Sweet potato in a vegetarian menu plan for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program

Area of Science:

• Space exploration
• Nutritional science
• Food technology

Background:

• Sweet potato is a key crop for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program.
• It offers carbohydrates, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid vital for space diets.
• Tuskegee University developed vegetarian sweet potato recipes for space food applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the nutritional impact of incorporating sweet potato recipes into a vegetarian space menu.
• To assess the feasibility and benefits of using sweet potato products in space missions.
• To enhance the dietary variety and nutrient content of astronaut meals.

Main Methods:

• Formulation and sensory evaluation of 10 vegetarian sweet potato products (6-20% dry weight).
• Substitution of these recipes into a 10-day vegetarian menu plan from the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
• Nutritional analysis comparing the modified AIBS menu with the original, focusing on key nutrients and calories.

Main Results:

• The modified menu showed significantly improved beta-carotene content (p<0.05).
• Other nutrients and calories were comparable or higher than the original AIBS menu and NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).
• Sweet potato products were found to be acceptable and suitable for inclusion in space menus.

Conclusions:

• Sweet potato-based recipes can be successfully integrated into space menus.
• These products offer increased nutritional value, particularly in beta-carotene.
• Sweet potato contributes to dietary variety, supporting long-duration space missions.