Novel snack foods comprised of various combinations of whole grains and vegetables were evaluated for consumer acceptability in sensory booths by seventy-one in-house volunteers. Specifically, snacks containing Buckwheat (B), Buckwheat + Peanut meal + Kale (BPK), Sorghum + Peanut meal + Okra (SPO), and Sorghum + Peanut meal + Okra + Jalapeno (SPOJ) were judged for appearance, aroma, flavor and texture on a scale from one to five, as well as on overall acceptability on a binary scale. Several combinations of ingredients were evaluated, with the final composition of snacks tested decided by consensus of laboratory personnel based on criteria of expected consumer acceptability of 70%. While all snacks were found to be statistically similar for appearance, aroma, and flavor, the texture of BWPK and SPO were rated significantly equal and more favorable than BW and SPOJ. Acceptability ratings were generally high; SPOJ (94%), BPK (93%), SPO (89%), and B (85%), with no significant difference, observed between SPOJ and BPK (p = 0.05). The snack foods evaluated are higher (up to triple) in protein, lower (as low as half) in fat, are gluten-free with no added sugar, and generally higher in nutritional content as compared to most traditional snack foods. While ideally suited for commercial production, these snacks can also be easily prepared at home with minimal equipment requirements, thus offering a healthy alternative for all consumers including vegetarians, vegans, and those hypersensitive to gluten.
Rosenthal, R.J., Morton, J., Brethauer, S., Mattar, S., De Maria, E., Benz, J.K., Titus, J. and Sterrett, D. (2017) Obesity in America. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 13, 1643-1650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2017.08.002
Engin, A. (2017) The Definition and Prevalence of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. In: Engin, A.B. and Engin, A., Eds., Obesity and Lipotoxicity Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 960, Springer, Cham, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48382-5_1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2020) Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html
Harvard School of Public Health (2020) Adult Obesity: A Global Look at Rising Obesity Rates. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends/obesity-rates-worldwide
Aronne, L.J., Nelinson, D.S. and Lillo, J.L. (2009) Obesity as a Disease State: A New Paradigm for Diagnosis and Treatment. Clinical Cornerstone, 9, 9-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1098-3597(09)80002-1
Howarth, N.C., Huang, T.T.-K., Roberts, S.B. and McCrory, M.A. (2005) Dietary Fiber and Fat Are Associated with Excess Weight in Young and Middle-Aged US Adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105, 1365-1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.06.001
Rippe, J.M. and Angelopoulos, T.J. (2016) Added Sugars and Risk Factors for Obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease. International Journal of Obesity, 40, 22-27. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.10
John Hopkins Medicine (2021) Obesity, Sugar and Heart Health. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/obesity-sugar-and-heart-health
Alsanea, S., Gao, M. and Liu, D. (2017) Phloretin Prevents High-Fat Diet Induced Obesity and Improves Metabolic Homeostasis. Journal of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 19, 797-805. https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-017-0053-0
Lu, M., Wan, Y., Yang, B., Huggins, C.E. and Li, D. (2018) Effects of Low-Fat Compared with High-Fat Diet on Cardiometabolic Indicators in People with Overweight and Obesity without Overt Metabolic Disturbance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. British Journal of Nutrition, 119, 96-108. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114517002902
Sun, Y., Neelakantan, N., Wu, Y., Lote-Oke, R., Pan, A. and van Dam, R.M. (2015) Palm oil Consumption Increases LDL Cholesterol Compared with Vegetable Oils Low in Saturated Fat in a Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Journal of Nutrition, 145, 1549-1558. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.115.210575
American Heart Association (2012) Salt of the Earth Reducing Sodium in the U.S. Diet. AHA/HPFS/02/2012. https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_304869.pdf
Njike, V.Y., Smith, T.M., Shuval, O., Shuval, K., Edshteyn, I., Kalantari, V. and Yaroch, A.L. (2016) Snack Food, Satiety, and Weight. Advances in Nutrition, 7, 866-878. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.009340
Chapelot, D. (2011) The Role of Snacking in Energy Balance: A Biobehavioral Approach. Journal of Nutrition, 141, 158-162. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.114330
USDA (2015) Nutrition Policy and Promotion; Dietary Guidelines for Americans. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines
Brown-Borg, H.M. (2017) Disentangling High Fat, Low Carb, and Healthy Aging. Cell Metabolism, 26, 458-459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2017.08.020
Brouns, F. (2018) Overweight and Diabetes Prevention: Is a Low-Carbohydrate-High-Fat Diet Recommendable? European Journal of Nutrition, 57, 1301-1312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1636-y
Halnaes, A., Kyro, C., Anderson, I., Lacoppidan, S., Overvad, K., Christensen, J., Tjonneland, A. and Olsen, A. (2016) Intake of Whole Grains Is Associated with Lower Risk of Myocardial Infarction: The Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103, 999-1007. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.124271
Biesiekierski, J.R., Newnham, E.D. and Shepherd, S.J. (2011) Self-Diagnosis of Non-Coeliac Gluten Intolerance by Australian Adults: Failure to Exclude Coeliac Disease or Benefit from a Gluten-Free Diet. Journal of Gastroenterology, 26, 70.
Volta, U., Caio, G., Tovoli, F. and Giorgio, R.D. (2013) Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Questions Still to Be Answered Despite Increasing Awareness. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 10, 383-392. https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2013.28
Riffkin, R. (2017) One in Five Americans Include Gluten-Free Foods in Diet. https://prezi.com/fuws7phgltkb/one-in-five-americans-include-gluten-free-foods-in-diet
Packaged Foods (2020) Gluten Free Foods in the US. https://www.packagedfacts.com/Gluten-Free-Foods-10378213
Lebwohl, B., Ludvigsson, J.F. and Green, P.H. (2015) Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity. British Medical Journal, 351, 4347. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h4347
Lloyd-Jones, D.M., Hong, J., Labarthe, D., Mozaffarian, D. and Appel, L.J. (2010) Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: The American Heart Association’s Strategic Impact Goal through 2020 and beyond. Circulation, 121, 586-613. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192703
Giménez-Bastida, J.A. and Zieliński, H. (2015) Buckwheat as a Functional Food and Its Effects on Health. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 63, 7896-7913. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02498
Eggum, B.O., Kreft, I. and Javornik, B. (1980) Chemical Composition and Protein Quality of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 30, 175-179. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01094020
Bonafaccia, G., Gambelli, L., Fabjan, N. and Kreft, I. (2003) Trace Elements in Flour and Bran from Common and Tartary Buckwheat. Food Chemistry, 83, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00228-0
Dahlberg, J. (2019) The Role of Sorghum in Renewables and Biofuels. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1931, 269-277. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9039-9_19
Thomson, J.R. (2017) What Is Sorghum? And Why Is the South So Obsessed with It. Food and Drink. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sorghum-syrup-grain-super_n_6063016
Simnadis, T.G., Tapsell, L.C. and Beck, E.J. (2016) Effect of Sorghum Consumption on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Nutrition Review, 74, 690-707. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuw036
Alhassan, K., Agbenorhevi, J.K. and Asibuo, J.Y. (2017) Proximate Composition and Functional Properties of Some New Groundnut Accessions. Journal of Food Security, 5, 9-12. https://doi.org/10.12691/jfs-5-1-2
Angeloni, C., Leoncini, E., Malaguti, M., Angelini, S., Hrelia, P. and Hrelia, S. (2009) Modulation of Phase II Enzymes by Sulforaphane: Implications for Its Cardioprotective Potential. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57, 615-622. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf900549c
Amjad, A.I., Parikh, R.A., Appleman, L.J., Hahm, E.R., Singh, K. and Singh, S.V. (2015) Broccoli-Derived Sulforaphane and Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer: From Bench to Bedside. Current Pharmacology Reports, 1, 382-390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40495-015-0034-x
Surampudi, P., Enkhmaa, B., Anuurad, E. and Berglund, L. (2016) Lipid Lowering with Soluble Dietary Fiber. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 18, 75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-016-0624-z
Gemede, H.F., Haki, G.D., Beyene, F., Woldegiorgis, A.Z. and Rakshit, S.K. (2015) Proximate, Mineral, and Antinutrient Compositions of Indigenous Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Pod Accessions: Implications for Mineral Bioavailability. Food Science and Nutrition, 4, 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.282
Kahlon, T.S. and Smith, G.E. (2007) In Vitro Binding of Bile Acids by Okra, Beets, Asparagus, Eggplant, Turnips, Green Beans, Carrots, and Cauliflower. Food Chemistry, 103, 676-680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.07.056
Alvarez-Parrilla E., de la Rosa, L.A., Amarowicz, R. and Shahidi, F. (2011) Antioxidant Activity of Fresh and Processed Jalapeño and Serrano Peppers. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 59, 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf103434u
Ludy, M., Moore, G.E. and Mattes, R.D. (2012) The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-Analyses of Studies in Humans. Chemical Senses, 37, 103-121. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjr100
AOAC (2000) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 17th Edition, The Association, Arlington.
AOAC (1990) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 15th Edition, The Association, Arlington.
Kahlon, T.S., Avena-Bestillos, A. and Chiu, M.C. (2018) Gluten-Free Ancient Whole Grain Buckwheat Snacks. Nutrition and Food Science, 6, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.19080/NFSIJ.2018.06.5556687
Statista (2021) Snack Food Is the U.S. https://www.srilankabusiness.com/pdf/market_study/snacks_food_in_usa_statista.pdf