Amber Knoernschild in the kitchen baking a fresh batch of high-protein muffins to taste test.

Author: Amber Knoernschild | Major: Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Over the course of the 2021 fall grant term, I worked alongside my honors mentor, Dr. Jamie Baum, developing a high-protein breakfast muffin recipe that will allow us to measure children’s acceptance of different protein sources. My goal was to create a healthy muffin recipe that was appealing to children and high in both protein and fiber. I was excited to be able to conduct pediatric research, as I am very interested in working with children in my future career. I also found this project very interesting as a dietetics student. This project challenged me to look at food in terms of specific macro- and micronutrients instead of the food item’s nutritional benefit as a whole. Developing a breakfast muffin recipe high in protein and fiber that kids love could serve to educate caregivers on the benefits of protein in a child’s diet and improve children’s health regarding satiation and protein balance.Dr. Baum was very knowledgeable about the food science perspective of baking and I was able to contribute significant nutrition information that I was learning in my classes. We worked together to brainstorm recipe modifications that took flavor, texture, nutrient density, and presentation into consideration.We started by finding a base protein muffin recipe that we could easily adjust. I baked the muffin with the original recipe first and then researched ways that we could modify the recipe to increase the protein and fiber content.Dr. Baum and I reached out to a former student, Lily Smith, who is a graduate student in food science. Lily recommended that we utilize applesauce and inulin to increase the fiber content of the muffin with minimal alterations to the texture. Dr. Baum and I also reached out to Dr. Aubree Hawley, a professor and former researcher. Dr. Hawley recommended that we utilize peanut butter and whole milk to increase the protein content in our muffins. Using the feedback that we received from these two valuable sources, we reworked my recipe, combining multiple strategies to develop a muffin recipe that was high in protein and fiber and appealed to the taste preferences of children. With this recipe, I will be able to conduct further human research that will measure children’s acceptance of different protein sources in a breakfast muffin.This Honors College Research Grant allowed me to explore a topic I love in an advanced, academic setting. With the help of Dr. Baum, I learned how taste, appearance, and texture are key factors to children’s acceptance of food. I also learned a great deal about food science and recipe modification. I was able to practice calculating the nutrient content of recipes while simultaneously learning how to change the texture, taste, and appearance of the breakfast muffins. I feel as though my background and general interest in nutrition allowed me to fully benefit from this research and engage in valuable, hands-on experience. This research project serves as the foundation for new discoveries and developments in nutrition and food science; I am proud to be leaving behind this work for myself and future students to build upon.