Street parking during the day is pretty safe as long as you are on a main street (Alberni, Robson, Georgia, Thurlow, Burrard, etc.). The issue may be more of finding one but it just takes patience and driving until someone pulls out. Parking rates are pretty expensive (could be as much or even more than $6/hr now) and time-limited (usually max of 2 hrs) to discourage (poorer/thriftier/less affluent) people parking all day so turnover is pretty high. As for lunch spots, I don't live in Vancouver now and hardly ever go out to eat where I live (across the water) so have no idea.

Ways to park for street parking