# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Packing for Trips

How to Keep Food Hot While Traveling

Travel can be fun but also time-consuming and expensive. If you are traveling by car and taking hot food with you, keeping the food hot is essential. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, foods must be kept hot or cold. It is easier to keep foods cold, rather than keeping them hot. If you must keep foods hot, here are some ways to do so.

Cooler
Aluminum foil
Hot packs
Towels

Instructions

- 1
  Wrap hot food in aluminum foil. Do this when it is at its highest temperature. Cover all food with the aluminum foil.
- 2
  Warm up the hot packs. This is a commercial product to purchase. Similar to a cold pack, the hot pack keeps food hot. Follow the instructions on the package, which generally involves heating up the pack. Put the hot packs on top of the food items.
- 3
  Wrap towels around the food and hot packs. Place the food gently in a cooler. Use a cooler that is suitable for the amount of food you are transporting. Fill in any spaces in the cooler with towels. Less space in the cooler means that the food is more likely to stay hot.