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Graham Snack Consumption in After‐School Snack Programs Based on Whole Wheat Flour Content
Author(s) -
Sadeghi Leila,
Grosser Maggie,
Anderson Amy,
Reicks Marla,
Marquart Len
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.678.22
Subject(s) - snack food , whole grains , food science , whole wheat , consumption (sociology) , wheat flour , serving size , psychology , mathematics , environmental health , medicine , chemistry , social science , sociology
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that children consume at least 3 servings of whole grain foods per day. Data from a pilot after‐school snack program indicated that graham crackers, containing 5g whole wheat per serving, were consumed in the range of 73–88%, similar to the refined grain counterpart. This study examined graham snack consumption containing varying levels of whole wheat flour per serving by school‐aged children. Subjects included ~125 elementary school children (grades K‐6) participating in after‐school snack programs in 4 elementary schools. Over 8 weeks, children were offered graham snacks in a random order containing 5, 8, 12, and 16g of whole wheat flour per 30g serving. Plate waste was used to measure graham snack consumption, as children placed their unfinished snacks in a waste receptacle and subsequent waste was measured after each session. At week 9, a subgroup of children participated in focus groups to provide input about their perceptions for product quality and suggestions for improvement. Consumption for the 5, 8, 12, and 16g graham snacks was 78%, 76%, 85%, and 78%, respectively. This study suggests that these snacks can contribute a significant dietary source of whole grain when offered through an after‐ school snack program. Kraft Foods, Inc.