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Food that stays good after all day in a hot car?

25K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Gita 
#1 ·
Do any of you have advice on food that will still be good for whole meals after being left in a hot car all day? I'm going to a convention over the next couple days and don't know what food will be available in the area I'll be. I'll need at least a couple meals a day, but hopefully something that doesn't dry out, melt, or get otherwise disgusting if you basically just leave it in an oven all day.
Since it's a special event, I don't mind snacking on technically vegan but completely unhealthy snacks like oreos, but these would be nowhere near nourishing enough to eat exclusively.
 
#3 ·
Apples come to mind, altho a snack.

Ramen, which is dry anyway. I take ramen on trips & add some water & you are good to go!!! :)
 
#4 ·
Ever see single serve cans of things like fat free refried beans or hummus?

Campbells vegetarian vegetable soup (with the alphabet noodles)

I'm drawing a blank now. Anything canned-don't forget the opener
Fritos are incredibly filling- they kept me going on a trip that lasted longer than planned.

I would not personally want hot nut butters, but I think almonds or other nuts would be okay

Can't think of any fresh veg or fruit that would hold up, but something like those individual fruit cups would be alright

How about a good insulated cooler and ice packs? Still not fresh worthy, but at least food wouldn't be molten
 
#6 ·
Junk food would be easiest, I think. Pita chips, bagged popcorn, pretzels, cookies. Something to dip stuff in, like small salsa packets?

Trail mix, dried fruit, oranges, bananas (but they will smell up the car lol), maybe a poptop can of refried beans? I don't think you have to heat those. Some tortillas or pitas with stuff wrapped up in, like peanut butter.

Maybe some dark chocolate, vegan marshmallows, and Graham crackers for smores: the chocolate will be quite melted! :)
 
#7 ·
Do you have any option to keep a cooler with ice packs in the car? If you pack food in the iced cooler, then put the cooler in the car in the shadiest spot possible (probably the trunk) and put a large blanket all fluffed up around and over the cooler, that will maximize its power to stay cold. Just a thought...
 
#9 ·
It was already mentioned, but pb&j sandwiches are a good go-to. I try to save them for situations like that so I don't get tired of them. Pack the jelly separate so it doesn't give the bread a weird texture (if you don't want to pack the jar, you can squeeze some into a ziplock bag, then rip off one corner and squeeze the jelly on your sandwich)

Any fruit that isn't too ripe when you get it is going to be fine in a hot car, and foods like nuts or trail mix aren't going to go rancid that fast.

I think that anything that would be ok for a week or two at room temperature is probably going to be fine for a day or two in a hot car. Junky food laden with preservatives is going to be the best at staying good though, that's what it's designed to do. Snack bars, dry cereal, crackers, etc. would be absolutely fine.
 
#10 ·
Anything in a tetra pack, a can, or a jar will be fine. Dried pastas, noodles and soya based packet mixes too.

A can of beans in chilli sauce with a bag of tortilla chips.
Dried spaghetti with a jar of tomato based pasta sauce.
Packet mix soya-based sausages or mince with instant mashed potato.

As for anything fresh: radishes, onions (not spring), butternut squash, oranges, apples, white / purple cabbage (the dense headed kind), carrots (not baby ones) should all survive OK.
 
#12 ·
Food in cans, packages or jars . If you bring a rice cooker, one of those small pop up kind, you can cook anything anywhere you have a light socket like a motel room. Many motel rooms now come with microwaves and refrigerators.

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