WASHINGTON, DC (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – With record Thanksgiving air travelers expected through the TSA checkpoints, TSA recommends getting to the airport two hours prior to your departure time. TSA expects to check 18-million travelers nationwide, and Triple-A MidAtlantic expects 132,000 Virginians to fly this Thanksgiving holiday. Both agencies expect Tuesday and Wednesday to be the busiest days at the airport prior to the big day, and Sunday to be the heaviest as people return home. Saturday is expected to be heavy, too.

TSA’s Lisa Farbstein says to prevent any further delays at the checkpoints, “know before you go”. To travel with ease, TSA advises passengers to pack smart and start with an empty bag. Passengers who do so are less likely to bring prohibited items through the checkpoint. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be 3.4 ounces or less when packed in a carry-on bag. Certain foods, such as gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam and preserves – which are considered liquids or gels – must be packed in a checked bag if they exceed 3.4 ounces.

If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, it is a liquid, aerosol or gel and must be packed in your checked bag if it exceeds the 3.4-ounce limit. As always, passengers may bring solid foods such as cakes and other baked goods through the checkpoint.

Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).

Here are examples of the most asked questions about which food items are permissible through a checkpoint and which ones need to get packed in checked baggage. It is also important to remember food safety by storing the food properly while traveling to prevent foodborne illness. If you need to keep items cold during your trip, ice packs are permissible, but they must be frozen solid and not melted when they go through security screening. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has recommendations on holiday food safety.

Thanksgiving foods that can be carried through a TSA checkpoint
• Baked goods. Homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats.
• Meats. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked.
• Stuffing. Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag.
• Casseroles. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
• Mac ‘n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
• Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, greens.
• Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi.
• Candy.
• Spices.

Thanksgiving foods that should be carefully packed with your checked baggage
• Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them.
• Gravy. Homemade or in a jar/can.
• Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider.
• Canned fruit or vegetables. It’s got liquid in the can, so check them.
• Preserves, jams and jellies. They are spreadable, so best to check them.
• Maple syrup.