Airport security is stressful and often arbitrary. Airport food is just about as bad. $8.00 for a cold-cut sandwich? No thanks. It’s cheaper to bring your own snacks instead of shelling out money for a sub-par meal.
Even though liquids are tightly controlled by security, there are quite a few foods that are allowed through airport security. Granola bars and gum are staples, and there are some weirder options that are allowed as well.
Burgers
As long as it’s in an enclosed container, you can bring your favorite cheese burger on board.
Cakes & Pies
Flying with an entire cake might be a little difficult, but cakes and pies are allowed. Just be forewarned, TSA will conduct extra screenings on anything suspicious. Does “extra screening” means tasting your 5-layer cake creation?
Meat
This doesn’t just include Slim Jims and lunch meat, you can carry on raw meat, including fish. Raw meat must be packed with dry ice (who knew you could carry that on either?), and the dry ice has to be properly packaged. But now you know you can fly to the next family gathering with raw steaks.
Pastries
Can’t go without a macaroon fix? No worries, you can bring enough pastries to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Sorry to the salsa, soup, and chip dip lovers, those are among the prohibited items for carry-on. Before you go and pack several cheeseburgers in your backpack, check TSA’s rules. The rules and regulations can change at any time, and airport security has the final say on whether your chocolate croissant or frozen fish filet is allowed through.
