If you spend a lot of time in your car, you need a “Hangry Emergency Kit.” Get the free printable checklist of everything I keep in our truck so we can eat on the go.
What to Pack to Eat On the Go
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We spend a lot of time in the car. Between driving back and forth to school, or to Indianapolis for meetings, or around the southern part of the state for Farm Bureau events, or back and forth to Evansville for errands… Let’s just say that I’m hard on a vehicle.
And we log a lot of hours in that baby.
When somebody starts to get hungry, things can get ugly in a hurry. So I keep a “Hangry Emergency Kit” in the truck! It’s a tote bag packed with drinks and snacks, and a few other handy things for a quick clean up.
Drinks
Water is the easiest thing to keep in your car. If you’re packing a bag or a cooler for a short trip, grab a few juice boxes, sodas, or whatever your favorite beverage is. I like to keep a few drink mix packets in my car, too. It makes “another plain bottle of water” a little less boring.
Snacks
Of course, snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. Especially when we’re traveling as a family or it’s just me and my son. Because you know we’re going to be on the road during a meal time at least once a week. Sometimes I don’t mind hitting up a drive through. But it gets expensive.
I keep things like granola bars, cheese dip with crackers, fruit snacks, applesauce pouches, and cracker sandwiches in a tote bag in my car. Other great car snacks are single-serving bags of nuts or seeds, beef jerky, goldfish crackers, or protein bars. If you’ll be leaving these snacks in your car during hot weather, be mindful of things that can melt.
When our snack supplies are getting low, I just bring the bag inside and restock.
Have I mentioned that Amazon Subscribe & Save is amazing for keeping a good supply of snacks on hand?
If I’m packing for a road trip (instead of just keeping a supply of car snacks handy), I’ll pack a small cooler and bring things like yogurt smoothies, yogurt pouches, cheese, hard boiled eggs, and fresh fruit.
Clean Up
It happens. Especially with kids. (Although I’ve been known to make some serious messes myself.) I keep a pack of wet wipes in my truck at all times. They are handy for wiping hands, quickly cleaning sticky surfaces (don’t ask), blowing noses, or even an emergency bathroom stop. The wipes are also great for a quick hand “wash” before we get into the snacks. I also keep a roll of paper towels in the truck.
I have two cute little buckets we use as trash cans. One stays in the front seat and one stays in the back seat. They fit perfectly in the cupholders, so they stay put and don’t go rolling around all over the floorboards. I found these one Halloween season, and love them so much I just use them all year long.
I also keep an empty plastic bag or two for trash. I’ll use this to empty our mini trash cans, or for other trash that collects in the truck.
Blanket
Yep. I keep a blanket in the truck. It serves two purposes – Joseph can use it to cover up when he’s too cold but I’m too hot. And he also uses it to put on his lap if he’s eating something really messy. Then he has his own private tablecloth that is easier to wash than whatever clothes he’s wearing. (Usually, it’s his white karate uniform. You might want to also toss a stain stick in the tote bag.)
What else is in your Hangry Emergency Kit?
Enjoy!
Free Printable for What to Pack to Eat On the Go
Do you want to keep a list handy so you don’t forget anything? I like to keep this checklist right in my tote bag, so I can tell at a glance if I’m missing anything. Grab your free copy here.
And one thing, we should not lay any single wastage on those places. thansk
Great point. Always bring a trash bag so you can clean up after yourself!