Nutrition Program can be used to create a recipe label, star profile and costing.
- Recipe sheet
- Recipe label
- Star profile
- Nutrition analysis
- Costing
Costing for apple pie
Nutrition analysis, star profile and costing
Year: 2016
Gelatinisation of starch – NEA 1
Food and Nutrition GCSE has an Investigation NEA which could be
Investigate the ingredients used to thicken sauces and soups
Look at the Book NEA 1 Food Investigations
This is how I do it:
Think what ingredients are used to thicken sauces and soups and which starch is best for recipes.
White sauce, Tomato sauce or soup, Fruit sauce…
Starchy ingredients thicken sauces when they are heated in liquid.
So test some starches:
Rice starch, cornflour, plain flour, arrowroot, potato flour … you choose.
Create a FAIR TEST. Mix the same amount of starch (10g) with the same amount of water (100ml).
Heat each one in the microwave and look every 20 seconds, stir and remove when it is thick.
Taste and test each one.
Use the Star Profile on the Nutrition Program to show your results:
First list the starches, then choose Descriptors – words to describe the results – thick, creamy, clear, glossy, tasty …
Fill in your tasting results:-
Star profile on YouTube for Nutrition Program
Pink pickled turnips
Pink pickled turnips are a favourite ingredient in falafel wraps and mezze in the Middle East.
Pink pickled turnips – done!!
The science of making them is amazing – osmosis transfer of the colour from the beetroot to the white turnips.
Ingredients
500g small white turnips
1 small red beetroot 25g
25g salt
300ml white distilled vinegar
300ml water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 red chilli
Method
- Peel the turnips and the beetroot to remove outside skin.
- Cut into 1 cm chip sized shapes. Put in a bowl and sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of salt. Leave for 15 minutes so that the turnips soften.
- Heat the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan
- Wash the turnip chips by placing in a sieve and running cold water through them. Dry with paper towel
- Place turnip chips into a glass jar and cover with the slices of beetroot.
- Pour over the vinegar mixture – you can add chilli for flavour.
- Cover and store for a week to allow the turnips have turned pink. Leave for longer and they will turn pinker. They can be stored for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
- The pickled turnip strips can be used as dips for hummus or rolled up with falafel in pitta bread with some tahini dip. I like to remove the beetroot strips as they lose their colour in the pickling.
Pink pickled turnips – done!!
Flour in bread – investigation NEA 1
This YouTube video shows how to use the Star Profile of the Nutrition Program to Investigate flours used for bread.
Set up a Star Profile to compare the different flours used in bread. Complete the Star Profile with your results.
The nutrition of different flours
The amount of gluten, the protein in flour, affects how the flour can be used in cooking.
- Flours which are high in gluten are used for breads and pastas.
- Flours which are low in gluten are used for cakes and scones and sauces.
Compare the protein content of different flours
Use the Nutrition Program for this investigation.
- Click My Recipes, +New Recipe and call it Flour Investigation.
- Find Ingredient Type flour and a whole list is shown.
If you want to look at what flours to use for bread choose 4-5 types
For example
- flour 00 grade;
- flour, bread, strong white;
- flour, plain; flour,
- self raising, white;
- flour, gluten free.
Choose them each in turn – the screen shows the Macronutrients for 100 g.
To get nutrition for the next flour, Cancel and go back to Find Ingredient.
Collect screen images and put the results of protein in 100g on a table like the one below.
| Flour | Protein in 100g |
| Flour 00 grade | 11g |
| Flour strong white bread | 13g |
| Flour, plain | 9.7g |
| Flour, self raising, white | 8.9g |
| Flour, gluten free bread flour, Doves farm | 4.8g |
For NEA 1 research, compare the protein content – my results show that Strong, white bread flour has the most protein and so the most gluten which forms the structure of the loaf.
Use Food Science You Can Eat to help
Costing a dish
Costing a dish – see the You Tube video
Costing a recipe on Youtube
The cost of a recipe is worked out for a portion and the whole recipe. You can work out costs by hand, on a spreadsheet or using a computer program.
Cost of ingredients depends on
- Where you shop – supermarket, local market.
- How you shop – special offers, buy in bulk.
- The quality of your ingredients – organic food costs more.
- If you buy seasonally, or grow your own.
Terms from AQA Food and Nutrition GCSE requirements
- To calculate the cost of the dish and compare with a commercial product.
- Differentiated worksheets and home learning resources to calculate costs of spaghetti bolognaise or chilli.
- Costings worksheet.
- Work out the cost of ingredients to make chosen dish and compare to ready-meal tested.
- Consider suitable recipe ideas, sourcing of ingredients to promote environmental and ethical awareness, nutritional profiles of recipes, costs, cooking and serving times.
- Produce a recipe card of each of the dishes made listing the ingredients, method of making, nutritional profile, allergy advice, costing and special dietary, health or environmental claims.
- Costing analysis worksheet.
- Costings for each dish, analysed and explained
- NEA 2 Section E Final dishes are costed with the results of this costing analysed and explained
OCR statement NEA 2
- Excellent consideration and understanding of the task including sensory and nutritional choice, cost, food provenance and seasonality
See how the Nutrition Program can do it for you!
- The recipe Feta stuffed peppers – serves 2
- 2 peppers, any colour, cut in half (seeds removed)
- 20g couscous
- 10 black olives, chopped
- 125g feta, cubed
- 125g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp celery seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
2. Type it in My Recipes and go to Costs:
3. At the bottom of the chart it shows the recipe costs £2.82 and the portion costs £1.41.
If you think any costs are too high or low, email me.
The Nutrition Program Blog 