Taking food on your Travels!

Some folks pack snacks like they’re moving to a new country, and honestly, I respect it. Whether it’s because they can’t live without their favorite comfort food, have dietary restrictions, don’t trust the mystery meals at their destination, want to save a few bucks, or just need a taste of home while adventuring—bringing food from home is basically a traveler’s security blanket. Because let’s be real, sometimes you just need your go-to snack when faced with a plate of something!

Navigating Airline Food Restrictions: What Snacks Can You Bring Onto a Plane?

Yep, you can absolutely bring food from home on a flight—stuff it in your carry-on, your checked bag, or even your pockets if you’re feeling sneaky. Just remember, TSA has trust issues with liquids and anything remotely suspicious-looking, so maybe leave the soup and mystery sauces at home. LETS BREAK IT DOWN!

TSA’s Oh-No-You-Don’t Food Rules:

🚨 X-Ray Vision Required – All your snacks get a VIP trip through the X-ray machine. Hope they enjoy the ride.

🚨 No Soup for You! – Liquids or gels over 3.4 oz? Straight to the checked bag, my friend. Yes, that includes your grandma’s famous gravy.

🚨 Wrap It Up – TSA prefers your food dressed appropriately. No loose sandwiches floating around your backpack, please.

🚨 Ice, Ice, Baby – Ice packs must be completely frozen at security. If they’re even thinking about melting, TSA is coming for them.

🚨 Frozen Means FROZEN – If you're bringing something frozen, it better be rock solid at screening. No slushy surprises allowed.

Moral of the story? Pack smart, freeze hard, and maybe don’t try to smuggle soup.

OK OK SO WITH BEING SAID! LETS TALK WHAT CAN YOU BRING!

• Solid food items, such as sandwiches, fruit, firm cheese, granola bars, pretzels, cookies, pastries, gum, and chips 

• Cooked meat, seafood, and vegetables (no liquid) 

• Creamy cheese (up to 3.4 ounces)  Make sure all items are properly stored in a wrap or container

I’m obsessed with sweet tea—so much so that I straight-up froze an entire gallon just to smuggle it onto my flight like some kind of tea-trafficking mastermind. TSA said “frozen solid,” and I said, “Say less.”

There’s a travel-size version of just about everything these days—snacks, condiments, even your beloved yogurt. Because nothing says "prepared traveler" like whipping out a pocket-sized bottle of hot sauce at 30,000 feet! Don't believe me, check it out here!

Cruise or Snack Attack? What Food You Can Bring Aboard!

Yep, you can bring food on a cruise—but don’t get too wild with it. Stick to non-perishable, pre-packaged snacks that are still in their original wrappers (so no sneaky Tupperware lasagna, sorry). Homemade goodies, fresh fruit, and anything that needs a fridge? Big no-no. Cruise lines aren’t trying to start a floating food poisoning outbreak. Always check your ship’s rules before you show up with a suitcase full of snacks!

✅ Snack-Approved: Sealed, store-bought goodies like granola bars, chips, crackers, nuts, candy, and jerky. Basically, anything that won’t turn into a science experiment mid-vacation.

❌ No-Go Zone: Fresh fruits and veggies, homemade meals, cooked foods, or anything that needs a fridge. If it requires babysitting, it’s staying on land.

Here are some ideas to get you by!

So, when it comes to traveling with food, just remember: pack smart, pack safe, and maybe leave the five-course meal at home. TSA is the real boss here, and they have zero chill when it comes to anything that could even remotely be mistaken for a suspicious snack. So, be cautious, check the rules, and if in doubt, just smuggle some granola bars. Everyone loves a good snack emergency!

Berlyn Victoria