The holidays, especially Thanksgiving, are some of the most popular times of year for Americans to travel.
Families and individuals travel by car, bus, cruise ship and airplane year after year during the most popular holiday travel weekend.
Travel can be taxing enough as it is, especially on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Traffic is a nightmare as millions of people leave metropolitan areas at the same time.
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While it’s much easier to travel alone, families tend to plan their trips while school is out for break and work wraps up for the long weekend. It is necessary to make sure that the whole family is stocked with everything you need before the day of the trip.
You’ll need essentials like clothes, comfortable shoes, toiletries, electronics, and more — but you might also want to consider packing food for your trip.
Travelers line up at the south security checkpoint as traffic increases as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, at Denver International Airport in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Whether you’re packing baby essentials, filling your bag with edible gifts for your hosts, or thinking about taking leftovers home — especially on a short flight, you’ll need to know what foods and drinks you can and can’t have. to bring through TSA.
The Transportation Security Administration has an overview of the food and beverages you can take on your plane through its website. The six-page list of permitted food items is available in the TSA Special Edition “What can I bring?” website tool.
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Travelers can also type their items into the search bar to find out which foods can be carried on or must be checked in.
But you might be mostly curious about Thanksgiving-themed foods, which ones to bring with you and which ones to leave behind.
A host is shown serving Thanksgiving turkey to his friends during a dinner party. (iStock)
“Whether it’s first-production food or leftovers, the same rules apply,” TSA said in a statement to Fox News.
“If you plan to travel with special foods to contribute to a Thanksgiving meal or travel with leftovers, be sure to follow this simple rule to ensure your food can travel with you: If you can spill, spread, spray, pump, or pour it and it’s more than 3.4 ounces, pack it in a bag,” TSA added.
“For example, jams, jellies, cranberry sauce, gravy, or beverages in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces should go in one bag. Cakes, cookies, pies, meats, casseroles, and other solids can travel in hand luggage in unlimited quantities.”
Thanksgiving food that can be carried through TSA checkpoints
- Homemade or store-bought pastries
- Frozen, cooked or uncooked meats
- Pots
- Pan-Cooked Mac ‘n Cheese
- Fresh vegetables
- Fresh fruits
- Candy
- Spices
Each airline passenger is allowed to pack one quarter-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in one carry-on bag. However, individual containers cannot exceed 3.4 ounces.
This rule extends to drinks, spreads and cooking sprays.
The TSA recommends packing any liquid-like substance in a bag that will be checked in.
If travelers can find a cooking liquid essential that fits under the 3.4-ounce container threshold, it can be placed inside a quart-sized clear resealable bag inside a carry-on bag.
Alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 70 percent (above 140 proof) are prohibited in carry-on and checked bags, according to TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration, a TSA spokesperson told Fox News.
Thanksgiving food that must be packed in checked baggage
- Homemade or canned cranberry sauce
- Homemade or packaged gravy (jar/can)
- Wine, champagne or sparkling apple cider
- Canned fruits or vegetables
- Preserves, jams or jellies
- maple syrup
Almost any solid food is allowed as a carry-on or checked item, including cooked, uncooked or store-bought meals and powders.
For food that needs cooling or freezing prevention of foodborne diseasesice packs are allowed, but they must be frozen and not thawed until you reach a TSA checkpoint.
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On longer flights, dry ice can be used — but it cannot exceed 5.5 pounds per passenger, and the package must be clearly labeled and ventilated according to FAA procedures, a TSA spokesperson told Fox News.
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Flammable items are not allowed in hand luggage or checked baggage for security reasons.
Sparklers aren’t allowed on flights either, which fall into the same category as fireworks, according to the FAA.
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Last but not least, to ensure you have an easier time bringing your Thanksgiving food through checkpoints, the TSA recommends using clear plastic bags and similar containers.
This way, items can be safely removed from hand luggage when it’s time to check in.
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.
