One of the many challenges of air travel with toddlers is deciding how to best transport the milk, juice, or other liquids they need. Although TSA allows parents with babies and toddlers to bring liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces, the reality is that the process is still far from easy. If you bring liquids with you for a flights, you very well may have to endure extra security screening. Just this past week, I received a full body pat-down at the Orange County, California airport for bringing milk for my 13 month old. It wasn’t the first (or probably the last) time this has happened to me. And let’s not forget the hassles that liquids like milk pose if you need to keep them cold.
There is no perfect solution for air travel with toddlers and liquids, but I find it is helpful to do things a bit differently each time I travel, depending on the age of my little one and the duration of the flight. Here are the choices you might consider when you need to travel with toddlers and milk:
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1) Cold milk in a thermos or insulated bottle
If your trip is fairly short and you can keep regular milk somewhat cold in a thermos or bottle, this is probably your best bet. TSA agents are often able to screen the milk by itself by opening the container without having to subject you to a full body search.
2) Shelf stable milk
For longer flights where you can’t keep milk cold for the duration of your travels, shelf stable (aseptic) milk packs are your best bet. The most commonly available brand is Horizon, which we used with our daughter during the toddler travel years many times. Horizon, however, is most readily available in regular grocery stores as 1% milk. With younger toddlers used only to whole milk, finding an acceptable product can be more challenging. Luckily, Amazon now carries a shelf-stable whole milk product from Organic Valley (you can sometimes find the same product in Whole Foods if you have it in your area). At a little over $1 a pack, it is priced competitively to Horizon and was a life-saver for us on our most recent toddler travels with our son.
Be aware, however, that carrying shelf stable milk will sometimes result in enhanced security at the hands of TSA. Because TSA cannot open the sealed milk boxes (because they’d spoil), some agents insist on subjecting you to an enhanced pat down. It’s no fun, but I have just accepted that this will happen some times. Luckily, my home airports of SFO and OAK seem to let me pass without incident.
3) Powdered toddler formula
Toddler formula is one of the newer products on the market that is probably not necessary for most toddlers most of the time. It has the huge advantage, however, of being available in powdered form. As long as your toddler likes the taste, you can use it instead of milk while in transit. Bring a small amount of the powder with you on your air travels, and mix it up with water in the airport or on the plane. No liquids needed for TSA checkpoints!
4) Buy milk in the airport
Many families simply plan to avoid the TSA hassle by purchasing milk for their toddlers once they get through the sterile side of security. This is a little risky, as milk isn’t always available and you may not be able to find the type of milk your child drinks. However, if you know the airport you are departing from (or if you can wing it without milk if it turns out to be unavailable), this approach is certainly viable.
5) On-board your flight
This is the one option that I don’t recommend! Although all airlines carry several varieties of juice that you can use, most airlines do not carry much milk on board, if any. And some airlines will only make the milk they do have available for use with the coffee service. If you wait to think about milk until you board the plane, you will likely be out of luck. So plan ahead for another choice.
How have you handled milk when traveling with toddlers? Leave your tips in the comments.
Eleanor says
This is very helpful! But the other option is to have the kid make do with water until you get to your destination. She’s not going to suffer medically from not having milk temporarily, so it just comes down to trying to keep her happy while traveling (a worthy goal also). Just to mention it, in case it relieves some pressure on traveling parents.
tripswithtykes says
Yes, excellent point! Definitely not medically necessary, but my little guy is much happier when he gets his milk at fairly set times, as he’s only 13 months. When our daughter was an older toddler, we definitely made do with juice and water.
Ann says
I guess this is applicable for the short flight but not long international flights
Megan says
My thermos for my daughter says it keeps liquids cold for 10 hours? More i suspect if you chilled it all prior. I plan to use that, add take along an UHT milk for after the first thermos has been consumed or is no longer good.
Sarah C. says
We actually have tried to use the shelf stable milk several times for our now 20 month old (other trips were at 14 and 16 months) and they always make us open it since it isn’t medically necessary and those packs are over 3 oz. It sounds like this hasn’t been a problem for you, but just a heads up that I’ve only successfully gotten them through once…the other 5 times through security they have given me the option of tossing it or opening them all (which defeats the purpose obviously;).
tripswithtykes says
Bummer! Was is all at the same airport? Please share which one if so! I’ve never once had to open them and I’ve traveled with them dozens of times through many different airports (including SFO, JFK, ATL, and many others). But I’ve had to stand my ground a few times and agree to do an enhanced pat down instead to get them through. Good advice to always have a backup because TSA agents unfortunately have the power to put you in a tight spot. I wish it weren’t so arbitrary.
Isabelle C says
Just back from dmk airport bangkok. They dont allow me to bring the whole milk as they said its not for baby above 1 years old. They told me “baby dont drink this”. After some arguement they only allow me to bring 8oz😓. Definately not enough for a 18month baby for next 7 hours. Really frustrating with the 0 knowledge about the baby/infant when u are working in the airport that scan thru thousands of people per day.
Newish Mom says
Another option for buying milk at the airport is to find a Starbucks or other coffee chain. They typically have a variety of milk types available. I just bring a couple of empty thermos through screening and then buy it there. I do have a couple of shelf stable in the diaper bag just in case.
Megan says
Good idea!
Kate says
I plan to carry whole milk the same way I would breastmilk – in the medela pumping bottles, in the small medela cooler with icepack. I used this setup while pumping and it keeps up to 20 ounces of milk cold for 12+hrs.
Dana says
How did your experience go with the ice pack and Medela bottles?
Anonymous says
I went thru San Diego with medela bottles of BM. They opened them all and let me thru. No problem. It wasn’t much or far so I froze them.
Jenee says
Would tsa officers know the difference between bm and whole milk? I’d like to do the same this coming November but I don’t want my whole milk to go to waste…
Angela says
The best option is powdered milk (not baby formula, powdered milk). It can be purchased at any grocery store and just needs water to be mixed in with it just like baby formula. You can purchase water after security checkpoint. If you buy a box, it equates to about $3/gallon after it has been reconstituted. We don’t have to make it harder than it needs to be by buying everything at the airport (or starbucks!). Just buy powdered milk, put it in ziploc bags or formula holders. 1/3 cup makes 8-9 oz of milk.
mamaknowsbeautiful says
Great tips!! – I will definitely look into horizon
last trip to boston i just brought the 2 ounce premade enfamil gentlease formula for my toddler – i had a bunch of small bottles of these but just packed in a ziplock and didn’t have an issue with security
of course took forever for them to look at my stroller this time around for whatever reason
my pediatrician doesn’t recommend the toddler formula?
Fanny says
Thank you for these great tips, especially the shelf stable whole milk. We’ll be flying out of SFO to the east coast with our 14 month old later this week and I’ve been stressing out about sourcing whole milk at with limited layover time. Bring on the pat down, this will be worth it.
lisa chavez says
Age two-year-old first flight 5 hours to Florida from California get for milk and keeping her occupied South screaming
Anonymous says
I think you made a wonderful article. But maybe you should add that in the case of smaller prepackaged milk, some airports… like Denver International Airport… will poke a hole thru the container to test for whatever they test for. Which means out of the 6 bottles I brought they opened one which got thrown away because they didn’t even open it normally… they poked a hole thru the side of the bottle. ? Idk I was getting patted down. But luckily I had brought enough to have some casualties, and they did let me have it. Note this is also the same airport security that makes my 2 year old remove his shoes to pass thru security and took apart my car seat cup holders and inspected everything.