What Is the Only Real Food That U.S. Astronauts Are Allowed to Take Into Space?

According to the Space Food website, astronauts leaving Earth from the U.S. can take a number of types of food into space. These foods can be in their natural form or require the addition of water to reconstitute them into an edible form.

History

Space Food reports early astronauts were sent into space with food packaged in aluminum tubes to combat the problems of weightlessness. Food in its natural state was cut into bite sized pieces to avoid the astronauts using utensils.

Natural Foods

Information from NASA explains that snack foods, including fruits and brownies, are commonly available in their natural state. Space Food explains that other natural foods include granola bars and cookies. Flour tortillas are also supplied as an alternative to bread. Cornell University reports that astronauts eat partially dehydrated foods such as dried apricots directly from their packets.

Menu

As of 2010, U.S. astronauts choose their own menus from a list of foods chosen for vitamin and mineral content, according to NASA. Meats such as steak are irradiated to remove potentially dangerous microbes. According to Cornell University, foods like eggs and macaroni and cheese are dehydrated to be heated with added water in space.

References

• Space Food: NASA Space Food
• NASA: Space Food
• Cornell University: What Do Astronauts Eat in Space