He would eat it at least two times a day. Space agency dieticians use a lot of tricks to preserve the food, reduce weight and still make it appetizing. Some food is dehydrated, while others are dried much like beef jerky. Many of the meat products are treated with high heat to kill microorganisms. Currently the only item irradiated is beefsteak.
Dieticians also try to accommodate different tastes and needs.
Janice Voss, the payload commander for the upcoming Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, is a vegetarian and said there was no problem finding something to eat. We get to pick our own menus and there are quite a few vegetarian foods on the regular menus. We ll add additional items to give her a wider variety. Voss will dine on entrees such as navy bean soup and broccoli-stuffed potatoes along with delicacies such as dried pears, energy bars and peanuts. The space agency also bought some commercially available freeze-dried foods to round out her menu, she said.