Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown

Students: Victoria Uy, Thomas Brown

Coach: Werner Absenger, PhD, MS

Culinary Medicine Student Club

Secchia Institute for Culinary Education

143 Bostwick Avenue NE

Grand Rapids MI 49503-3295

(616) 234-3690

May 11, 2020

 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 1

Food in Microgravity

Preparing food on Earth involves going to the grocery store, buying ingredients, and

then using kitchen appliances such as a stove, a microwave, or mixing bowls, to cook. In space

microgravity significantly impacts the way the food is prepared and consumed. In comparison

to cooking on Earth where it is common to use big cooking appliances there is limited space for

food preparation on a spacecraft. Instead, astronauts are sent pre-cooked meals that have

been developed and analyzed to meet certain nutritional requirements. Our Indian Butternut

Squash and Mango Chicken with Brown Rice recipe meets the nutritional and processing

guidelines required before being sent to enjoy beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

According to Grimm et al. (2016), the most important physical health problems that

microgravity causes on the human body include bone and muscle loss, cardiovascular

dysfunction, and reduced immune function. Any nutrient deficiency for an astronaut could

result in a mission ending prematurely. Macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals

are all vital to the success and health of an astronaut. “The practice of all aspects of

preventative medicine includes screening, healthcare delivery, and maintaining human

performance in the extreme environment of space and preserving the long-term health of

space travellers” (Hodkinson et al. 2017, p. i143). To preserve optimum health of astronauts in

space NASA Hunch recipes have to adhere to nutritional requirements and guidelines that were

provided for the development of our recipe. Calories in the astronaut’s meal selection and diet

are monitored to help maintain their current weight. Sodium must not exceed the daily limit or

else water retention could result in the astronaut bloating. Smith et al. (2013) says the biggest

clinical issue in the history of human space travel is vision. Fluid shifts, due to microgravity, lead
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 2

to increased fluid pressure on the brain tissue, which inhibits normal function for the optic

nerve or the eye. Vitamins D and K are needed along with calcium, which are required for bone

density adjustment under microgravity. Smith et al. (2013, p.32) informs us that “vitamin D

supplements are provided to crewmembers in order to maintain healthy vitamin D levels.”

There is an increase in iron storage during space flight, meaning astronauts have fewer red

blood cells in space, so they do not need as much iron as they would on Earth (Smith, 2013).

During space flight, digestion may slow down. Low fiber intake combined with low fluid

intake could lead to constipation. Evidence shows that dietary fiber is important for digestive

function in space, and that is why the JSC Food Lab requires a minimum of 3 g of fiber per meal

(Smith et al., 2009).

Our recipe meets the nutritional guidelines provided by NASA Hunch. The chicken,

spinach, butternut squash and mango provide a great source of required vitamins D, K, and

B12. Nutritional guidelines required between 200-400 calories, our dish has 392 calories,

224.2 mg of sodium, 25.8 mg less than guidelines. 5.4 g of fiber, only 5.9 g of fat and 2.3 g of

saturated fat.

Microgravity is a condition in which gravity is very small. On a spacecraft orbiting Earth,

the mass of an object or person does not matter because the object or person is in a vacuum - a

space entirely inhabited by air and of all matter (May, 2012). Although they seem to be floating

objects are actually falling towards Earth at the same rate because mass is irrelevant in a

vacuum. They are falling closer towards Earth. This is what NASA refers to as “free falling.”

When applying the science of microgravity to food there are factors to consider such as

taste, aroma, texture, nutritional content, cooking and reheating methods. When the human
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 3

body experiences microgravity fluids shift from the lower parts of the body to the upper parts

of the body. For example, fluids will travel to the head region. The fluid shift causes swelling in

the upper body resulting in nasal congestion (Romanoff, 2009). When a person has congested

nasal passages their perception of flavor is dulled which is why many astronauts have reported

that they crave spicier food (Romanoff, 2009). Together, smell and taste create the perception

of flavor (Taste and Smell, n.d.). We chose a spicier dish with curry, chiles and other spices to

help carry the flavors of the dish and help enhance the astronaut’s meal.

Astronaut’s condiments such as salt and pepper arrive in liquid form to prevent damage

to any internal systems on board (Watson, 2008). Small food crumbs or particles may free float

and could get stuck in the ventilation systems or another crucial aspect of the spacecraft. Our

recipe is served with sauce in hopes that it will bind the components to our dish together to

help prevent any free floating.

Most food bound for space will undergo some sort of preservation techniques, some

produce such as apples, berries and greens are sent fresh. Additional preservation processes

include dehydration, thermostabilized, intermediate moisture or irradiation. Irradiation is a

process that is designed to eliminate disease-causing germs and bacteria from the food such as

e. coli or salmonella. People began to fear irradiation because it made them fear excess

exposure to radiation although this food preservation process has been proven to be safe. The

cooking technique for our dish is sous-vide which is cooking foods in a temperature controlled

vacuum. Sous-vide allows us to control the time and temperature that our dish is cooked so

that we can ensure that all microbacteria has been completely destroyed. Since the 1990’s,

food scientists have been using sous vide to extend the shelf-life of minimally processed foods.
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 4

Sous vide increases food shelf life by eliminating the risk of recontamination while it is cooked

in the vacuum sealed bag, and will reduce aerobic bacterial growth. This cooking technique

hinders odd flavor created by oxidation, and prevents loss of flavor and moisture while cooking.

Our curry entree benefits from sous vide because we are using chicken, which is considered

safe to eat at 74 °C (165 °F). Cooking with sous vide provides the capability to maintain a

constant low temperature and longer cook time to ensure the proper doneness of the chicken

meaning food can be pasteurized and made safe for consumption (Baldwin, 2012).

The preservation method we believe would be best for our entree would be rehydration

because our entree contains a considerable amount of fluids. Although, thermostabilization is

applied to a lot of the menu items containing chicken. The rehydration process is currently used

with food in space like casseroles, scrambled eggs and breakfast cereals, and is also utilized for

beverages. Water is provided by the shuttle orbiter fuel cell, which produces electricity by

combining hydrogen and oxygen (Human Space Flight, 2002). Mike Massimino, a former NASA

astronaut, spoke about how food in space differs from the food on Earth. Mr. Massimino

mentioned that all food packaged for space is ready-to-eat. All the astronauts have to do to eat

is follow the instructions on the package. Food is reheated or rehydrated and “cooked” to their

proper serving temperatures. The food will be packaged in a rehydratable package, equipped

with a valve that will get punctured by the needle at the rehydration station. At the rehydration

station, the astronauts will be able to choose between hot or cold water to be delivered into

the food package. Most rehydratable foods will suggest letting the food sit in the package as it

soaks up the water (WIRED, 2019). The astronaut may allow the food to rehydrate in a heating

apparatus, and once it is complete, the astronaut can enjoy their warm meal.
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 5

As we learned, nutrient deficiencies are a real problem in space flight and must be well

planned for before launch. Our recipe meets nutritional requirements and provides adequate

nutrition as a meal in space. As mentioned above, microgravity is a condition where gravity is

small and objects experience free floating. In hopes of preventing free floating our dish has an

abundance of delicious curry sauce to bind all components together. The high amount of spice

and curry flavors will be used to potentially offset the diminished flavor sensory perception

acting as a natural nasal decongestant.

Nutrition holds an important role in the key areas of concern during space flight, such

as bone and muscle loss, nutrient intake during spacewalks, reduction of nutrient stores, and

inadequate dietary intake. In order to help counteract the negative effects of space flight on the

human body, it is important to maintain adequate nutrition since negative effects do not only

apply to when the astronauts are just in space, but also once they have returned to the ground

(Smith, 2013). We hope that by providing NASA HUNCH our Indian Butternut Squash and

Mango Chicken with Brown Rice recipe that we can satisfy and nourish the bodies and souls of

the astronauts by not only fulfilling nutritional requirements but also by providing a delicious

meal for long duration space flight.

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School: Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, Grand Rapids Community College

Participant Names: Victoria Uy, Thomas Brown | Coach Werner Absenger, PhD, MS

Team name: Culinary Medicine Student Club

Date: February 19, 2020

1. Recipe Name: Indian Butternut and Mango Chicken with Brown Rice
Serves 6: Portion Weight: Brown Rice: 125 g Butternut Chicken: 235 g

a. Ingredients

For the Sauce

15 grams butter, no salt

250 grams yellow onion diced
15 grams garlic cloves crushed
25 grams fresh ginger root grated fine
30 grams jalapeno pepper chopped
8 grams coriander powder
3 grams turmeric powder
7 grams red curry paste
1 gram cayenne pepper
5 grams garam masala
65 grams tomato puree no salt added
50 grams tamarind paste
8 grams honey
75 grams light coconut milk
600 grams vegetable broth low sodium, organic, Trader Joe’s
175 grams butternut squash (cubed 10 mm)
175 grams mango (cubed 10 mm)
50 grams baby spinach organic, fresh

For the Chicken

350 grams chicken breasts boneless, skinless (cubed 15 mm)

4 grams olive oil
1 gram Kosher Salt
1 gram ground black pepper
1 gram curry powder

For the Rice

300 grams brown rice

325 grams vegetable broth, low sodium, organic, Trader Joe’s
5 grams cilantro leaves chopped
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 7

b. Procedure

1) Prepare the sous vide setup: For the Chicken: Heat water in sous vide
machine to 74 °C (165 °F). For the rice: Heat water in a separate sous vide
machine to 90 °C (190 °F).
2) Make sauce: Melt butter in skillet on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and
cook 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the fresh ginger, jalapeno,
coriander powder, turmeric powder, red curry paste, cayenne pepper, and
garam marsala stirring frequently so the spices don’t burn. Add the tomato
puree, tamarind paste, honey, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Mix to
combine. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Puree sauce thoroughly until smooth.
3) Add butternut squash: Add the diced butternut squash to the sauce and
simmer for 5 minutes. Once butternut squash is done, chill the sauce
immediately to 41 °F or below.
4) Finish the sauce: Add the mango, and baby spinach to the chilled sauce.
5) For the rice: Soak the rice for 5 minutes. Discard soaking water. In a plastic
pouch mix the rice, the water, and the cilantro. Vacuum seal the pouch. Place
the pouch in the 90 °C (190 °F) water and sous vide for 65 minutes.
6) Make chicken: While the rice is soaking, cube the chicken into 20 mm
pieces. Then coat chicken with - olive oil, salt, pepper and curry powder. Set
aside.
7) Mix the sauce and the chicken: In a small bowl combine the chilled sauce
with the chicken and mix well.
8) Sous vide the chicken: Vacuum seal the seasoned chicken breasts and the
sauce and then sous vide in 74 °C (165 °F) water bath for 55 min (Baldwin,
2012).
9) To finish the dish: Remove the rice and let sit in the cooking pouch for 10
minutes. Fluff the grains and test for doneness. Add the brown rice in a small
bowl. Top with the butternut mango chicken. Serve immediately.

c. Nutritional Breakdown
Calculated with BigOven recipe software which uses the USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer:
Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients and may or may not be complete. Always consult
a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.

Calories (200-400 cal): 392 cal

Total Fat (< 12 g): 5.9 g
Saturated Fat (< 3 g): 2.3 g
Sodium (< 250 mg): 224.2 mg
Dietary Fiber (≥ 3.0 g): 5.4 g
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 8

References:

Baldwin, D. E. (2012). Sous vide cooking: A review. International Journal of Gastronomy and
Food Science, 1(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2011.11.002

Grimm, D., Grosse, J., Wehland, M., Mann, V., Reseland, J. E., Sundaresan, A., & Corydon, T.
J. (2016). The impact of microgravity on bone in humans. Bone, 87, 44–56.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2015.12.057

Hodkinson, P. D., Anderton, R. A., Posselt, B. N., & Fong, K. J. (2017). An overview of space
medicine. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 119, i143–i153.
https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aex336

May, S. (2017, August 7). What Is microgravity? NASA; Brian Dunbar.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-microgravity-
58.html

Human Space Flight (HSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (2002,
April 7). Food For Space Flight. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from
https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/factsheets/food.html

Smith, S. M., Zwart, S. R., Kloeris, V., & Heer, M. (Eds.). (2009). Nutritional biochemistry of
space flight. Nova Science Publishers.

Smith, S. M., Rice, B. L., Dlouhy, H., & Zwart, S. R. (2013). Assessment of nutritional intake
during space flight and space flight analogs. Procedia Food Science, 2, 27–34.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profoo.2013.04.006

Taste and smell. (n.d.). Lumen-Boundless Biology.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/taste-and-smell/

Watson, S. (2008, February 19). How space food works. HowStuffWorks.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/space-food.htm

WIRED. (2019, July 16). Former Astronaut Explains How Food Is Different in Space l WIRED
[video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E36F4XG5zcY&t=636s
 Secchia Institute NASA Hunch Paper: Uy and Brown 9

Batch Weight Portion Weight

6 Servings
Grams Grams

Rice 750 125

Sample 1 20/02/14
Chicken 1,380 230

Rice 737 122

Sample 2 20/02/15
Chicken 1,346 224

Rice 770 128

Sample 3 20/02/15
Chicken 1,512 252

Rice 752 125

Average Batch and Portion Weight
Chicken 1,412 235

Rice Purple Scoop 25

Sample Size For Tasting
Chicken Red Scoop 60