Suitable and Quality Food for Astronauts

One of the most important challenges that we find in the trips or stays in space is the feeding of the astronauts.

The first enquiry based problem for the students is to investigate these special requirements, besides, to realize its main function to cover its biological necessities of nutrients and energy.

Hence the two more subjects for investigation are: the kind of food that are convenient for the astronauts in space and the methods to prepare them in order to meet these requirements.

Some objectives are: (1) Know the peculiar characteristics of the food of the astronauts. (2) Select typical meals from Bulgaria that meet the necessary requirements to feed the astronauts. (3) Elaborate and manufacture various menus and meals for astronauts.  (4) Familiarize students with the methods of preparation, storing and packaging food products for astronauts, hospitals, soldiers, winter reserves,  etc. (5) Introduce to the concept of “suitable” and “quality” of food.  

Based on old traditionally Bulgarian methods,  the project’s team elaborated more on the methods of preparing and storing food by introducing new technological methods, which includes various methods of drying food by (deep freezing and vacuum-freezing of frozen particles), preparation for sun and shade drying, gelation storage for processing and preserving. The project provokes the interest and desire of students to seek new technological methods of processing and storage. The project allows for comparison of old Bulgarian methods with modern technological developments.

On the other hand, the food of the astronaut must be very suitable and with high quality, therefore we made a set of experiments to understand these concepts with food as the egg, milk, the vegetables and the water.

The other purpose of the project is to introduce Prinary school children to the concept of "suitable" and "quality" of food. It will include tests - scientific experiments for children that are applicable to the Social Responsibility Applied Sciences section of Interests  activities.

Scientific experiments are based on basic physical and chemical laws  which  can explain and demonstrate clearly, cause and effect relationships and explain why things happen around us. Some of them are related to healthy eating and how to check the suitable and quality of the food and types of water that we buying and consuming in our daily lives.

Experiments are planned and conducted in the classroom where we entertain together and learn new things. Suggested experiments do not require special conditions and training and  they are fast, easy and fun.

Sample topics: What water do we drink and what do we know about it?

Types of water and its qualities. What does a healthy diet mean? Which foods are included in a healthy diet? What is good food? The one that is made from natural quality and fresh products in a way that preserves their maximum beneficial properties and with a taste that deserves the calories absorbed.

Here are some easy   ways   to check the quality and suitable of food products such as milk, yoghurt and eggs as well as the quality of the water we drink.

Experiments.

1. How to check if the yogurt is real? Is there а  starch in it or not? 2.Multicolored milk 3. How to know if eggs are fresh? 4. How do we get a whole egg into a bottle? 5. Invisible letter. 6. Hidden message. 7. Fruit cell 8. The Ph of the water

What  water you drink?

Spring, mineral, filtered - make a difference?

Two simple molecules - hydrogen and oxygen are connected to create one water molecule, the most massive and the most important substance on Earth and the human body. However, hydrogen and oxygen atoms are not only in water, because it is a universal solvent and it is always present, and other elements, which means that 100% pure water (unless it is artificially purified) does not exist. The composition of the Earth's water is different for each geographical point, and hence the composition of the water in our body.    

That is why water is the most important element in the human body, the main component in all fluids - blood, lymph, tears, digestive juices, urine and sweat. Water is involved in almost all the functions of the human body - circulation, digestion, assimilation, elimination and much more.                            

"The best" water?

But what water is the best drink is a complex issue that has no definite answer. However, here are some things you should know about our drinking water to do the better choice for themselves.

First, always conformed to their personal sense of smell and taste - this is the easiest way to our body a signal that something is good for us.

If water has a bad taste or smell - do not drink.

Unfortunately, some toxins and pollutants  in water taste and odor free ...

What must be careful where to find it?   

An interesting activity related to the water quality is to compare the different labels of bottled water of the different countries (Bulgaria and Spain) with the water of local faucet and that the pupils obtain its conclusions.

Another activity is to analyze the presence of mineral salts in the different types of water (bottled mineral, tap, distilled and sea). We can ask what salts the rain water and the snow will have. What is the water that astronauts drink and what is their quality?

All these attempts were  made in times of Applied Science in Classes interest.

They form at younger students love and knowledge of science from the earliest school age.

And why not maybe formed in the future scientists?

The project includes scientific experiments that are tailored to the age group of the participants and were conducted in Activities classes and Interest of Section Applied Science.

Scientific experiments are simple and clever way to familiarize your child with some basic physical and chemical laws that can explain the laws of nature and to show clearly why things are happening around. Experiments performed our time in classroom where together having fun and learning new things. The proposed experiments do not require special conditions and training and are quick, easy and funny.

The interesting thing about our project is that we join two projects the suitable and quality food with the foods for astronauts and this makes our project unique.