Improvement of nutritional quality of local dishes and their acceptance by children of different ages

• Autor(a) principal: Calderón MARTÍNEZ, María Elena
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Rey Taboada GAYTÁN, Oswaldo, LÓPEZ, Pedro Antonio, Ortiz TORRES, Enrique
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Nutrição
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/7712
• topic: Amaranthus hypochondriacus L; Child malnutrition; Community participation; Nutritional development strategy; Sensory evaluation

ObjectiveFood insecurity and child malnutrition are central topics in many food programs around the world; however, these indices do not diminish. The creation of strategies is necessary to increase the effectiveness of nutritional improvement programs. The objective of this research was to improve the nutritional quality of three local dishes included in the regular diet of the population by adding amaranth and to evaluate their acceptance by children from three communities in Tochimilco, Puebla, Mexico. MethodsThe study was carried out in three communities of “Tochimilco”, Puebla, Mexico, in order to evaluate three local dishes: banana smoothie, beans and corn tortillas, which were chosen by mothers of the region in participative workshops on preparation of local dishes enriched with amaranth. Two sensory tests were applied: pairedcomparison and hedonic scale to 208 and 210 children of preschool and scholar age, respectively. ResultsIt was found that consumers showed similar preference for banana smoothie and beans enriched with amaranth compared to non-enriched dishes; while the amaranth enriched tortilla gained more preference in the different statistical tests and it was the dish with higher content of amino acids. Sensory attributes were similarly assessed and there were no significant differences among rural and urban communities and school year. ConclusionChildren easily accept the addition of amaranth to the dishes they are accustomed to, as it does not change their food culture. It is possible to improve child nutrition by designing healthier dishes and incorporating them into the daily cooking of those who prepare the food.