Fruits and vegetables are important constituents of the diet and provide significant quantities of nutrients, especially vitamins, minerals and fiber. Beetroots (Beta vulgaris L.) are a rich source of potent antioxidants and minerals including magnesium, sodium and potassium. It contains betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health. Beetroots are low in calories (about 45 Kcal per 100 g) and have zero cholesterol. The study was conducted to improve the nutritional qualities of cookies with incorporation of different levels of beetroot powder i.e. 0, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 %, and examined for its physical and chemical composition. The proximate composition of cookies enriched with beetroot powder from 5 to 20% indicated that protein was increased from 7.39 to 9.12 %, crude fibre 0.95 to 1.90 % and ash content 0.93 to1.89 %. The incorporation of beetroot powder in cookies lowered the lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) but increased redness (a*) of cookies. The hardness of the cookies was increased with increasing the level of beetroot powder. Sensory evaluation of cookies concluded that the cookies prepared with addition of 10% beetroot powder were more acceptable as compared to others.

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An attractive and stable colour is important in the marketability of foods and beverages. The utilization of broken rice as a by-product from agricultural farm can be of immense importance to convert relatively high-energy by-products into more useful and highly nutritious end product by use of microorganisms. In this respect the present investigation was aimed to address the fermentative changes in broken rice as a substrate during the production of food bio-colours through solid state fermentation by using Monascus purpureus (MTCC 410). The 7 days of SSF process was accompanied with the increase in the levels of protein, crude fat, crude fiber and ash content by values of 8.98% to 14.14%, 1.50% to 2.07%, 0.70% to 6.61% and 2.70% to 3.69% respectively while decrease in the level of carbohydrate by values of 74.32% to 27.71%, with lowering pH from 6.6 to 5.5. Present findings concluded that broken rice possesses good potentials for the bioconversion of the high energy organic materials into more useful and highly nutritious food bio-colours by Monascus purpureus (MTCC 410).

Fermented foods have been produced throughout recorded history. Recently, fermented foods have experienced renewed interest stemming from concerns with nutrition and the increase in vegetarian and natural foods diets. This chapter explores fermented foods and their production.

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Wheat and finger millet flour was prepared, analyzed for proximate composition and used in various combinations like 100: 00, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 for the preparation of noodles. These noodles were evaluated for nutritional and sensory parameters. Noodles incorporated with finger millet flour showed inverse relation with protein and direct relation with other nutritional components such as carbohydrate, fat, crude fibre, ash, iron and calcium. Nutritional and sensory score parameters indicated that good quality noodles can be prepared by replacement of wheat flour with 30 per cent finger millet flour. This nutrient rich noodle will be good source of instant food for children, teenagers, sport persons, pregnant and lactating women.