liquids running.
4. Layer your foods.
If you are putting more than one food on top of each other in the bento box, make sure it is in the correct order. Normally rice, noodles, or potatoes are on the bottom, followed by vegetables and meat, and then topped with sauce or sprinkles (normally not both together). If you must add the sauce at preparation this order will help preserve the tastes you expect. If you put the sauce on the bottom, it can slosh around more and affect the other foods beside it.
5. If you are making a jelly, use agar agar powder instead of gelatin.
Many cute bento have a jellied salad or some such. If you use gelatin powder in these (such as Jell-o), you risk them melting when they are stored at room temperature. If you make the jelly using agar-agar powder, once it sets it stays firm. You won’t have to worry about it melting during the day.
In general, a little planning ahead is all it takes to avoid mushy food or foods that get mixed up together.