NASA Says Yes, It's Safe to Eat During an Eclipse

Stacey Leasca
·3 min read

Go ahead and snack.

<p><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/search/photographer?photographer=Azurita">Azurita</a> / <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/search/photographer?photographer=Phillip%20Hamlin">Phillip Hamlin</a> / Getty Images</p>

In case you somehow were unaware, on April 8, a solar eclipse will traverse North America, entering through Mexico and exiting through Maine, crossing over 13 states along the way. Millions of people are expected to travel to see the eclipse in its totality and revel in all the fun. And that fun could include sharing the myths and superstitions around eclipses, including beliefs of monsters and beasts swallowing the sun, and romantic stories of lovers meeting up in the skies above, which are all fun tall tales to tell. However, there's one myth we — and the experts at NASA — would like to clear up: It is totally safe to eat food during an eclipse.

As NASA noted on its 2017 eclipse website, the myth that eclipses will poison "any food that is prepared during the event" is prolific enough to require debunking. However, NASA added, "If that were the case, the same radiation would harm the food in your pantry or crops in the field."

"The basic idea is that total solar eclipses are terrifying and their ghostly green coronae look frightening, so it is natural to want to make up fearful stories about them and look for coincidences among events around you. If someone is accidentally food-poisoned with potato salad during an eclipse, some might argue that the event was related to the eclipse itself even though hundreds of other people at the same location were not at all affected," the space agency explained.

Related: Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Where to Go, How to View It, and What to Eat

As Dr. Kelly Korreck, NASA’s eclipse program manager, additionally told Food & Wine, the Sun’s light, or “radiation,” doesn’t change in any way that is different from a normally sunny day during an eclipse. "The light is focused differently in the shadow of the Moon but doesn’t change its basic properties," Korreck shares. And, quite definitely adds, "It is safe to eat snacks during the eclipse!"

As for what you should snack on, Korreck has plenty of suggestions.

"I would have fun with this! Think things that look like the Moon and the Sun," Korreck says. "In addition, eclipses in a specific place only happen between every 400 to 1,000 years. So like wine from a specific region, enjoy the 'terroir' of where you are experiencing the eclipse.  For example, if you are in Texas, maybe some BBQ, in New York maybe a pizza."

Related: Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Where to Eat in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse

Korreck also pointed out that NASA has its own fun recipe for you to try — the Pineapple Solar Salsa, an ideal eclipse treat with chips.

The one thing Korreck will warn you about is ensuring to only look at the eclipse with solar viewing glasses. "During totality only, looking directly at the Sun is encouraged to see the solar corona," Korreck adds. And if you aren't in the path of totality that's ok. NASA is offering this live broadcast so you can watch — and snack — from anywhere.

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