Transporting Food: 5 Tips for Getting Grandma’s Leftovers Home

Transporting food to and from holiday parties is a challenge. Whether it’s getting your famous pumpkin pie to dinner in one piece or finding a way to get all the leftovers back home, it can be tricky. Here are some tips for transporting all those delicious eats back and forth this holiday season.

1. Prepare Your Car

Make sure your trunk isn’t full of stuff that can roll around and knock over trays of food or turn that platter of cookies into crumbs. If you’ll be using the inside of your car for transporting food, then clear that out, too. Shake out the floor mats before placing any items on the floor to prevent dirt or dust from getting on them.

2. Protect Your Car

No matter how careful you are, there’s a chance food may drip out of its container. If you don’t want candied yams on your seats, then protect them from spills. Put a towel down or, even better, lay out a plastic trash bag so nothing ruins your seats. If something is especially sloppy, use the floor since you can take floor mats out and wash away any spills.

3. Secure Everything

An unseen pothole or sudden stop can send everything in your car sliding. That’s a recipe for disaster. Get creative to make sure food is secure. Bungee cords are a great way to hold things in place in the back of an SUV.

You can also prop a food dish between other heavier items to keep it from sliding. And to prevent anything from falling back into the spot between the seat back and cushion, try folding a towel and putting it where the two pieces meet to create a level surface.

4. Pack Food Properly

One of the ways to ensure transporting food in your car goes smoothly is to pack it properly. Don’t just cover a pan with foil and assume it will be okay. If possible, prepare dishes in containers with lids that snap on to keep food from leaking out.

If you have something liquid like soup or a special drink, pack it in a thermos. You can always transfer it to a nicer container when you arrive at your destination. Consider using larger plastic containers to hold multiple small dishes to keep them secure and confine any spills to the container.

5. Plan for Leftovers

One of the best parts of the holidays is enjoying leftovers after the party ends. Instead of taking home leftovers wrapped in foil or plastic, bring a few plastic containers with tight-fitting lids so you can take things home more easily.

The holidays are a time for celebrating with family and friends. A little planning makes sure the food you’re sharing and the leftovers you’re bringing home get there without incident.

Check out all the storage solutions available on NAPA online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on interior car storage, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.