Thanksgiving

Flying with Thanksgiving food? These are the dishes TSA will allow on flights

Some dishes can be a carry-on. Some need to be checked in luggage. And some should be left at home

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Turkeys, casseroles and an array of side dishes will likely board planes along with the millions of passengers expected to fly this Thanksgiving holiday.

But can you board a plane with a glazed ham? What about a sweet potato casserole? 

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While most foods can be carried through airport checkpoints, some need to be checked into baggage.

“If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint,” the Transportation Security Administration officials said in a release. “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.”

If a dish needs to be kept cold during a flight, officials say ice packs are permissible but must be frozen solid when going through security checkpoints.

Here’s a complete list of Thanksgiving dishes that can fly with travelers as carry-ons and dished that should be safely stored in checked luggage.

Thanksgiving foods that can be carried through TSA checkpoints

  • 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

Thanksgiving foods that should be carefully packed with your checked baggage

  • Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them
  • Gravy. Homemade or in a jar/can
  • Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider
  • Canned fruit or vegetables. It’s got liquid in the can, so check them
  • Preserves, jams and jellies. They are spreadable, so best to check them
  • Maple syrup

To see if dishes not listed can fly, be checked or neither, travelers can check the TSA’s “What can I bring?” tool, or inquire with @AskTSA on Facebook Messenger or X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Click here for more FDA tips and guidelines for traveling safely with food this holiday season.

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