NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CEREAL AND PEANUT BARS

Snack with good nutritional value could play an important role in the physical and mental development of children and teenagers since they s how a great preference for them. The tendency is increasing their nutr itional value by supplying proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins an d minerals in a balanced form. The purpose of this research was to eva luate the chemical, sensorial and nutritional quality of cereal and pe anut bars. Three types of bars using different ratios of oat, wheat ge rm, peanut, toasted and expanded amaranthus and wheat extrudate were p repared. Bars proximate composition was determined according the AOAC methods, and their acceptability according Hedonic Scale. In the biolo gical assays, rats fed with 10% protein diets, were used to obtain the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) Net Protein Ratio (NPR) and Apparent D igestibility (AD). Corrected PER, relative PER, relative AD, PER and N PR values did not showed difference between bars CM1 and CM2 (PER: 2.5 9-2.57; NPR: 3.99-3.95 respectively); CM3 bar showed a lower quality. There were not differences among bars in relation to AD. CM1 and CM2 b ars had a better biological quality of the protein being CM3 bar of lo wer quality. From a chemical and sensorial point of view CM1 bar shows the highest protein content (14.23 %) and acceptability (6.8) and CM2 bar shows a high raw fiber content (2.27%).