Food on an airplane?

[PinkTulip]

Hi all - a question for more experienced travellers:

 

Can I take food with me on the airplane? Specifically, grapes, carrots, and bananas? I think they should be fine once through security, but are they going to get confiscated at the security checkpoint?

 

My family is making a cross-country flight tomorrow, with a few connecting flights. Our connections are pretty tight, and I don't know that we'll have time to stop and get food, plus I would like to bring our own healthy stuff that is much less expensive at my grocery store than at the airport. It will be 9 hours from the time we leave, until the time we arrive, and we will want to eat somewhere in there! I really don't want to buy the airlines' dry icky sandwiches for $7 each.

 

I have not traveled enough since having children to know about this. Thanks for your help!

[charmama4]

grapes, carrots, bananas, and the such are fine. It's anything that is liquid and liquid also includes anything that can be squeezed out of a container. That includes peanut butter or applesauce. I found out the hard way. :D

[Cinder]

Other ok foods: peanut butter crackers (prepackaged), cookies, candy bars, pretzels, crackers, chips. I give each kid a goodie bag (usually a quart-size zip bag) for their carry on when we travel. Dh always brings apples and nuts. It's also good to bring an empty drink container--sippy cup or water bottle. Then you can fill up at the water fountain once you're past security. It's easy to get dehydrated when flying all day, so having ready access to water is nice.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Cinder

Edited June 19, 2010 by Cinder
added info

[asta]

It depends.

 

Delta now has a double checkpoint. There is one right before you get on the plane - complete with metal detector and everything. Nothing goes through it.

 

Call your airline and ask.

 

 

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[stripe]

Delta now has a double checkpoint. There is one right before you get on the plane - complete with metal detector and everything. Nothing goes through it.

But unless you're bringing on dangerous metal items (guns, knives, chainsaws) or some forbidden liquid items, I am under the impression that carry-on baggage is allowed on most/all airlines. Delta gives a list of what those items are (bleach, dry ice, giant bottles of liquids, etc).

[Mom2J112903]

If we did *not* bring food on the plane, my child would literally starve. He has food allergies that require us to bring food on the plane. You just can not find gluten free breads/crackers in the airport.

[Jeannie in NJ]

just don't bring peanut butter. Dh took ds to disney last year, my son will only eat a few foods, one of which is peanut butter on potato bread. Security took his jar of peanut butter.

[stripe]

Make the sandwiches ahead of time.

 

ETA: A tub of jam/peanut butter or some very saucy food is likely to be considered a liquid. But a sandwich with ketchup, jam, peanut butter, or spaghetti + sauce, already prepared, is not liquidy. So I'd make the food instead of coming with a bag of stuff to be assembled.

Edited June 19, 2010 by stripe

[cmarango]

Some airports do not allow jelly/jam.

[Lawana]

grapes, carrots, bananas, and the such are fine. It's anything that is liquid and liquid also includes anything that can be squeezed out of a container. That includes peanut butter or applesauce. I found out the hard way. :D

And you cannot take yogurt either. I have flown recently on Delta and taken fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, trail mix. Since dd is diabetic, we can have juice and water, but it's a pain, and I've had to "prove" her diabetes, even though she wears an insulin pump.

Here is the TSA website page for prohibited items.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

[Mrs Mungo]

It also depends upon where you're flying to/from. Some states don't allow fruits, vegetables and/or plants to cross borders.

 

eta: This has nothing to do with terrorism, it has to do with imported fruit flies, certain plant diseases, etc.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[justasque]

Check the TSA website (a previous poster gave the link). Print out anything that says "yes" to something that might raise questions, so that you can show the TSA workers that it's an approved item.

 

YES pack food! I always pack as if we will have to camp out in the airport for 24 hours, because I've had to do that before and it's *way* nicer if you're prepared. Extra food, diapers, a toothbrush to freshen up, a polar fleece pullover that can be used as a pillow or blanket, cash for airport food, charger for your cell phone, dice or other small activities for your dc. If you assume you'll be held up and you aren't, you'll feel happy and any food can be eater later. If you don't assume you'll be held up and you are, you'll be miserable. It's an adventure. All will become part of family legend. Prepare, then enjoy!

 

Nuts, fruit, bread, cheese, water bottles, muffins.

Don't forget the CHOCOLATE!