Journal of FARM SCIENCES, Vol 29, No 5 (2016)

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Comparison of nutrient density of selected commercial and laboratory prepared vegetable dishes

G. R. MANASA, J. DIVYA PRAKASH, JAMUNA PRAKASH

Abstract


Green leafy vegetables occupy an important place among the food crops as these provide adequate amounts ofmany vitamins, minerals, antioxidants which are responsible for maintaining good health. Food composition databases areessential tools to assess the dietary status of individual, to assess the dietary intakes of population groups with defineddemographic characteristics. For the development of nutrient database of dishes based on green leafy vegetables and rootsand tubers, three products such as palak paneer, potato sabji and carrot halwa were prepared in the laboratory and theirnutritional value was computed using the food composition tables for serving sizes in standard measuring cups. Disheswere also procured from three different commercial establishments and analyzed for their nutritional composition.Standardized methods were followed for analysis. Results showed that highest fat content was observed in carrot halwaranging from 11-16% contributed by added ghee and khoa, followed by palakpaneer, 7-15%, and potato sabji, 2-7%. Theprotein content was highest in carrot halwa, 3-6% followed by pala paneer, 4.5-5.6%, and 2.1-2.6% in potato sabji. Carrothalwa showed higher iron and calcium content followed by palak paneer and potato sabji. The energy content of carrothalwa, palak paneer and potato sabji ranged from 122-480 kcal, 84-298 kcal and 93-302 kcal respectively with theincreasing cup size from 1/4th to 1 cup. The study concludes that products prepared from these vegetables contributed toconsiderable amounts of nutrients depending on the variety, other ingredients used in the preparation of the product and thequantity of the vegetable used. Considerable variations were seen in products procured from different sources in fat andenergy contents, which obviously depends on the added ingredients. Hence, there is a need to know the nutritional value ofcommercially sold products to calculate an individual’s nutrient intake from such foods.

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