Experimenting with the Different Types of Meat - Research Proposal Example

Experimenting With the Different Types of Meat Introduction Shrimp, chicken meat, turkey and lamb meat have differing nutritional values and tastes. Moreover, over the past there has been a concern on the diet that people take. A great percentage of people are keen on the percentage of cholesterol content in their diet. This is because too much cholesterol leads to obesity which is a risk factor to many heart related diseases. The risk of taking too much cholesterol has led o the question of whether people should stop taking meat altogether. However, it has been observed that meat is a better source of many nutrients such as omega 3, vitamin Bs , iron and zinc compared to other sources. Meat contains a high level of nutrient and this saves the person the trouble of looking for different sources of nutrient to supply their need. However, the amount of meat that a person feeds on is important. In every serving a single person should not take more that 100g of meat. This is less than what most people feed on. Moreover, meat should not be eaten daily. It is quite sufficient for a person to take meat twice every week. Sea foods such as shrimps are important to the diet as they provide iodine that is important in boosting the immunity of a person as it makes the glands work appropriately. Iodine is also crucial for pregnant mothers as it helps in the development of the foetus. Shrimps have relatively neutral flavor and can thus be added to different kinds of dishes starting with salads, stir-fried dishes, pasta and soup. They are also low in calories and fats contrary to common belief. Research has actually shown that eating shrimps does not affect the cholesterol levels in the body in a bad way. They are the mostly eaten type of food in America. Four ounces of steamed or boiled shrimps has a calories content of 112g, 24g of protein and 1.2g of fat contain only 0.3g of saturated fats. Shrimps are also a source of an essential amino acid called tryptophan. This is crucial in stabilizing mood and creation of consistent sleeping patterns. It is also a good source of other nutrients such as vitamin B12, selenium and omega 3 fatty acids in smaller quantities (D’Evoli et al 2009). These nutrients enhance conducting reproduction, thyroid function and immunity. The most appropriate cooking methods for shrimps are steaming baking, broiling, baking and grilling. Deep frying and smothering shrimp in butter increases the calories count form 112g to 317g. Chicken has been considered a good meet since it is high in fibers and proteins but is at the same time low in fat. It also provided a wide range of nutrients such as selenium, zinc, omega 3s and vitamin Bs. Again varying the variety of diet that one takes is also important in promoting appetite. This is because feeding on the same type of food creates a monotony that may make one to lose appetite. Turkey is very lean and contains lower fat content compared to chicken. It shares other characteristics with chicken such as having a relatively neutral taste and can thus be cooked with other foods and can even be eaten cold in sandwiches and salads. It also has lower calories than those found in chicken meat. The calories count can also be minimized by ensuring that it is cooked is low or no fat at all. This could be through grilling, baking or steaming method. Both chicken and turkey are excellent sources of protein but he protein content is higher in chicken meat (D’Evoli et al 2009). Turkey also has greater sodium content than chicken. Lamb is also lean source of meat and meets the requirements of leans meat as set by the Dietary guidelines for Americans. Moreover, lamb meat has a district flavor that makes food delicious and is also quite nutritious. It contains only 27g of fat and 10 of which are saturated. However despite the fact that it meets the standards for lean meat, it has greater cholesterol level than other meat that have already been discussed. It is thus prudent to serve them in small amounts and occasionally. In dealing with the obesity problem, it has been observed that taking some type of lean meat is good in maintaining the right body weight. Research has shown that although vegetarians may have enough iron in their blood, they do not have enough backup. The ion content in the blood can be promoted by taking leans pieces of meat, skinless chicken and fish. This means that one keeps the cholesterol level in the body low but at the same time ensures that they do not lack crucial nutrients in the diet. The method of cooking is crucial with some cooking styles being recommended over others. The best methods of cooking meat are steaming, grilling, baking and stir frying. Other methods such as charring on barbecue and deep frying have been considered to be unhealthy. This experiment is important as a way of finding out the most effective method of cooking the various meats. This is the method that gives each meat a distinctive flavor and provides the best nutrition without risking increasing the cholesterol levels of the people who partake the different food. This is important in ensuring that the food people eat is healthy and promotes their heath without putting them at risk of developing health problems. Hypothesis Grilled and stir Fried foods are more delicious than baked and steamed meat. Null Hypothesis The cooking method does not affect the taste of the meat Conclusion From the results above, we see that the different members of the panel gave their scores on the taste of the different dishes prepared using the four kinds of meat. it can be observed that food prepared through the method of cooking used with fried and grilled meat having a greater score. However, the score was seen to greatly differ depending on the kind of spices used. Some member of the panel gave high scores for food that were spicy while other gave low scores for the same kind of food. This difference in taste can be associated with the differences in the number of taste buds that individual have. Human beings can basically identify four types of tastes i.e. sour, bitter, sweet and salty. However, the number of taste buds in each individual differs. Person who have a high sensitivity to distinct tastes are called supertasters. They may have as twice as much taste bud as the normal human beings. Such people are very sensitive to strong tastes such and don not like food that is too spicy. Due to the fact that the supertasters are able to identify different flavors, they will dismiss the normal food as being too spicy, too salty or too sweet (Clarke 1998). A research has shown a correlation of supertasters and being thin in women. This is because with their hypersensitivity to sugar and fat, they are likely to crave food with too much sugar or fat. They are thus expected to eat lesser food compared to other groups. The correlation of low body weigh was not observed in males. This finding is being used by researchers to see if there is a correlation between taste reception and obesity which still remains a point of concern. You will find that such persons would use milk when the food is spicy. 50% of all people are medium tasters, 25% are non-taster and the other 25% are supertasters. The gene of super tasting is said to be a left over gene form the ancestor and was used to help them avoid food that would be harmful or poisonous to them. It has also been reported that the development of different levels of sensitivity to bitter taste developed over time depending evolutionary pressures. For instance, people whose ancestors were mainly nomadic are said to have developed strong bitter receptors to help them identify edible foods in their new environments. Additional evidence is on the people living in malaria infested regions. Such people have been confirmed to have low sensitivity to some bitter compounds such as cyanide. This could be from the fact that cyanide, when taken in all portions fight the malaria parasite without affecting the individual. Taste and flavors are also very different. There is a possibility of people confusing the two. While taste is a chemical taste that is perceived by certain receptors, flavor is multifaceted and perceived by a multiple of senses including smell, thermal sensation and sight. This is why with spicy food; the brain may also facto in pain in interpretation. This could have also affected the scale that the tasting panel gave to different food depending on the flavoring and spices used. The different scores of the same food can also be as a result of the panelist being form different group of taste reception. Those who gave low scores to foods that were spicy are likely to be supertasters and medium tasters. Those who gave high score for the same type of food could be non tasters. The same applies to the other types of food. Besides tasting is also connected with the manner in which the brain interpret and respond to the stimuli. Research has shown that the capability to taste and smell is controlled by about 1000 genes. However, only half of these genes have been seen to be active. It has also been discovered that 50 of these genes are active in some people and inactive in other. This serves as good explanation why some people may find some food quite tasty while other are disgusted by the same kind of food. The scores could have also been affected by how the different panelists perceived the different dishes depends on the way they were set, the aroma and the taste. References Clarke, Jane (1998). Proceedings of Nutritional Society. Taste Flavor: their Importance in Food Choice and Acceptance. http://www.fantastic-flavour.com/files downloads/Taste_and_flavour_food_choice_acceptance.pdf D’Evoli, L., Lucarini and Bocci, Lombardi. (2009). Icomst. “Towards an Effective Spreading of the Nutritional Value of Meat Based Dishes”. http://www.icomst2009.dk/fileadmin/documents/ICOMST_Lucarini_Parallel10_19082009.pdf Nelson, Gina (1998). The Anatomical Record. Biology of Taste Buds and the Clinical Problem of Taste Loss. http://web.mnstate.edu/provost/Biology%20of%20Tast%20Buds%20and%20the%20Clinical%20Problem%20of%20Taste%20Loss.pdf Read More