How to Travel With Supplements and Not Get Caught Packing a Suitcase Full of Suspicious White Powder
Traveling with your medicines is easy enough: whether it’s tablets or liquids, store them in their original pharmacy containers, or slip your over-the-counter medicines into a pill organizer . But what about additives? How do you carry around those mini scoops of creatine or protein powder for a few shakes without looking like you’re trying to smuggle something illegal?
You have the TSA blessing
We’ll get to specific tips in a minute, but first, some peace of mind: Airport security is 100% ok as long as you bring your protein powder. There are also no special requirements for how it should be labeled or packaged. However, there are things to keep in mind if you want to avoid scanner lag.
The TSA policy is here , and they have more information in this post on their Instagram , which shows an officer testing a batch of creatine ( regular and 100% legal workout supplement ).
What you need to know about wearing protein powder, creatine or other “protein and energy powders”, by agency group, they are as follows:
- If you have more than 12 ounces in your carry-on baggage (for example, a whole can of protein powder), place it in a separate basket when you go through security.
- They may not care; Oddly enough, myself and many people I know traveled with protein powders and the TSA agent didn’t check on them or even ask them questions.
- A little, if they notice your supplements and are interested, they may have to open the container and check what’s inside. (The Instagram post shows an officer doing it.) Testing is fast and you’re on your way.
If you don’t want to deal with these possibilities, it’s perfectly reasonable to just leave things at home. On a short trip, you’ll be fine without creatine or protein for a few days. And if you’ll be at your destination for a while, you can also buy fresh stock while you’re there.
How do I wear supplements when I travel?
Decided to take serum or collagen with you? Here are some handy ways to do it.
Snack bags are great for one serving of whey or collagen powder. I write “protein powder” on the outside and stuff the sachets into my shaker. I love these 3×6 bags that have a seam on the short side. They are much easier than standard sandwich bags to pour into a cup without spilling.
Some supplements come in too small doses to be used in sachets. For example, I have a powdered supplement that calls for about a teaspoon per serving. For such cases , jars with screw caps are ideal . I put one serving in each jar and pack the toiletries jars.
For anything that comes in gum or tablet form, like vitamins, I prefer to use mint jars . Altoids jars (or plain jars the same size as these ) are perfect. Just wrap them with a rubber band so they don’t open up on the way. My favorite jars for this purpose are actually Trader Joe’s Green Tea Mints because they are small and have a small window so you can see what’s inside.
Wear supplements in style:
- 3″ x 6″ snack bags are perfect for holding one to two scoops of protein powder.
- Screw-top jars can hold a smaller amount of powder—everything you would use a teaspoon or tablespoon per serving.
- These Altoid-sized jars will contain chewable vitamins or tablets.
- If you have a variety of pills or vitamins and need to keep them organized, try a cute pill box like this one .