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The first meals in space were rather unappealing and distasteful. These early experiences proved that humans could eat and swallow in weightlessness with no ill effects. Although astronaut food has slowly improved, modern space travelers still come home complaining about their meals in orbit.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first human to orbit the Earth. He was also the first person to eat in space! Gagarin's meal featured two portions of pureed meat stored neatly in aluminum toothpaste tube-like containers. To eat it, he simply squeezed the food directly into his mouth. As for dessert, Mission planners kindly included a tube of chocolate sauce!
The following year, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. (Astronaut Alan Shepard flew to space first, but his 15-minute suborbital flight was so short he didn’t eat.)
Glenn's meal was a tube of applesauce and some sugar tablets that dissolved in water. He was also issued pureed beef and vegetables in a tube.
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