Whoppers are relatively light weight, making them an ideal space food. Astronauts also say they're great for target practice. (SpaceX offers one of the cheapest cargo rides to space, but it still costs on average $2,500 per pound, so the lighter the better.)
Plain and peanut M&Ms are another favorite because the hard candy shell makes them unlikely to crumble and leave a floating mess. Astronauts also enjoy using them for educational demonstration videos.
There are no refrigerators on the ISS, but astronauts still occasionally get fresh produce like oranges, tomatoes, and bananas, which NASA sends on board cargo missions.
Tortillas are what astronauts substitute for bread. NASA heat treats them, to remove any bacteria that could cause molding, and then packages them in an oxygen-free environment, which keeps them edible for up to 18 months! Yum, breakfast burritos:
If a breakfast burrito isn't appealing, astronauts have the option of hot or cold cereal mixed with non-fat, rehydrated dry milk. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal are two examples.
Like milk, most drinks NASA sends up are dehydrated that astronaut then rehydrate on the ISS. Powdered forms of Country Time lemonade, Nestea instant tea, and Kool-aid tropical punch are some examples of space drinks.
Beef jerky is the closest you'll come to fresh meat in space. NASA likes it because it's light-weight and already preserved, so it doesn't need special packaging, and astronauts like it because it's rich in protein.
Butter cookies have been a space food favorite since the '70s when astronauts ate on Skylab, the precursor to the ISS. Pepperidge Farms Chessman Butter Cookies are one of the brands NASA sends up today.
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Planters dry roasted peanuts are a great snack for astronauts because they're a quick boost of protein, calories, and healthy fats to keep them going. But astronauts have to be especially careful when snapping the cap open, or they'll get nuts everywhere.
We leave you with this short video of nuts in space:
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