Soluble chickpea and lentil powders: a solution for elderly consumers interested in enriching their meals with protein

Abstract

Protein intake in the elderly is often inadequate; one solution is to enrich meals with sustainable proteins. This can be difficult, especially when aiming to retain the product's sensory appeal. In this study, we investigated the use of a novel soluble pulse powder derived from pre-cooked and dried chickpea or lentil grains. The composition, rheological, and sensory properties of chickpea and lentil powders were studied as potential ingredients for enriching protein and fibre purees. Two types of powder were initially selected: whole powder and sieved powder (containing particles <354 μm). The composition of these powders varied in terms of the fibre and protein content. The viscosity of the purees increased linearly with powder addition, depending on whether it was the whole or sieved powder, which contained only particles with a diameter of less than 354 μm. Compared with the control puree, the addition of 7.5% sieved pulse powder did not affect consumer preference and transformed the purees into a source of protein and high-fibre food. Therefore, 7.5% sieved powder was selected to study the perceptions of the elderly consumers. The liking of, and willingness to eat purees enriched with chickpea powder was not significantly different from that of the control puree, but was significantly higher than purees with lentil powder. A significant increase in the perception of healthiness was observed with enriched purees. Elderly individuals who were protein-concerned and non-neophobic had a favourable reaction to the soluble pulse product. Therefore, chickpea powder could be an easy and sustainable option for improving and increasing protein and pulse intake in elderly individuals.