The drive-thru foods that never should be attempted by kids in the car

Some people are fine diners, eating out at Michelin star or hatted restaurants trialling the newest multi-sensory dish; others are self-described ‘foodies’, attending festivals littered with food trucks to taste test the most authentic, yet unique cuisine they can find.

Then there are people like me and my family - people I like to call ‘drive-thru diners’ AKA occasionally lazy individuals with simple taste and a penchant for excessive salt and fat.

Yep, whether it is a quick after school snack, a meal after sports training, an ‘I can’t be bothered cooking’ night, or a convenience meal on a road trip, our family loves the drive-thru.

And while some families may have rules or basic standards around eating in the car, we don’t, so drive-thru is not only ordered, paid for and collected via our Kluger window it is often consumed within the vehicle as well.

While convenient, reliable and usually pretty tasty, the downside to the drive-thru dining, especially with kids, is the mess.

It is a special kind of a mess too, the type that involves scraping (sometimes chiselling – if you happen to miss a spot and discover it months later), wiping and vacuuming. And if you happen to still use child car seats – it can involve something akin to an archaeological dig in order to extract a rogue fry (or worse). Read our car cleaning hacks if you're in need of some tips to rid the car of mess.

Over the years I have compiled a no-go drive-thru foods list for my kids based upon these past experiences/traumas and I share it with you in good faith for the protection of your car and sanity.

Number one on my list may also possibly be the number one pain in the arse. While small in size, these mini containers of sauce that usually accompany nuggets (yet can find themselves with fries, tenders or other chicken and potato variations) are extremely sticky and saucy (and not in a good way).

Not only does the unique make-up of the condiment lend itself to spillage and stickage, the peel-off lids also find themselves like a magnet onto your car's upholstery.

Whether you’re a fries or chips kinda family, these may be a staple of drive-thru but they can also become staples of your car interior.

Because somehow these bendy little fellas find their way lodged into even the tiniest of places (like gaps in cars seats) making them near impossible to locate let alone extract and often remain preserved in time for weeks, even months to come.

My kids love this syrupy sweet liquid posing as juice so if we ever have a brekkie drive-thru experience it is requested as their beverage of choice.

99% of the time this causes no problem at all but the one per cent of time that it has, this unique ‘juice’ concoction finds its way onto the car seats and floors and walls (yes, it is possible). Let’s just say it is near impossible to completely remove and the sticky residue stays around for longer than you'd like.

Any of these milk-based sweet treats have the potential to ruin your car forever but the riskiest is the soft serve.

Whether the cone is too overfilled with ice cream or it is a hot day and it starts melting down the side of the cone before even being passed to its consumer, the chances that the soft serve not spilling either onto the child inhaling it or the seat they are sitting on are small.

The issue with this (along with the mess) is the potential for the lingering smell of curdled milk residue that if not cleaned up properly, will begin to linger. And linger.

While these drive-thru menu items are undoubtedly delicious, as a parent, take it from me, they are too much of a hazard and you should avoid them.

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