I fly a lot, so here's my suggestions...
1. If you intend to carry on, you have to have liquids, gels and aerosols in a quart sized plastic bag. You will need to take this bag OUT of your carry on and have it scanned separately, so be prepared for that before you get to the front of the line.
2. Like another poster said, wear as little metal as possible, and shoes that are easy to take off quickly (I find flip flops great for this).
3. Food is fine, you should have no issues there.
4. Latops/DVD players need to be taken out of cases and scanned separately as well. (iPods, PSPs, etc.. are not a problem.)
5. Have your boarding pass and ID ready to enter the security line, they will check it before you go through. Depending on the airport (usually smaller ones, with less travellers to keep them busy) some may check it again AS you walk through the metal detector.
6. Get to the airport 2 hours before your flight. It's usually overkill, but just in case that day happens to be the day from h*ll, it will be good to have extra time.
7. And most important...Check into your flight and print boarding passes ONLINE before you go to the airport. Most carriers allow you to check in up to 24 hours before your flight. This saves you having to stand at the ticket counter, (particularly if you're not checking) and you can go right to the security line.
Hope that's helpful!
