Physicochemical, nutritional and sensory evaluation of a nutritionally improved granola developed at Zamorano University, Honduras

Resumen

The modern diet is characterized by a reduced intake of fiber and protein, both essential for maintaining digestive health and muscle mass. The objective was to evaluate the sensory acceptance of four granola formulations, analyze their physical properties, determine the nutritional contributions (total fat, dietary fiber, and crude protein) of the most accepted formulation. The study was conducted in two phases: 1) preparation of the formulations and the microbiological and sensory analyses, and 2) determination of physicochemical properties. The formulations were based on the granola used in the dining hall of Zamorano University and were prepared with whole oats, peanuts, sesame seeds, cashew seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, honey, and olive oil. The Ranger 300R31P30 balance, the Turbolino 110V oven, American Public Health Association (APHA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) methods, Colorflex Hunter Lab and Aqualab 3TE equipment, Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) methods, and SAS 9.4 software were used for analysis. Treatment 4 showed the highest acceptance, influenced by its flavor and crunchiness. It presented light brown color values of L* (43.79), a* (9.99), and b* (23.06), water activity of 25 ± 0.03, moisture content of 1.62 ± 0.05%, ash content of 2.22 ± 0.01%, and per 100 g contained 32.15 ± 0.31% total fat, 13.83 ± 0.37% dietary fiber, and 18.07 ± 0.04% protein. The results demonstrate that the formulated granola is a viable and well-accepted alternative to improve nutritional intake in institutional food services.