Thanksgiving weekend has always been one of the busiest travel weeks and weekends of the year. It's been down for the last couple of years because of the pandemic but this year, travel could reach the 2019 levels at the airport.

Get our free mobile app

This year, 55 million people plan to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday and that can mean jam-packed airports with full parking lots and high ticket prices. Inflation has affected everyone including the airlines and prices have gone up 43% from last year.

That is one possible problem but here's another potential headache to keep in mind. When you're flying to your family's place with your favorite Thanksgiving dish, can you bring it on the airplane?

TSA Thanksgiving Food Restrictions At The Airport

Here's some TSA food for thought before you fly, If it's a solid item, then it can make it through the checkpoint. If you can spill, spread, spray, pump or pour it, it'll probably have to go in a checked bag, especially if it's larger than 3.4 ounces.

If your food needs to be kept cold as you fly into the clear blue sky, ice packs are allowed. The items must be frozen solid and they can't be melting when they go through security screening. Nothing will get you that enjoyable private personable pat down faster than liquid oozing out of your luggage.

Thanksgiving Food That Can Be Carried Through TSA checkpoint

Let's start with the biggie: The turkey. You can take your turkey, turducken, chicken, or ham steak through the checkpoint. It has to be frozen whether it's cooked or uncooked.

How about your sides: You can bring your cooked or uncooked stuffing through and it can be in a box or bag. You can bring your Mac n Cheese cooked in a pan, or the ingredients to cook when you arrive at your family's place.

You can also bring your green bean casserole and if it needs some spice, you can bring that too. If your looking to eat healthy for Thanksgiving (why) you can also bring along fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. 

Everyone loves your sweet treats and it wouldn't be right not to share with your family over Thanksgiving. However, you won't have time to cook it at their place so you need to bake it ahead of time.

GOOD NEWS! You can carry your homemade baked goods through the checkpoint. It also holds true for your store-bought desserts too.

Thanksgiving Food To Pack With Your Checked Luggage

Once again, use the spill, spread, spray, pump or pour principle. If it's cranberry sauce, gravy, canned fruit or vegetables (it has liquid in the can), jam, jelly, or spaghetti sauce (for those of you who eat lasagna on the last Thursday of November).

If you are not positive whether you can bring it aboard the plane or not, the TSA encourages you to go here to get your questions answered.

FDA Holiday Food Safety Tips

Happy Thanksgiving and be holiday food safe. The last thing that you want to do for your 5-day weekend is spend it in bed alone and become a regular visitor in the powder room or commode.

The Six Best Holiday Cookies

LOOK: Here Are the 25 Best Thanksgiving movies of all time

More From WPDH-WPDA