To prepare rehydratable food for consumption, astronauts insert the container(s) into the "rehydration station" in the orbiter's galley. A water dispenser, equipped with a needle, penetrates a rubber septum and a user-specified amount of water is dispensed.

The rehydrated food container is opened by grasping the center portion of the lid liner with the fingers, piercing the liner with a knife or scissors and pulling the liner up to aspirate air. While grasping the center of the liner, the astronaut swings the container in a gentle forward and backward semicircular motion to place food contents at the bottom of the container.

The inside edge of the lid liner (three sides) is then cut to expose the food.

Rigid square rehydratable food containers and expandable plastic drink containers were used until mission durations required a more compact solution (beginning with STS-44).

These two food packages, used for training, contain "Grits w/Butter" and "Bran Flakes".

The collapsed tube behind them contains "Orange Drink".