Bring your own food through airport security for healthy travel meals!

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While I don’t travel super often, I do have at least a few work engagements and personal trips each year that require flying.  I actually wrote most of this blog post yesterday from 38,000 feet in the air on my way to Denver for FitBloggin.  Devon was napping in his daddy’s lap right next to me for a little bit, so I got a chance to get some work done.

I learned my lesson last year when I flew on a 6 hour trip from Boston to LA that ended up having absolutely no snacks.  It’s essential to bring some food with you when you’re traveling.  I was HANGRY (you know, hungry angry) when I got off of that flight.

In addition to keeping yourself from getting irritable, there are of course other benefits of packing your own food – you can eat healthier, you can save money on the overpriced airport food, and you’re always prepared in case there is a delay or you’re stuck on the tarmac for a while.

Because the TSA has such strict rules about liquids, a lot of people ask the question – can you bring food through airport security?  And many are surprised to find out that yes, you can bring most foods through security without any problem. 

The only things you really need to avoid are jars or bottles of things like gravy, sauces, dressings, etc.  Basically avoid anything liquid or gel-like in big containers and you should be good to go.  

Common Questions about Specific Foods & TSA:

As this post became popular, I started getting questions about bringing specific foods through airport security – so I’m going to try to provide answers about some specific foods here.  This isn’t a comprehensive list, but should hopefully answer questions about some of the more confusing foods.  Note that this was last updated in early 2018:

• Can you bring beef jerky through airport security?  Yes.
• Can you bring cheese through airport security?  Yes for solid cheeses.  If you have a creamy cheese, it has to be under the 3.4 ounce limit in a sealed container.
• Can you bring an empty water bottle or empty coffee thermos through airport security?  Yes!
• Can you bring food packed with ice packs?  TSA says that you can bring food packed with ice packs or ice – however if any of the ice or ice packs are partially melted, it will not be allowed through.
• Can you bring hard boiled eggs through airport security?  Yes!
• Can you bring hummus through airport security?  If you bring hummus, it must be in a package that is less than 3.4 ounces.  You can find great travel size, shelf stable packages these days.
• Can you bring ice cream through airport security?  No.
• Can you bring dressings, oils, or syrups through airport security?  Not full size versions.  Any that you bring must be under 3.4 ounces and should be placed in your quart size bag with liquids and gels.
• Can you bring oatmeal through airport security?  You can not bring cooked oatmeal through, however you can bring dry packets of oatmeal through.
• Can you bring peanut butter through airport security?  Peanut butter must be in packages less than 3.4 ounces.  If you want to bring some nut butter – which I highly recommend as a satiating snack! – grab some of those single serve packages that you can find these days (like Justin’s, for example).
• Can you bring yogurt through airport security?  Only if it’s in a package size of 3.4 ounces or less.  Most containers are bigger than that as they typically range from 4-6 ounces; however some of the kids yogurt tubes fall under the 3.4  ounce guidelines.

{The TSA has a good overview of traveling with food that you might find helpful.}

Here are a few ideas for healthy meals & snacks that you can bring through airport security:

Looking for specific ideas on snacks and meals that you can bring through security?  Here are several ideas for carry on foods that are fine for TSA, and that will help you to eat healthier (and save money) while traveling:

Leafy Green Salads – Regular salads  are completely fine to go through security and will hold up fairly well for a few hours, but again – you can’t bring a whole bottle of salad dressing through security.  What you can do, though, is bring some of those little packets (like from a fast food joint) and include them in your bag of liquids under 3.4 oz. 

You can also try bringing some dressing and put it on your salad right before you head through security.  As long as it’s tossed in with the salad (and there’s not like a puddle of it at the bottom) you shouldn’t have any problem.  I did it right before we passed through so that the salad wouldn’t get super soggy before we ate it.   But your best bet is still probably just bringing a small size dressing that fits the 3.4 ounce limitation.

Grain-based Salads – Another option is a grain based salad, which will hold up well and can be eaten cold or at room temperature.  Quinoa salads are a favorite of mine.  I usually do one of two variations:

-Quinoa with cucumbers, tomato, and avocado along with a lemon & olive oil vinaigrette
-Quinoa with beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado along with a lime, cumin, & olive oil vinaigrette
(*hint – you bring the avocado separately and slice it up right when you eat it so it doesn’t brown)

You can also do grain based salads with barley (I’m a fan of barley with cucumbers and peaches), farro, and other whole grains.

Quick cooking oatmeal packets – You can bring these along with a bowl, and then ask for hot water on the plane that would normally be used for tea.  Bam – breakfast (or dinner!) on the go!  To make this even healthier, pack your own quick oats in a Ziploc bag with dried fruit and a smidge of brown sugar.  It’ll have a lot less added sugar than the small packets you purchase at the grocery store.

Sandwiches – These are a good option as well.  Put some fresh cooked chicken or ham on some whole wheat bread and load it up with veggies of your choice.  Simple and easy to throw together quickly before you leave for your trip.  You could also bring the small pouches of nut butters and mini jelly packets (sticking to the amounts for liquid/gels) along with some bread and pull together a PB&J.

Whole grain cereal – If the plane you are traveling on serves milk as a beverage choice (or you have time to swing by the coffee shop at the airport and grab some) – you can pack a Ziploc bag of your favorite whole grain cereal along with a plastic/paper bowl.  Pour some milk over it and you’ve got a nice snack or breakfast option.

Snack Attack Meal – Keep in mind that a lot of easy-to-pack snack options can also make a good substitute for a meal.  Consider a combination of the following:

• Nuts and/or small pouches of nut butters (provided no one on the plane has an allergy – if they ask you not to eat them on the plane, you might be out of luck)
• Dried fruit – raisins, mango, cranberries, apricots, etc
• Fresh fruit – apples, plums, bananas, oranges, or whatever suits your style
• Healthier varieties of turkey jerky (I like Perky Jerky or Krave Jerky)
• Trail mix
• Healthier bars (KIND bars; LaraBars)
• Roasted beans/peas (If you want a prepackaged variety, Biena Chickpeas are great)
• Air popped popcorn that you made at home ahead of time

These and other snacks can be combined to create a makeshift meal in the air.

Food Safety Reminder!

Remember, for food safety purposes you don’t want any perishable foods out for more than a few hours at room temperature.  If you plan on eating at the airport or soon after you get on the plane, that won’t be a problem.  But if you have a really long flight, you may want to consider packing them in a cooler (ice packs can go through security if they’re completely frozen – see more details here).

What We Packed For Our Carry On Snacks That Passed Through TSA:

To give you an idea of how (over) prepared we were this time, this is what was in our food bag for our flight:

• 2 salads, made with lettuce, chicken, raisins, celery, and honey mustard dressing
• 5 bananas
• 4 plums
• 4 peaches (*these were a mistake, haha.  They got smushed around in transit just going through security and when I put the bag in the overhead.  They were mush when we took them out to eat them tonight).
• 1 bag of cherries
• 1 bag of dried cranberries
• 1 box of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Cookies (hey, had to have a sweet treat in there, right?)

I was happy I packed everything ahead of time and felt great enjoying my tasty salad and fruit on the 4 1/2 hour flight.  Plus wiht all that fruit now we have some snacks for the few days we’re here!

Share with me – What foods do you pack when you’re traveling?  Any carry on foods you love that you know pass TSA?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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