Development and Evaluation of Quantity Recipes using Pulse Crops as Part of Dietetics Curriculum.

The purposes of this study were to 1) incorporate a recipe development assignment into a college foodservice management course, 2) conduct a sensory evaluation of these products, and 3) gather information about how well these recipes would be accepted as post-workout snacks. Students in the foodservice management course were advised to develop pulse crop (dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, lentils) recipe that was a grab-and-go item that could foreseeably be used for different populations such as a post-workout snack for university athletes, and for inclusion in the National School Breakfast Program. Students developed and tested recipes and conducted on-site sensory evaluations. Later students conducted a controlled, blinded sensory evaluations in a sensory lab. Variations in product characteristics where observed when prepared by different individuals. The Pulse Power Bar and the Crunchy Chickpea Trail Mix were rated highest for taste and overall acceptance, and were most accepted as a post-workout snack. The Creamy Strawberry Dip scored the highest in the initial sensory evaluation, but lowest in the final sensory evaluation. Taste and texture were main reasons for not wanting to consume the recipes post-exercise, while taste and health were main reasons for wanting to consume the recipes post-exercise. These finding highlight the need for improved standardization of recipe directions, etc., and suggest that teaching students to standardize recipes would require more than one assignment in one class. These findings also suggest that acceptance of pulse products is influenced by taste, texture, and presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]