I respect your desire for "pleasantries" but maybe it would help to keep in mind, people fast for 5 to 7 days on purpose. It was always puzzling to me, during three day weekend meditation retreats, how people started obsessing over not having enough protein (meals were mostly rice, soup, vegetables) when the event duration was usually 2.5 days or less. Guess the mind will come up with whatever content it thinks will catch hold. My point is, when clearly seeing something as desirable rather than required, it can take some stress off the issue.
I tell my friends that if I'm lost in the woods for two weeks, as long as I have water, I'll probably be healthier when I come out.
Back to kayaking - I use those soy or almond milk cartons that don't need refrigeration off the shelf. They say to refrigerate once opened but I've found, if not placed in direct heat/sunlight they will last for several days before becoming "funky". Although the the price per volume nearly doubles, you can buy smaller container sizes and only open them the day of use.
Lunch is my weakest meal - usually some brand of energy bar - so the last couple of trips I tried cream cheese and bagels. The bagels were fine and the single tub of cream cheese lasted five days. However - I've found that during such kayaking/hiking adventures, my taste buds get more sensitive and the "flavors" are too flavorful. So next time I'll skip the large tub of strawberry cream cheese and just go for plain in individual servings. The fact that the individual servings won't be opened until use will extend their non-refrigerated life.
I pre-make bags of oatmeal with seeds/nuts/dried fruit at home, one for each breakfast. I have "just add water" Starbucks coffee and/or hot chocolate. For dinner I can't eat a whole bag of dried mash potatoes (serving size says "serves 4") so pre-trip I split the original bag content into two bags and I add a bag of the topping where you put the pouch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Adding freeze dried vegetables, like green peas, gives some flavor variation. I used to buy boxed wine but a while back, for promotion at a health fair, a local hospital was giving away 16 oz. soft liquid pouches (not hard shelled water bottle). Instead of paying a premium for the boxed wine ("premium" for boxed wine?) I can buy a regular bottle and use my own soft containers.
So pretty much, the only cooking is boiling water. It's not a preference per say - just a weak skill set. I have seen some packaged eggs (re-sealable bag) at REI and I may try those out next trip - to add to the mash potato ... glop. Hey, it's all fuel, all calories. And there is wine and chocolates to erase the memory of it.
I'm very hesitant to store food in the boat. I've seen little scratches on the rubber hatch covers of people's boats when they keep food in there.
Keeping the food submerged in a dry bag sounds like it would work. It doesn't need to be on the bottom. if you have enough air so the bag will float, you just have to anchor the line and have the submerged bag suspended like a ballon in air.