Thanksgiving travel: Holiday foods you can fly with, bring through TSA

Thanksgiving dinner etiquette 101

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As millions of Americans hit the skies this Thanksgiving, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is gearing up for the busiest travel time of the year, screening a massive surge of passengers.

But before you pack up your favorite homemade dishes to bring to the holiday table, TSA has a few reminders about what can – and can’t – make it through security.

While most food items are allowed through TSA checkpoints, there are some important rules to keep in mind. The agency advises that certain items should be stowed in your checked baggage rather than carried on board, especially when it comes to liquid-heavy or bulky foods.

Here's a breakdown of what you can bring through TSA and what you might need to reconsider packing in your carry-on.

FILE: Airport passengers proceed through the TSA security checkpoint at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. (Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Thanksgiving foods that can be brought through TSA

TSA said if the holiday food is a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint.

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

Since food items often need additional security screening, TSA said it is best to place those items in an easily accessible location of the carry-on when packing them. The food items should be removed from your bag and placed in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.

If you need to keep items cold during your trip, the TSA said that ice packs are permissible, but they must be frozen solid and not melted when they go through security screening.

Thanksgiving foods that should be packed in checked baggage

However, if you can spill the food, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it will need to go in a checked bag.

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

You can download the free myTSA app, which has a "What can I bring?" feature that allows you to type in an item to find out if it can fly.