Think like a European: skip the mayo, bring an ice pack.

Packing a lunch without fridge access is easy if you use an insulated bag with an ice pack and choose foods that don’t spoil quickly.

The ice pack isn’t optional. Get a decent insulated lunch bag and throw in a couple of frozen gel packs — or freeze a water bottle the night before and use that. It’ll keep things safe for six hours, easy. Just keep the bag closed when you’re not eating and pack all the cold stuff together in the middle.

Now the food. Anything acidic, dry, or salty is your friend. Think peanut butter sandwiches, hard cheese, whole fruit, nuts, olives, cured meats, crackers, and pasta salad with vinaigrette. Avoid mayo-based salads, raw chicken, and anything with loose dairy. Hummus is fine if it’s with the ice pack, but don’t push it. You don’t need a fridge if you stick to foods that started life stable.

Drinks are easy: freeze a water bottle the night before. It doubles as an ice pack and thaws by lunch. If you want something fancy, frozen juice boxes work too.

Final thought: Future You will be eating well at hour six while everyone else eats gas station crackers.