Assume there's no microwave. Or fridge. Or sink.

The trick to packing a field trip lunch is to assume the worst: no microwave, no fridge, no sink, and maybe not even a table. Pack for that and you’ll be fine no matter what shows up — same deal for a work off-site, just with worse coffee.

That mostly means room-temperature food that doesn’t fall apart. Sandwiches with dry fillings — meat, cheese, roasted veg — beat anything with wet mayo that’s been sitting in a bag for four hours. Hard-boiled eggs, whole fruit, nuts, cheese cubes, cured meat, pickles, granola bars, cookies. Basically anything you’d take hiking.

Second rule: eat it with one hand. Nothing that needs a knife and fork. Pre-cut everything at home, skip the soup unless you’ve got a real thermos, and don’t be the person eating tuna salad while standing next to a client. Smelly food is a field trip crime.

Third, pack the logistics, not just the food. Wet wipes, a paper towel, a plastic bag for trash, and a water bottle that closes properly. Put the empty bag in your pocket before you sit down so you’re not hunting for a trash can with a banana peel in your lap.

It’s really just a hiking lunch with a thermos of coffee. Keep it boring and sturdy, and you’ll be the only one not complaining.