In the early days of the American space program, food for astronauts consisted of freeze-dried powders, bite-size cubes and semi-liquids in tubes. Most astronauts agreed that the foods were unappetizing and hard to eat. As scientists learned more about the space environment, better ways to prepare and package foods were developed.
Today, the types of foods available include rehydratable, temperature-stabilized, irradiated and natural-form foods. Most foods are ready to eat simply by adding water or by heating. All food is precooked and processed so it requires no refrigeration. The only exceptions are fresh fruits and vegetables.
No refrigeration is available on the space shuttle so fresh foods must be eaten within the first few days of flight or they will spoil. Food for the ISS is similar to that on the space shuttle except that fewer foods require rehydration because of the limited amount of water available on the station.
Shuttle astronauts work with nutritionists to select menus that appeal to their individual tastes. Five months before flight, menus are selected and analyzed for nutritional content by the shuttle dietician. Foods are tested to see how they will react in a reduced gravity environment. Meal times and the amount of food consumed are closely monitored because the astronauts often report not feeling hungry in space. Caloric requirements are determined using a basal energy expenditure (BEE) formula.
The food list looks much like the foods Americans would eat at home. Astronauts may choose from foods such as cream of mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, chicken, beef, ham, scrambled eggs and cereal. Shrimp cocktail is a favorite because of its spicy flavor. Foods such as nuts, granola bars and cookies are classified as natural-form foods. They are ready to eat and are packaged in clear, flexible pouches that are cut open with scissors. Beverages come in powdered form and include coffee, tea, apple cider, orange juice and lemonade.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-09-21 07:59 am (UTC)A space shuttle food tray. Credit: NASA
In the early days of the American space program, food for astronauts consisted of freeze-dried powders, bite-size cubes and semi-liquids in tubes. Most astronauts agreed that the foods were unappetizing and hard to eat. As scientists learned more about the space environment, better ways to prepare and package foods were developed.
Today, the types of foods available include rehydratable, temperature-stabilized, irradiated and natural-form foods. Most foods are ready to eat simply by adding water or by heating. All food is precooked and processed so it requires no refrigeration. The only exceptions are fresh fruits and vegetables.
No refrigeration is available on the space shuttle so fresh foods must be eaten within the first few days of flight or they will spoil. Food for the ISS is similar to that on the space shuttle except that fewer foods require rehydration because of the limited amount of water available on the station.
Shuttle astronauts work with nutritionists to select menus that appeal to their individual tastes. Five months before flight, menus are selected and analyzed for nutritional content by the shuttle dietician. Foods are tested to see how they will react in a reduced gravity environment. Meal times and the amount of food consumed are closely monitored because the astronauts often report not feeling hungry in space. Caloric requirements are determined using a basal energy expenditure (BEE) formula.
The food list looks much like the foods Americans would eat at home. Astronauts may choose from foods such as cream of mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, chicken, beef, ham, scrambled eggs and cereal. Shrimp cocktail is a favorite because of its spicy flavor. Foods such as nuts, granola bars and cookies are classified as natural-form foods. They are ready to eat and are packaged in clear, flexible pouches that are cut open with scissors. Beverages come in powdered form and include coffee, tea, apple cider, orange juice and lemonade.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/jamestown-needs-fs.html