PREVIEW

Scientists have developed the perfect salad dish for astronauts travelling on a multi-year trip to Mars.
Those travelling into the cosmos see many wonders, but the cuisine leaves something to be desired - as bland prepackaged meals that can be easily stored, prepared, and eaten have been a must.
However, for longer missions such an unadventurous diet would be a problem. As space agencies strategize for longer missions, a pivotal challenge is determining the most effective way to nourish astronauts.
In a recent report featured in ACS Food Science & Technology, researchers have unveiled the ultimate "space meal": a delectable vegetarian salad.
This culinary creation comprises fresh ingredients tailored to meet the specific nutritional requirements of male astronauts, while also being cultivable in space.
Astronauts in space expend more calories than their terrestrial counterparts and necessitate additional micronutrients, such as calcium, to maintain health amidst prolonged exposure to microgravity.
Moreover, future extended missions mandate the cultivation of food in a sustainable, circular manner within spacecraft or space colonies.
Although methods for growing food in space and the nutritional needs of astronauts have been explored, the development of specific fresh meals has been lacking.
Dr. Volker Hessel and colleagues aimed to rectify this by optimising a space meal that aligns with the unique demands of spaceflight and appeals to the palate.
The researchers employed a computational technique called linear programming to assess combinations of fresh ingredients.
This method strikingly balances diverse variables to achieve a particular objective. In this instance, the model assessed how well combinations of different foods could satisfy a male astronaut's daily nutritional requirements while minimising water usage for cultivation.
The team also prioritized the sustainability of the foods in space, opting for ingredients requiring minimal fertiliser, time, and space to grow, and evaluating the potential recyclability of inedible portions.
Among the 10 scenarios scrutinized, a vegetarian meal comprising soybeans, poppy seeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potato, and/or sunflower seeds emerged as the most efficient in terms of maximizing nutrients and minimizing farming inputs. While this combination fell slightly short of providing all necessary micronutrients, the researchers proposed that any deficiencies could be addressed with supplements.
In addition to taking care of nutritional needs, however, food on such a long mission must taste good. So, to validate the palatability of their idea, the team prepared the ideal space meal as a salad for a four-person taste test on Earth.
One tester enthusiastically endorsed the dish, expressing willingness to consume it throughout the week as an astronaut. Other participants, though more restrained in their praise, returned for second helpings.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to extend their investigation to determine options for female astronauts using their computer model and broaden the array of crops in their database.
The authors acknowledge financial support from a University of Adelaide scholarship stipend.