How to Feed Your Family in the Car

We are all eating in the car more often these days and it all seems great until you discover the mess of hidden fries and drink spills. I find that there are several barriers to an enjoyable meal shared in the car. I want the meal to be healthy, I want the meal to be cheap, I want to meal to be neat and I want everyone to get full tummies. My kids are very young, so many of these tips might need to be tweaked if you are feeding older children or teens, but I truly think these ideas can be helpful for anyone who eats in the van, even occasionally. 

How to keep the car clean when getting fast food

The biggest concern for me is keeping the van clean. These tips will help everyone be successful in keeping the van pleasantly presentable. 

1. Do not pass anything that will become trash back to the kids. Take everything and put it in a basket like this one: https://amzn.to/34MJBHA You can put a single napkin in the basket to keep them clean. Dump the rest of the food in the basket and take care of the trash in the adult seats. 
2. Keep a trash can in the van. Now that you have the trash all up in the front seat, throw it away in your van trash can. There are several available online if you want to keep it looking slick, but I use a cut up diaper box. Yep, I took a box and cut off one end and added a normal kitchen trash bag. I recommend you keep this behind the driver’s seat unless there is a more obvious place. I also use a bungee cord to keep it secure. 
3. Give the kids a trash can too. I use a basket that is in between the seats. I do not put a bag in there, but it gives the kids a place to throw things that isn’t the floor. 
4. Empty the trash can frequently. I like to clean out the trash on Mondays and Fridays. This keeps my van ready for weekend fun and weekday business. 
5. Refine your order. Make sure you are not buying too much food for your kids. If one of your sweet children loves nuggets but not fries, do not give it to them. It is hard for me to pass back plates that do not look ‘fair,’ but that is not what is best for my kids. I think this will help us avoid tears, but it mostly brings them on, for me, my tears. 

How to save money ordering fast food.

I have searched many many fast food menus to figure out the best meal I can make with the change in the car. A few chains stand out:

1. Burger King – The best deal at Burger King is the nuggets. It used to be $1 for 10 nuggets. This is completely unbeatable. They have raised their prices and changed their menu, but they are still the best place for a cheap pile of nuggets that keep my back row happy. 
2. McDonald’s – I know that lots of people love this for kids. I find it expensive and the menu small. The best meal for a family are the bundles, because they do not come with a drink, but I am sure you have a case of water in the car, right? The bundle we order is $3 for 6 nuggets and small fries, a great snack to split between kids who all get a bit of each. They also have a burger bundle, but these can all be regional. 
3. Little Caesars – This was a revelation to me. It’s not a drive thru, so I forgot, but MAN what a deal. $5 hot and ready will feed us nicely. It is worth getting everyone out of the car for pizza, and you can set up a nice picnic even if it is in the car. Another perk of going in is some locations have little baggies of cookies for kids! Pro Tip, ask for it double cut so you get more slices and can pass that around more easily. 
4. Wendy’s – My brother says that he feels like he is stealing when he orders the 4 for $4. This combo can easily feed 2, and those will be some happy people. 
5. Cook Out – this is a more regional chain here in the south. The menu is wonderful and expansive with something for everyone. They serve very low cost sides like nuggets, fries, corn dogs, burgers, quesadillas, fries and hush puppies. They serve trays which are like combos, a main, 2 (really hearty) sides and a drink. The pricing is around $6. This will easily feed mom and a kid or two to three kids. I recommend looking at their website to make some decisions about what to order because the menu is overwhelming for a first timer or busy mom. Pro Tip here is that the side of nuggets in a tray is 3 nuggets while the side of nuggets is 5 nuggets, so I often get a main (burger for me), and fries (enough for everyone) and then a side of fries. Bam! Everyone is happy. 

Extra ways to save money eating fast food with kids

1. Carry drinks. It can be hard to keep your van stocked with everything you need, and it can drive you crazy. Try building the habit of keeping water in the car or having the kids grab their water bottles or sippy cups every time you get in the car will save you time, money and tears. 
2. Stock up on toys. This is my craziest, out-there tip in the whole post. My kids want kids meals, but they are expensive, and I do not want them to create trash in my car. My work around is keeping a prize bucket in the car. I go to the Goodwill Outlets a few times every year and I put on my gloves and rifle through the bins. If you have never been to a Goodwill Outlet store let me prepare you for what you will see. They dump new donations and unsold items from retail stores into big blue bins and shoppers can buy them by the pound. They can be very competitive and crowded, so this is not for everyone. My local store is pretty calm, but the toy bins are the busiest. I go to a bin that has been picked over and sift through the small toys and grab the ones I do not mind having in my house. I found lots of characters from movies that my kids love, Fisher Price Little People, Vtech small toys, cute vintage figures and small books. I take the toys and wash them and keep them in a plastic shoebox under the drivers seat. I do not give out a toy every time we eat out, but when we really need to jazz up the drive I am prepared. 
3. Buy the toy separately – this will save you less money than my previous tip, but it will still make a difference. If you would like everyone to get a toy, you can purchase the toys separately and pass those out with the meals. 
4. Keep Supplies in the Van – it will save you time and mess to keep some spoons, cups, knives, and plates in the van. I keep a fast food kit under the seats so that I am ready to split up a milkshake or cut a burger in half. 
5. Bring food from home- eating out is not all or nothing. If you plan to be out of the house for more than a few hours you may have some snacks in the baby bag or glove box. What about serving up snacks with just one hot element from the drive thru? Nuggets, pretzels and juice will satisfy many bellies.

How to order healthy fast food for my kids

There are times when healthy food is all that will do, but you are looking to drive thru. I want to acknowledge that healthy means very different things for different people. McDonanld’s nuggets are unlikely to spike your blood sugar, but few would consider them a health food. So here are the best meals I have found that are a step above the others

1. Chick-fil-a – Grilled nuggets! These things are delicious and pure protein. You can also sub fruit for the side and the books they often add as toys are so beautiful. I also recommend getting the 3 and under books for the toy. The 3 and under books I have gotten from Chick-fil-a are written by excellent authors with beautiful illustrations and we have kept many and read them hundreds of times. 
2. Panera/ St. Louis Bread Company – I find this food difficult to eat while in the car, but if you have time to stop and savor you will have plenty of options here. I recommend soup and salad for the best nutritional bang for your buck. 
3. Sheetz – Hear me out! This is a regional chain on the East coast and many locations have a drive thru. They have a great selection of deli sandwiches which are more than reasonably priced! Pile on those veggies, go for wheat bread and you can hardly beat it. 

Final tips

1. Stop while the driver eats. It is worth pulling over for the driver, or mom in my case, to finish their meal. This is safer and cleaner than trying to dip those fries at a red light. 
2. Clean out cup holders – If your hands are particularly full when you arrive home, choose to get rid of the empty cups first. It is tempting to grab the big bag of paper trash, but the cup real estate is much more precious and keeping those clear will make your van look cleaner instantly. This is the first place I focus on when I am cleaning out the van, it makes the biggest impact and makes me more comfortable. 
3. Park by the trash cans – if possible keep those cans in a place that you will pass on the way to the house, and always grab a handful of trash when going in. If you keep a van trash can you can always pull the bag out and toss it frequently. 
4. NEVER STYROFOAM! If I have one hard and fast rule for keeping your van clean is never allow any Styrofoam in the back seat. The cups are so likely to puncute and when empty they seem to magically disintegrate into a thousand pieces.

These are my top picks and tricks for when we need to eat at a “snack window” as my children call it. These things are working pretty well with my family in my van, but I still find the rogue fry on occasion, and I run out of supplies and get caught in a less than ideal situation. I hope this has been helpful and inspiring as you upgrade your mom van game. If you are interested in the gear I have a page here with that information.