Determination of an Acceptable Portion Size of <i>Daal</i> for a Bangladeshi Community-Based Iron Intervention in Adolescent Girls: A Feasibility Study

• Main Authors: Fakir Md. Yunus, Chowdhury Jalal, Gordon A. Zello, Kaosar Afsana, Albert Vandenberg, Diane M. DellaValle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: lentils; fortification; iron; adolescent girls; portion size; feeding study
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/4/1080

Widely consumed <i>daal</i> (lentils) in Bangladesh are an ideal vehicle for iron (Fe) fortification; however, an acceptable portion size in meals needs to be determined to carry out a community feeding study in at-risk adolescent girls. A non-randomized crossover trial was conducted with <i>n</i> = 100 Bangladeshi girls (12.9 ± 2.0 years of age). Two recipes (thin and thick) and three portion sizes (25 g, 37.5 g, 50 g of raw lentil) of <i>daal</i> were served with 250 g of cooked white rice in a counter-balanced manner over 12 weeks. Each meal was fed to participants 5 days/week for two weeks. Ratings of hunger, satiety, and palatability were measured before and after each meal using Visual Analog Scales (VAS). The thick preparation in the 37.5 g portion (~200 g cooked) elicited higher VAS ratings of hunger, satiety, and palatability compared to all other meals. The 50 g portion of the thin preparation had VAS ratings similar to those of the 37.5 g thick preparation. Consuming the 37.5 g portion of fortified <i>daal</i> would provide 6.9 mg Fe/day to girls in a community-based effectiveness study. This would meet ~86% and ~46% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Fe for girls aged 9–13 and 14–18 years, respectively.