NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF SOME FOODS FROM A NIGERIAN EATERY

Abstract

This study investigated the nutrient composition of some foods prepared from an eatery in Nigerian. The samples were analyzed for moisture, ash, fibre, protein, fat and carbohydrate using AOAC methods, amino acid profile was determined using amino acid analyzer and available lysine by FDNB spectrophotometric method. The percentages for moisture, ash, fiber, protein, fat and energy ranged from 14 to 40, 1.3 to 3.8, 0.1to 1.6, 6.2 to 23, 12 to 20 % and  1328 to 2048 kJ, correspondingly. On the other hand, iron, zinc and copper ranged from 3.0 to 11.0, 5.7 to 35 and 0.2 to 1.6 mg / 100 g, while lysine, isoleucine, leucine, threonine and valine ranged from 1.9 to 6.5, 2.2 to 4.2, 3.3 to 6 9, 1.0 to 3.5 and 2.2 to 5.6 g / 100 g protein, respectively. Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Scores (PDCAAS) is above 50 % for all meals. Conventional fast foods are high in fat and sodium; low in calcium and fibre but adequate in iron, zinc, copper. In contrast, ethnic diets are adequate in fibre, magnesium, calcium and potassium but low in protein.  The study concluded that fast foods, though deficient in some nutrients could not be totally regarded as unwholesome.