Thanksgiving To Go: Here's What Turkey Day Foods You Can Take On A Flight

MARYLAND — Good news, Maryland travelers. If you don't mind hauling a 20-pound frozen bird and your luggage through the terminal at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and airports nationwide, a turkey is one of several Thanksgiving foods you actually can take with you on a flight.

Ahead of Turkey Day, the Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers of what food items can be included in a carry-on bag or should be stowed away in your checked luggage.

The reminder comes as officials expect approximately 18.3 million people to fly over the Thanksgiving holiday, a 6 percent increase from last year and possibly the busiest on record.

"Passenger volumes have reached record highs in 2024, with an increase of 17 percent since 2022," officials said in a news release. "TSA projects the three busiest travel days will be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday."

But before you agree to bring a family favorite dish to the Thanksgiving dinner table, here's a quick look at what items can be brought on the flight and what should be checked:

Carry-On Bag

• 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)
• Macaroni and 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

Checked Luggage

• Cranberry sauce
• Gravy (homemade or in a jar/can)
• Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider
• Canned fruit or vegetables
• Preserves, jams and jellies
• Maple syrup.

"If it's a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint," officials said. "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."

It is also important to remember food safety by storing the food properly while traveling to prevent foodborne illness. If you need to keep items cold during your trip, ice packs are permissible, but they must be frozen solid and not melted when they go through security screening.

Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has recommendations on holiday food safety.

Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy "What can I bring?" feature that allows travelers to type in the item to find out if it can fly.

Travelers can also ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting "Travel" to AskTSA (275-872).