International Journal of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics

This study aims to determine the nutrition knowledge and pre-competition dietary practices of under-14 football players across India. Football players (n=110) were selected using random sampling, at a 5-day under-14 football championship, nutrition knowledge assessed using the validated nutrition questionnaire. Dietary practices pre-competition studied through participatory observation cum informal interview method. The results revealed that the mean nutrition knowledge was 26%. Selection of food items pre-competition, fluid and electrolytes had varied misconception. Consumption of junk foods, skipping of pre-game meal was frequently observed. Significantly higher nutrition knowledge of players belonging to the teams of Delhi and Kolkata was observed as compared to the total scores on the nutritional knowledge between several teams based on the demographic profile. Significance was calculated using ANOVA. Football players lack adequate sports nutrition knowledge and pre-competition meal selection, nutrition education is needed for optimum performance.

Keywords : Sports nutrition; Football; Nutrition knowledge; Dietary practices.

The bottle gourds are unique fruit vegetables composed of varied types of fleshes that play a critical role in the perception of firmness. The firmness may serve as an indicator of processability to the food processor and of eating quality to the consumer. Various investigations were conducted to evaluate important physical properties of freshly harvested bottle gourd fruits and also to assess the firmness of freshly harvested bottle gourd fruits so as to develop the relationship between physical characteristics and firmness of freshly harvested bottle gourd fruits. Fifteen freshly harvested bottle gourd fruits (cv. ABG-1) were selected randomly for determining their physical properties. The Magness-Tylor fruit firmness tester (type: 53201) was used to evaluate the firmness. All the routine calculations like obtaining mean value, standard deviation and also correlating different physical parameters to fruit firmness were done for each of the test using Microsoft Excel 2007 programme. From the data, the significant relationship between various physical parameters and fruit firmness was observed. It was noted that the firmness of fruit was reduced with the increase in length of fruit while the increase in fruit width increased the fruit firmness. Hence, the fruits having comparatively more width and less length will be better in firmness. Also, the fruit of comparatively lower weight are better than the fruits of heavy weight from the firmness point of view.

Keywords: Bottle gourd; Physical characteristics; Firmness; Fruit quality; Penetrometer.

Baked goods are popular snack items among children and adults alike, and they are typically high in fat and sugar but not other essential nutrients making them unhealthy choices. Development of commercially viable cookies/biscuits with healthful components is highly desirable. Hence, the objective of the study was to formulate peanut cookies enriched with sesame seeds and flax seeds and evaluate their nutritional composition, sensory quality and shelf stability. The control product was prepared with refined wheat flour, sugar, peanut powder, butter, milk, baking powder. To this either sesame seed or flax seeds were added at two levels for experimental variations. The results indicated that the oilseeds incorporated cookies were rich source of protein (12.3-13.0%) as well as fiber (9.1-10.3%). The fat content ranged between 19.3-20.4%). The average sensory scores for both types of cookies for all attributes ranged between 5.37 to 6.63. There were no significant differences between the quality attributes of control and experimental cookies in both sets of sample indicating that incorporation of sesame seed as well as flax seed was accepted well by all panel members. The cookies were stable up to 60 days as judged by free fatty acids and peroxide value. It can be concluded that sesame seed and flax seed can be incorporated to peanut cookies with no significant differences in quality parameters.

Keywords: Nutritional composition; Sensory quality; Storage stability; Free fatty acids; Peroxide value.