The Gemini program introduced freeze dried foods into the menus (and to the menus of those of us on Earth). The astronauts needed to rehydrate the food by using hot or cold water depending on the food. The food still had to be squeezed out of the bag to eat it.  During flights to the moon, individual canned foods were added (like our single serving pudding). Spoon bowl bags were also added.  These allowed the astronauts to rehydrate the food and eat from the bag with a spoon instead of squeezing it out.

The ultimate was Skylab food.  These astronauts had a freezer on board so they were able to have food such as ice cream, lobster Newburg and steak.  Skylab also had aluminum cans with pull off tops, a table to eat on, and individual food trays. The food trays had eight places to put your canned meal, heated areas to keep your food warm and a magnetized section to keep your knife, fork, spoon and scissors in place. (Remember, you need scissors to cut open the rehydrating plastic bags.)

The Shuttle has a special area for food prep and personal hygiene. It is in the Mid-deck area near the entry hatch.  The galley is equipped with hot and cold water dispensers, serving trays, a pantry where the food is kept, and a convection oven for warming food.  The shuttle can not use a microwave oven because it might interfere with other electrical signals on-board. 

Food has been preserved by one of two methods.  Most foods have been thermostabilized.  This means they have been brought up to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria.  Foods that can not be heated are irradiated.  They are exposed to radiation which also kills the bacteria, but leaves the food in its natural state.  Some foods, such as nuts, granola bars or candies do not have to be treated and go up in their natural form. Diets aboard the Shuttle contain about 3,000 calories a day. 

When it is your turn to make dinner, you will find the meals overwrapped to keep them together and dated.  You must rehydrate the pouches, warm them in the oven if needed, and rehydrate the beverages.  When everything is ready, you assemble the cans, containers and pouches on individual trays.  Food trays have velcro on them so they can be attached to your pant leg or magnetically attached to the table. 

After the meal, you must clean up.  All pouches and cans are put into the wet-trash compartment.  Utensils and trays are wiped down with germicidal wet wipes so they can be reused.  All trash is brought back to Earth to be disposed of there.

Following is a list of foods that are available for Astronauts to eat while they are in space.  Try to make a menu that you would enjoy.  Be sure to check out calories for each item     ( you can use your health book to do this or a nutrition guide from the library). Remember you must have about 3,000 calories each day.
 
 

Applesauce (T)             Chicken and noodles (R)         Peaches,dried (IM) Apricots,dried (IM)        Chicken and rice ( R)              Peaches (T) Asparagus (R)              Chili mac w/beef (R)               Peanut butter  Bananas (FD)               Cookies, pecan (NR)              Pears (FD) Beef almondine (R)       Cookies, shortbread (NF)        Pears (T) Beef, corned (I) (T)       Crackers, graham (NF)            Peas w/butter sauce (R) Beef and gravy (T)        Eggs, scrambled (R)               Pineapples, crushed (T) Beef, ground  (T)          Food bar, almond crunch (NF)  Pudding, butterscotch (T) w/pickle sauce Beef jerky (IM)             Food bar, chocolate chip (NF)  Pudding, chocolate (R) (T) Beef patty (R)               Food bar, granola (NF)           Pudding, lemon (T) Beef slices                  Food bar, granola/raisin (NF)    Pudding, vanilla (R) (T) w/barbecue sauce(T)  Beef steak (I) (T)         Peanut butter bar/granola (NF)    Rice pilaf (R) Beef stroganoff            Frankfurters(vienna sausage) (T)  Salmon (T) w/noodles (R)  Bread, seedless          Fruitcake                                   Sausage patty (R)  rye (I) (NF)  Broccoli au gratin (R)   Fruit cocktail (T)                         Shrimp creole (R) Breakfast roll (I) (NF)   Green beans, w/mushrooms (R)    Shrimp cocktail ® Candy, life savers,      Green beans and broccoli (R)     Soup crm. of Mushroom(R) assorted (NF) Cauliflower w/cheese (R)   Ham (I) (T)                   Spaghetti w/meatless sauce (R) Cereal, bran flakes (R)       Jam/jelly (T)                 Strawberries (R) Cereal, cornflakes (R)     Macaroni and cheese (R)   Tomatoes, stewed (T) Cereal, Granola (R)     Meatballs w/barbecue sauce (T)  Tuna (T) Cereal, granola  (R)      Nuts, almonds (NF)              Turkey and gravy (T) w/blueberries Cereal, granola w/raisins (R)  Nuts, cashews (NF)    Turkey, smoked/sliced (I) (T) Cheddar cheese spread (T)  Nuts, peanuts     Turkey tetrazzini (R) Chicken a la king (T)        Peach ambrosia (R)    Vegetables, mixed Italian (R) Apple drink                 Instant breakfast, vanilla   Grapefruit drink Cocoa                        Lemonade                     Instant breakfast, chocolate Coffee, black              Orange Drink                 Instant breakfast, strawberry Coffee w/cream          Orange-grapefruit drink   Tea w/lemon and sugar Coffee w/cream          Orange-pineapple drink   Tea w/sugar and sugar Coffee w/sugar          Strawberry drink              tropical punch Grape drink                Tea ___________________________________________________________ Condiments Pepper           Barbecue sauce    Hot pepper sauce Mustard         Salt                      Catsup Mayonnaise Abbreviations in parenthesis indicate type of food : T=thermostabilized, I=irradiated, IM=Intermediate moisture,FD=freeze dried, R=rehydrated, NF=natural form. Make your menus using the template that follows.  Do not forget to find the calorie value for each day, Remember, you need about 3,000 calories a day.      Breakfast    lunch     dinner DAY 1   DAY 2   DAY 3   DAY 4   DAY 5   DAY 6

Follow up:

1. What are your favorite foods on the menu list?
 

2. What foods would you miss while you were in space?
 

3. Why would very crumbly foods such as cake and potato chips not be a good idea to take into space?
 

4. Take a trip to the grocery store.  What foods would you be able to take with you in space shoppping right off the shelves?
 

5. Referring to the food you choose from the grocery store, how would packaging on the foods need to be changed to prepare them in space? ( Remember, you will not have pots and pans to cook in!)

Extra Follow-ups:
1. Have students go to the grocery store or look at what they have at home, and make a list of foods that could be used aboard a space flight.  Some foods make have to be repackaged to make the ‘eatable’ with out mess in microgravity.
2. Plan a menu around the foods your students have listed and enjoy lunch together one day.