I'm playing the scientist career and couldn't get quick meals from on lot cooler. When I replaced it with a fridge the sims working there were able to pull out servings of my garden salad I made at home.
Any food you put in a fridge on a community lot is fair game for sims on that lot (in fact, any food you put in your own fridge is fair game to anyone visiting you, as annoying as that might be).
The cooler on the default lot does not allow you to use the microwave, true, but you can still "buy snack" on it:
And if you use cheats to add a fridge, which I assume you did, then you can make quick meals as well. Or bring food from home, but then yes, it might get stolen.
Another option would be to make & bring a sack lunch if you have Parenthood, and just keep it in your inventory.
I didn't put food in it is the thing I just placed down a fridge nothing else bc the cooler on the lot didn't let me get food from it
Edit: I couldn't buy food everything was grayed out on the get to work scientist lot
I don't know why everything would be greyed out. Are you sure the coworker didn't just make a salad? There's no connection between fridges on different lots.
I went back and it was a random salad bc it said lunch with a worker's name on it. I am certain it wasn't letting me do anything with the cooler on lot
