Chances are, you’re traveling this Thanksgiving, and if you are, you’re probably flying. The TSA is expecting to screen millions of passengers over the holiday weekend. But what if your Turkey Day feast is potluck-style, and you need to bring an edible contribution on board with you? Well, you may be in luck…or you might not. It all depends on what the food you’re flying with is.
“Here’s some food for thought. If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint. However, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag,” the TSA said in a press release.
The agency released two lists of foods that can either be transported in checked luggage or carried onto the plane – and what they will and won’t allow might surprise you. No matter what the menu item is, the TSA recommends placing it in a clear plastic bag or another container. You’ll have to remove those items from your carry-on bag and put them in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.
We’ve created this handy-dandy guide to Thanksgiving foods you absolutely can’t fly with, but if you still have questions, you should check out the TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” search feature or tweet @AskTSA to find out if your specific food is allowed.
Without further ado, here’s what won’t be accompanying you as a carry-on item this Thanksgiving.
Cover Photo: skynesher (Getty Images)
That’s the bad news. The good news? There are a ton of food items you can pack in your carry-on, if you have the space and the inclination. Here they are, courtesy of the food-loving folks at the TSA:
- Baked goods: Homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats.
- Meats: Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked.
- Stuffing: Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag.
- Casseroles: Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
- Mac ‘n Cheese: Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
- Fresh vegetables: Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, greens.
- Fresh fruit: Apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi.
- Candy.
- Spices.
Happy, tasty travels, Mandatory readers!
TSA Thanksgiving Foods
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Canned Fruit and Vegetables
Really, why would you even bother? Showing up with canned fruit or vegetables at Thanksgiving is kind of like saying, “I don’t give AF and I wanted you to know.” You’d be better off arriving empty-handed. But if you must make a half-assed effort, pack these items in your checked luggage.
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Cranberry Sauce
It sure seems solid enough to us when it slides out of the can (and makes our stomachs churn), but the TSA says no way can this acquired taste of a condiment travel on the plane.
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Gravy
Unless it’s congealed (eww…) you’ll have to check this savory mashed potato topping.
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Preserves, Jams, and Jellies
Your bored aunt has been stuck indoors canning everything in sight and will probably try to foist her wares on you. Unfortunately, they can’t go in your carry-on. Check ‘em (or chuck ‘em) instead.
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Maple Syrup
What exactly are your plans here? We’re unsure why this would be a must-have item for Thanksgiving dinner, but if you’re determined to bring Mrs. Butterworth on board, she needs to go in your luggage. Just pray the bottle doesn’t break and douse your clothes in sticky syrup.
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Wine, Champagne, Sparking Apple Cider
We know you need a drink, either in anticipation of reuniting with the fam or as a soothing balm after dealing with their drama all weekend, but your beverages – alcoholic or not – can’t be your seatmate. Sorry.
