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  Dairy-Free Mac & Cheese: An Effective Intervention for Lactose Intolerants and Vegans

  Hamza Alvi and Max Stapleton

  42% of the children and adults in the US (aged 13-71) have lactose intolerance (Storhaugh, 2017).

  Lactose intolerance is due to the deficiency of an enzyme (i.e. lactase) that breaks down the milk sugar called lactose. Lactose is commonly found in milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.

  The plant-based diet is becoming increasingly popular among Americans and rest of the world. The vegan diet excludes foods like meat, eggs, dairy, and any other product that comes from animals.

  The researchers’ dairy-free mac & cheese is intended to be a replacement for a traditional mac & cheese that contains milk and cheese. This recipe is ideal for those who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan diet.

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  Sugar Replacement in Angel Food Cake

  Mary Beers and Shirlene Hilt

  Diabetes is a chronic medical condition in which sugar, or glucose, levels build up in your bloodstream. Controlling blood sugar levels can be especially difficult, specifically adjusting to new eating habits and limiting sugar intake. The hypothesis of this study is that by replacing sugar with sugar substitutes, an acceptable angel food cake can be made with an improved nutritional profile (lower carbohydrate and lower sugar content) for the diabetic population. The researchers feel they met their goal based upon scorecard data and overall outcome.

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  Effects of Zucchini Fat Substitution on Palatability in Brownies: A Possible Solution to Heart Healthy Desserts

  Heidi Knuckles and James Malloy

  Description: In 2017-2018, 42.2% of the adult population living in the US was obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). This increases risk for cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the top cause of death in the United States. In addition, 18.2 million adults in the US are living with CAD. People with CAD are encouraged to reduce dietary saturated fat and cholesterol in a DASH diet-style of eating. Substituting fat in recipes is difficult due to its important role in the cooking process, such as, heat transfer, tenderizing, and emulsification. Desserts, such as brownies, are traditionally high in saturated fats. Zucchini is a nutrient-dense squash that can be used as a fat-substitute in baked goods. This study concluded that zucchini brownies, resulting in reduced saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories, may be a palatable alternative to traditional brownies. These zucchini brownies align more closely with a heart healthy diet.

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  Vegan Substitutes in Baked Cookies

  Molly Kovarik and Stephanie Anderson

  Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. It is referred to as several different heart conditions and the most popular one being coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks. The researchers decided to make a popular dessert that fit the standards of a vegan diet which could potentially help people near or at risk for heart disease, yet still be able to enjoy a sweet treat. There were three recipe trials conducted to compare the liking of different variations of vegan chocolate chip cookies to an originally chocolate chip cookie. There were limitations to this study, but the researchers feel that their goal of meeting the same flavor, structure, and texture of a vegan cookie to a regular was indeed met.

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  Doughnut Worry, They’re Gluten-Free: An Experimental Study on the Acceptability of Gluten-Free Flours When Baking Mini-Doughnuts

  Kerri Lee and Mariah Singler

  Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the lining of the small intestine after the ingestion of gluten. A gluten-free diet is the most effective form of treatment for those with Celiac Disease, gluten-allergy, or gluten sensitivity. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.

  The goal of this study was to determine what gluten-free flour was most acceptable when baking mini-doughnuts. Researchers performed four different trials comparing all-purpose gluten-containing flour to an all-purpose gluten-free flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, and cassava flour. Results of the four trials indicated that the all-purpose gluten-free flour was the most acceptable when baking mini-doughnuts, followed by chickpea flour.

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  Flour Substitution for Heart Healthy Alternatives

  Amanda Thomas and Oshkie Scorsone

  The effects of highly processed foods contained within the average American diet has dramatically impacted, individual health can be observed with the increased incidence of cardiovascular and heart disease, elevated percentages of total daily fat consumption, and unhealthy high cholesterol levels.

  Researchers attempted to create a chocolate muffin with increased nutritional benefit with reduced sugar and carbohydrate count for those with cardiovascular disease and satisfy the needs of heart healthy diet.

  Four comparison trials were conducted which matched a control, buckwheat flour, and an almond flour substitute against one another with manipulation of flour additives for palpability and overall acceptability.

  Further research for improving texture and appearance would be beneficial. Additional consideration for fat substitutions to manipulate texture using applesauce of yogurt versus vegetable oil has been shown to help.

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  Gluten Free/Vegan Bread Recipe Testing

  Jusuf Tuzlakovic

  Vegan (V) and especially gluten free (GF) products have been on the rise in popularity. Some individuals choose to give up eating gluten foods due to allergies or discomfort that can come from eating certain foods with gluten such as breads, pastas, cookies, and many more. Choosing a vegan lifestyle could be due to a variety of reasons including: helping the environment, health benefits, and sometimes personal morals. The overall goal of this research was to create a bread recipe that was easy to follow, for all who wished to make a transition into GF/Vegan lifestyle without compromising traditional bread taste, texture, aroma, and appearance. Researchers felt they met their goal based upon scorecard date.