The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysuru, the food research centre of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has said that it is geared to feed Indian astronauts with tasty ready-to-eats and easy-to-makes.
According to media reports, the officials of the lab have also developed starch-based edible plates, cups and spoons that don’t leave tell-tale traces of moving troops.
After helping soldiers of the Army, Navy and Air Force nutritionally conquer harsh climatic conditions, developing space food is the lab’s new big challenge.
According to NASA’s website, astronauts eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nutritionists ensure the food astronauts eat provides them with a balanced supply of vitamins and minerals. Calorie requirements differ for astronauts. For instance, a small woman would require only about 1,900 calories a day, while a large man would require about 3,200 calories. An astronaut can choose from many types of foods such as fruits, nuts, peanut butter, chicken, beef, seafood, candy, brownies, etc. Available drinks include coffee, tea, orange juice, fruit punches and lemonade. As on Earth, space food comes in disposable packages. Astronauts must throw their packages away when they have finished eating. Some packaging actually prevents food from flying away. The food packaging is designed to be flexible and easier to use, as well as to maximize space when stowing or disposing of food containers.