Convenience food of cereal bars

Cereal bars became a practical food, can be easily consumed, do not require any preparation and are a source of essential nutrients. It is convenience foods of increasing popularity as regular and calorie-low sources of nutrients and dietary fiber to reduce obesity related health problems.

Cereal bars were among the most popular, catering to those who missed breakfast and also those who simply wanted a sweet snack that provided a healthy alternative to the traditional candy bar. Some versions are even marketed to children and use cartoon characters and health claims about their nutritional value to attract attention.

Ingredients usually contained in cereal bars are mixtures of cereals, dried fruit, and nuts, corn syrup, honey, sugar, or lecithin and flavorings. Among cereals, oats (Avena sativa L.) is the most widely used to prepare cereal bars due to its high content and quality of protein, predominance of unsaturated fatty acids and composition of dietary fiber.

Over the years cereal bars have evolved from the original hard and crunchy to soft and chewy and finally to chocolate covered soft and chewy products which closely resemble standard chocolate countlines. Manufacturers of cereal bars frequently enrich their products with vitamins in a bid to attract consumers who are increasingly conscious of the need to make healthy food choices.

The idea of cereal bars was occurred to adopt the shape of a different product that consumers were used to: chocolate bars. Cereal bars was born when the concepts of cereal and chocolate bars merged.
Convenience food of cereal bars

Wheat flour for making pizza dough

Almost all pizzas are made with yeast dough that is, dough made from wheat flour, and water that is leavened with yeast.  The variations of dough came from the type of flour and yeast used or by varying the additional ingredients such as sugars, oil or flavoring.

Wheat flour is the major ingredient in pizza dough. Flour decisions range from the protein content (the softer, or lower protein, flours include European type ‘OO’ flour and American all-purpose flour, while durum flour is the highest in protein or hardest) to organic to whole grain.

Flour is what we get when wheat kernels, also called wheat berries are ground into a meal. The kernel has three components, which are separated in the modern milling process. Most of the recipes indicate a particular choice of flour.

Gluten in wheat flour is the component that makes the dough stretch in a way that it holds its shape. After kneading, the dough are leaved to rise. The yeast multiplies and gives off little bubbles, of carbon dioxide; the gluten traps these bubbles so that the dough puffs up and expands.
Wheat flour for making pizza dough

Granola cereals

Granola is an improvement over cereals made from refined grains. The major raw material used to make a granola cereal is rolled oats, either regular whole-rolled or quick-cooking oats.

Nuts pieces, coconut, brown sugar, honey, malt extract dried fruits, dried milk, water and vegetable oil are all mixed with the oats. Spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg can be also added. Mass produced crunchy granola bars are reasonably healthy, high density, high-energy food and some of the best things for hikers to carry when they do hiking.

Sugar content in granola cereals ranges from 22% to 32% of the dry weight of the cereals. When granola bars first arrived on the market they were a mixture of rolled oats, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, some sugar and a variety of oils but they contained both protein and ca0rbhydrates in sufficient quantity to be better for consumer than most candy bar.

Production of most granola bars involves no heat, other than heating the syrup. Some version of granola bars are dipped in a coating after extrusion. Typically this take place as the bars pass through an enrober, where liquid coating – chocolate, yogurt, carob and so on - is poured over them.
Granola cereals

Corn flour

Corn is a primary ingredient for corn collets and many pellet products.  Cornmeal, corn grits, corn flour and corn cones are all a different form of dry-milled dent corn, and in general vary only in particle size distribution.

Corn meal which has been leached with lye is called masa harina and is used to make tortillas and tamales in Mexican cooking.

Corn flour, a finer form of corn meal, is yellow four milled form corn. It is very popular in the southern United States and in Mexico. Coarse whole-grain corn flour is usually called corn meal.

Corn flour on its own produces a denser, drier product because it absorbs greater amount of liquid due to the higher carbohydrate content and the type of carbohydrate.

It adds strength to dough and batters and a nice depth of flavor. It tastes sweet, and slightly nutty.
The flour can be used in all baked goods such as breads, tortilla, muffins, loaves, cakes, biscuits, pancakes, crepes, waffles, cookies, pie dough and pasta.

Corn flour is suitable for yeast bread baking when used in conjunction with wheat flour.
Corn flour