Contribution of instant amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.)-based vegetable soup to nourishment of boarding school adolescents.

Geoffrey Ssepuuya,James Katongole,Gaston Ampek Tumuhimbise

doi:10.1002/fsn3.664

Abstract

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world with about 78% of its population below 30 years of age, most of which are adolescents. The boarding school diet fed to adolescents is rich in carbohydrates and proteins but lacks adequate amounts of micronutrients to meet the adolescent RDA requirements. This study aimed at contributing to the improvement of the nutritional status of boarding school adolescents in Uganda by developing an acceptable convenient instant vegetable soup rich in protein (12.30 ± 0.25–13.26 ± 0.25%), total carotenoids (154.19 ± 12.62–292.68 ± 3.56 RAE/μg), and iron (2.33 ± 0.06–4.37 ± 0.03 mg). The three soup formulations showed desirable reconstitution and instant characteristics owing to the observed functional properties. The soup had a high dispensability (69%–71%), water absorption capacity of 1.53–1.98 g/g, bulk density of 0.79–0.80 g/ml, and swelling capacity of 5.05–5.38 g/g. The overall sensory acceptability was within a range of 6.2–6.7 and not significantly different from the control commercial soup. The soups contributed over 25% of the adolescent RDA requirements for carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, and iron but not for zinc (5.7%) and calcium (9.7%). These results indicate the potential of the soup to improve the nutritional status of adolescents. However, there is a need for additional research to increase the formulated soups’ acceptability, its contribution to zinc and calcium RDA adolescent requirements, as well as to determine its bioavailability and shelf stability.

Highlights

Malnutrition is one of the major concerns of sub-Saharan African countries such as Uganda (Bain et al, 2013), commonly manifesting among children, women of childbearing age and youth (UNAP, 2016), adolescents being a crosscutting age-group
The formulated soup C contributed over 25% of the carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, and iron adolescent Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) requirements
The study succeeded in developing an acceptable instant nutritious amaranth-based vegetable soup

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Malnutrition is one of the major concerns of sub-Saharan African countries such as Uganda (Bain et al, 2013), commonly manifesting among children, women of childbearing age and youth (UNAP, 2016), adolescents being a crosscutting age-group. A proportion of Uganda’s adolescents (13–21 years) go to boarding schools for three academic terms in year, that is, 3/4 of a year During this period, they feed on an imbalanced diet consisting of maize meal porridge for breakfast and beans and highly polished maize bread (posho) for lunch and supper, the latter being often replaced with cassava and polished rice (Nabaseruka, 2010). In an attempt to create variety in their diet and to satisfy their nutritional demands, adolescents resort to energy- rich but nutrient-lean snacks sold in school canteens (personal information). Snacking illustrates preference for convenience foods due to the limited time to prepare/access full meals among other reasons (Wales, 2017) Convenient foods such as instant nutritious dehydrated soups that require less time to prepare (Kalb, 2012) can be used to improve the nutritional status of adolescents. This study aimed at contributing to addressing this challenge through developing a micronutrient-rich, amaranth-based shelf-stable soup that is acceptable to adolescents and less time-consuming (convenient) to prepare

| METHODOLOGY

| DISCUSSION

Findings

| CONCLUSION