Thanksgiving Care Packages for Deployed Troops

Planning thanksgiving care package ideas for military mail? Choose shelf-stable, easy-open Thanksgiving-style foods, seal each item, add an unsealed card, and mail early. Leave out meltable sweets, aerosols and anything prohibited.

Picture a service member on base, often hundreds or thousands of miles from family on the holiday, as one care-package vendor describes. A box that tastes a little like the holiday can help, but only if it survives the trip and is easy to use. This guide sorts the ideas into what ships well and what to skip. It sits within our wider guide to troop care packages.

Thanksgiving-style items that ship well

The best Thanksgiving items are shelf-stable, individually sealed and simple to open without tools. Think of the holiday plate in portable form: something fruity, something savory, a side, and something sweet.

Dried fruit and tree nuts

Dried cranberries, apricots and similar fruit fit the Thanksgiving table and keep well. Support Our Troops says dried fruits and tree nuts are welcome, asks for no peanuts, and suggests dried fruit in re-sealable containers. A re-sealable tub is a sensible choice because a service member can eat some now and keep the rest.

Jerky and savory snacks

Jerky is the easiest protein to send, and a turkey flavour keeps the theme if you can find one. Soldiers’ Angels lists beef jerky, powdered drink mix, popcorn and freeze-dried ice cream among snacks that cope with shipping heat. Powdered drink mix in cider or hot-drink flavours adds a seasonal touch.

Meal-style sides in pouches or cups

If you want to send something closer to a Thanksgiving meal, look for single-serve stuffing cups, instant mashed potatoes or gravy packets. These suit someone who wants a familiar taste. Choose packaging that opens by hand, because Support Our Troops notes that not everyone has a can opener and asks for easy-open cans or pouches.

Baked treats and pie-style bars

Individually sealed cookies and pie-style bars carry the dessert side of the holiday. Soldiers’ Angels suggests vacuum sealing baked goods to keep them fresh. Home bakers who cannot vacuum seal can use a tight zip-lock bag per portion, but choose firm bakes over delicate or frosted ones.

Quick comparison

These guidelines come from Soldiers’ Angels and Support Our Troops, both volunteer troop-support groups.

What to leave out of a Thanksgiving box

The foods to avoid are those that melt, leak or are prohibited, and any item that risks spoiling the food around it. Restrictions can differ by destination, so check the current USPS rules for military mail before you finalize the contents.

• Meltable sweets. Soldiers’ Angels advises avoiding chocolate, gummies and other items that can melt or warp during shipping. Hard-shell or firm baked treats are safer.
• Pressurized products. Support Our Troops says no pressurized products, such as aerosol shave cream, are accepted. Whipped-cream cans fall into the same category, so skip them.
• Prohibited goods. The same group states plainly that porn, alcohol and drugs must never be sent. That rules out anything like spiked cider or wine-flavoured gifts.
• Peanuts. The group’s request is for tree nuts, not peanuts. Choose almonds, pecans or walnuts for a Thanksgiving mix.
• Unbagged soap or toiletries. Soap has to be bagged or it ruins the taste of the food items, so keep any toiletries sealed apart from the food.

Thanksgiving cards for troops

Yes, you can write Thanksgiving cards for troops, and a handwritten card is often the part a recipient keeps. Support Our Troops says cards and letters need to be unsealed and ready for inspection, so leave the envelope flap open or use a card with no envelope.

Keep the message personal and short: thank them by name if you have one, mention something you are thankful for, and avoid anything that needs a reply by a deadline. For wording ideas, see our guide on what to write in a letter to a deployed soldier.

Children, classrooms and community groups can each make a card, and a few cards from different people go further than one long letter. Tuck them on top of the packed food so they are the first thing opened.

Packing and mailing the box

Packing protects the food and keeps the flavours separate. Seal everything individually in zip-lock plastic bags, as Soldiers’ Angels recommends, to protect items in the event of leaking. Support Our Troops adds that individual liquid and gel items must be double-bagged. For the outer box, Soldiers’ Angels points to sturdy packaging and names the USPS Military Care Kit as a good option.

Thanksgiving is an autumn holiday and military mail travels to APO, FPO and DPO addresses, so build in extra time. Look up the current USPS holiday mailing dates for military mail and pack before the first week of November rather than the last. The right date depends on the destination and service, so confirm it with USPS rather than guessing.

A quick decision checklist

1. Pick one savory anchor, such as jerky or a pouch side, and one sweet item that survives shipping.
2. Add dried fruit or tree nuts in a re-sealable container.
3. Check that every item is easy to open without a can opener.
4. Remove anything meltable, pressurized or prohibited.
5. Bag each item on its own, double-bagging liquids and gels, and bag any soap away from food.
6. Place an unsealed card on top.
7. Check the USPS holiday mailing dates and ship before the cutoff for your destination.

Keepsakes and finishing touches

A small keepsake gives the box a purpose beyond the snacks. Military support bracelets are one lightweight option that fits alongside a card. Keep the extras small so the food stays the focus and the box stays easy to pack.

Frequently asked questions