Healthy snack made with peanut and wheat flour

nutritional assessment, antioxidant capacity and sensory evaluation

Abstract

Healthy snacks could add beneficial nutrients and functional compounds to the daily diet. Peanut flour, obtained after oil extraction, has a high proportion of proteins (53%), which can be used to improve the nutritional value of food products. The purpose of the present work was to develop a snack with wheat and peanut flour, evaluating its nutritional quality, antioxidant capacity and acceptability among consumers, in the town of La Cumbre, Córdoba, Argentina, year 2021.

Cross-sectional study. A "chalita" type snack was elaborated with wheat and peanut flours (50:50), chemical composition (macronutrients and kilocalories) was analyzed theoretically. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH) was determined. The acceptability of appearance, color, texture, smell and flavor attributes were evaluated with a 9-point hedonic scale, in 100 untrained tasters with prior informed consent. Frequencies, means, standard errors and ANOVA (α=0.05) were determined.

The chemical composition in 100 g of the snack made with peanut flour was: carbohydrates 47.4 g, proteins 30 g, fats 7.6 g, energy 388.8 kilocalories. Antioxidant capacity: DPPH 50% inhibitory concentration value (IC50) 21220 ± 1006 µg/mL. The "chalitas" were accepted by more than 80% of the participants. All attributes exceeded the mean of 6.92 ± 0.14, with flavor being the best scored (7.57 ± 0.12), followed by color (7.42 ± 0.11). 69% of those surveyed said they were not aware of the existence of peanut flour and 80% would include the snack in their usual diet. It should be noted that this product when made only with wheat contains 10.2 g of protein, with a similar energy value.

It is possible to develop a snack using wheat flour and peanuts, with a higher protein value than a traditional snack, with moderate antioxidant capacity, and sensorily accepted.