Which Thanksgiving Staples You Can and Cannot Bring on a Plane

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and plans are being made for the big dinner. Many people are also planning on traveling to see family. If those plans include flying out of Minnesota, is it even possible to bring food to the festivities?

ALSO READ: Affordable Thanksgiving Meals in Minnesota

How Many People Fly When Traveling for Thanksgiving?

In 2023, AAA estimated that 55.4 million people would travel for Thanksgiving. Of those travelers, about 8.5% of them travel by plane.

So when you hop on the plane for Thanksgiving, can you bring any food with you? Do you have to buy everything when you get there? And maybe even more importantly, can you fly back with leftovers?

Thanksgiving Foods that are Allowed on Planes

There are actually quite a few foods that you'll find on the Turkey Day table that are allowed on the plane with you. You may make some of your fellow fliers hungry and jealous but they'll get over it.

(Shoutout to Travel + Leisure and the TSA website for the info!)

Get our free mobile app

Turkey, ham, and other meats can be brought in your carry-on and it doesn't matter if it's cooked, uncooked, or frozen. Casseroles, stuffing, dinner rolls, those are all allowed as well. If you're in charge of bringing the pie or other baked goods, even if there's a fruit filling, those are also allowed in your carry-on.

Now, if you have something frozen in your carry-on and you want to make sure it stays cold you'll want ice packs. You just have to make sure that those ice packs are frozen solid when you go through security otherwise they'll be considered a liquid and won't pass their liquids rule.

In case you aren't familiar with the liquids rule on planes, anything that could be deemed a liquid has to be no more than 3.4 ounces and all of the liquids you're bringing must fit in one sealable quart-sized bag.

This brings us to food you cannot bring on the plane.

Thanksgiving Foods that are NOT Allowed on Planes

One of the foods you can't bring on the plane is mashed potatoes. They're considered a liquid so unless you're only bringing 3.4 ounces of mashed potatoes, just put them in a checked bag or make them when you get there.

Other items that need to be in a checked bag or purchased when you arrive are alcoholic beverages, cranberry sauce, gravy, and canned foods. SOME canned foods are allowed but it'd be just easier on you if you put it in the checked bag or bought it later.