Scrumptious snacks derived from smart ideas rewarded lunch-hour visitors as students in the food product development capstone class presented their new creations.
Each year, students provide samples of the food products they developed to fulfil the practical, problem-solving portion of their course work. The 2015 offerings from the NuFS 450 class were heavily weighted toward dessert-like foods, but each incorporated a nifty, healthy twist.
A tray of chocolatey ChiQa Donuts appeared to be decadent but the treats were vegan, gluten-free, baked gems bursting with surprise benefits. Chia seeds replaced eggs, quinoa added nutrition, and soy milk and applesauce kept them moist.
It took 27 trials over an 11-week period to perfect the recipe, said team member Sujata Patel. Only at the eleventh hour did the team realize that too much applesauce was undermining the doughnuts' density. The payoff?
"Most Tim Hortons doughnuts are about 300 calories. Ours have 100 calories," she said.
The bright yellow of dehydrated pineapple pieces at the Fruity Delights display was a triumph for that group, which was as intent on preserving appetizing colours as it was intense flavour in its dried fruit snacks. Similar items on the market are freeze-dried, with bleached out tints and a spongey texture, said Angele L'Heureux. By sourcing a secret weapon-a 1980s hot-air dehydrator that, unlike newer models, has a temperature control-the group was able to test a range of temperatures precisely. Turns out, 115 degrees Fahrenheit at 16 hours produces chewy, 100 per cent pineapple and apple chips featuring gorgeous colour and tangy taste.
A pronounced fruit flavor was the basis for success at the Team Lucky Peach display, which served up value-added sustainability with its fermented pineapple, nectarine and banana drinks.
"Our objective was to reduce waste by using a lot of the bruised and brown produce that people are not inclined to buy and which most stores have to throw out," said team member Wendy Wong.
Made with green tea plus some carbonation, the pasteurized, vacuum-packed fermenting fruit drinks contain far less sodium than soda pop and have a shelf-life of 100 days at room temperature.
Green tea also played a vital role in Chocotea Pudding Tarts, albeit the powdered variety called matcha. It's tremendously popular in Japan and gaining popularity in North America via Starbucks, so He Xi and her team identified a great marketing opportunity by mixing a chocolate-based crust with the delicately tea-touched filling. They ramped up their idea by making it soy-based for the lactose intolerant and by separating the hard crunch and soft gel with a milk-chocolate lining.
"The combination of gel and crunch is special," said Xi. "It's like cheese and crackers."
People too busy to eat but keen on coffee were foremost in the minds of Yikai Li and his teammates when they created a meal substitute with 15 mg of espresso per energy bar. A challenge they encountered when combining honey, peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, dried fruit, oats and chia seeds was that it wouldn't bind. Enter chocolate coating-a most satisfying solution.
Two products that have already had wider exposure are the Peamon Tart and the Pulse Nugget. Made with chickpeas and other pulses, they placed first and second at the Mission ImPULSEible regional competition in March. The nuggets were softly spiced, vegetarian-friendly replacements for chicken nuggets that can be frozen and microwaved without crumbling. As the developers pointed out, there's nothing similar available currently in frozen food sections. The Peamon Tart was everything its post-win press suggested: a sturdy, slightly savoury crust made of mixed beans countered splendidly by a tart dollop of lemon filling.
If your mouth is watering, then best mark your calendars now for next year's presentation, no doubt one of the most popular capstone projects on campus.
Each year, students provide samples of the food products they developed to fulfil the practical, problem-solving portion of their course work. The 2015 offerings from the NuFS 450 class were heavily weighted toward dessert-like foods, but each incorporated a nifty, healthy twist.
A tray of chocolatey ChiQa Donuts appeared to be decadent but the treats were vegan, gluten-free, baked gems bursting with surprise benefits. Chia seeds replaced eggs, quinoa added nutrition, and soy milk and applesauce kept them moist.
It took 27 trials over an 11-week period to perfect the recipe, said team member Sujata Patel. Only at the eleventh hour did the team realize that too much applesauce was undermining the doughnuts' density. The payoff?
"Most Tim Hortons doughnuts are about 300 calories. Ours have 100 calories," she said.
The bright yellow of dehydrated pineapple pieces at the Fruity Delights display was a triumph for that group, which was as intent on preserving appetizing colours as it was intense flavour in its dried fruit snacks. Similar items on the market are freeze-dried, with bleached out tints and a spongey texture, said Angele L'Heureux. By sourcing a secret weapon-a 1980s hot-air dehydrator that, unlike newer models, has a temperature control-the group was able to test a range of temperatures precisely. Turns out, 115 degrees Fahrenheit at 16 hours produces chewy, 100 per cent pineapple and apple chips featuring gorgeous colour and tangy taste.
A pronounced fruit flavor was the basis for success at the Team Lucky Peach display, which served up value-added sustainability with its fermented pineapple, nectarine and banana drinks.
"Our objective was to reduce waste by using a lot of the bruised and brown produce that people are not inclined to buy and which most stores have to throw out," said team member Wendy Wong.
Made with green tea plus some carbonation, the pasteurized, vacuum-packed fermenting fruit drinks contain far less sodium than soda pop and have a shelf-life of 100 days at room temperature.
Green tea also played a vital role in Chocotea Pudding Tarts, albeit the powdered variety called matcha. It's tremendously popular in Japan and gaining popularity in North America via Starbucks, so He Xi and her team identified a great marketing opportunity by mixing a chocolate-based crust with the delicately tea-touched filling. They ramped up their idea by making it soy-based for the lactose intolerant and by separating the hard crunch and soft gel with a milk-chocolate lining.
"The combination of gel and crunch is special," said Xi. "It's like cheese and crackers."
People too busy to eat but keen on coffee were foremost in the minds of Yikai Li and his teammates when they created a meal substitute with 15 mg of espresso per energy bar. A challenge they encountered when combining honey, peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, dried fruit, oats and chia seeds was that it wouldn't bind. Enter chocolate coating-a most satisfying solution.
Two products that have already had wider exposure are the Peamon Tart and the Pulse Nugget. Made with chickpeas and other pulses, they placed first and second at the Mission ImPULSEible regional competition in March. The nuggets were softly spiced, vegetarian-friendly replacements for chicken nuggets that can be frozen and microwaved without crumbling. As the developers pointed out, there's nothing similar available currently in frozen food sections. The Peamon Tart was everything its post-win press suggested: a sturdy, slightly savoury crust made of mixed beans countered splendidly by a tart dollop of lemon filling.
If your mouth is watering, then best mark your calendars now for next year's presentation, no doubt one of the most popular capstone projects on campus.