In the early 1970s, interest in outer space exploration was extremely popular. The United States had just successfully landed its first men on the moon, and various other missions were being carried out to further explore the boundaries and wonders of space. Astronaut was the dream career of many young children of that era, and anything even remotely associated with the space program had a good chance of resonating well with the consumer public. This was true of Space Food Sticks, developed in the 1960s and trademarked by Pillsbury in 1970.
The initial goal behind Space Food Sticks was to create a portable, ready-made food containing an optimal balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, an important aspect for astronauts in environments where food choices, preparation and storage options were extremely limited. A prototype of Space Food Sticks had actually been used in at least one of the missions, and a modified version was used on another. For those firmly on terra firma on Earth, however, they were marketed as a healthier nutritional alternative to candy bars and cookies, and at just 44 calories per stick, Space Food Sticks weren't exactly a diet-buster either.
Space Food Sticks were dropped from supermarket shelves sometime in the 1980s, although for quite a few years they were available at a few larger toy stores and various flight and space-oriented museums such as Kennedy Space Center. Unfortunately, production ended in 2014 and has not resumed as of this date. Perhaps someday they will return on a larger scale, particularly if interest in exploration to Mars and other planets continues to grow. For now, though, they are a nice reminder of the golden age of space travel.
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