2. Rationale Somalia is currently in a major drought, leaving hundreds of thousands hungry. My goal is to find a nutritional flour to send to Somalia. To decide what flour is the best, I asked myself questions like; what is the nutritional value of each flour? How much money does each flour cost? How much aid does Canada provide?
3. The Nutrition Facts In this graph, it states that quinoa has the most calories (626) and soy flour having the least amount (366). The graph clearly shown that soy flour has the highest amount of protein (290). Next to soy is green pea flour, but it is considerably lower in protein (42.8). But soy flour has the least amount of carbohydrates (29). Rice flour has the most carbohydrates (127).
4. Even though one flour may have a larger amount of calories than another one, it is important to look at the source of the energy. Quinoa, has 628 calories but the protein content is low and there are more carbohydrates. This means that eating quinoa flour would give you more short term energy. On the flip side , soy flour has 366 calories but, the protein content is high and there are less carbohydrates. Meaning soy flour is a good source of long term energy. Soybean Rye Quinoa Wheat Black Bean Buckwheat Corn Rice Green Pea
5. This graph shows, that the fat content is the highest in soy flour. At 17.3 g of fat, soy flour is a good source of long term energy. Where rice, green pea and black bean flour have 0 g of fat. Fat is a good source of energy because it takes longer to burn then carbohydrates. Fat Content in Different Flours
6. Amount of Sugar in the Different Flours Soy is the flour that has the most sugar. It has 6.3 g. This is not necessarily a good quality to have because energy is not stored for as long. It is good when quick energy is needed. Wheat, quinoa, green pea black bean and buckwheat have 0 g of sugar.
7. The Cost of the Flours The cheapest flour is wheat. It cost $2.79 per 5 lbs. The most expensive is rice. It cost $36.80 per 5 lbs. Canada has already donated 7.2 million dollars. Canadians have raised an additional 35 million dollars and the Canadian government plans on matching that. If 35 million dollars was spent on flour they would be able to buy approximately 951,000 lbs of rice flour.
8. Conclusion Through all the research I decided that soy flour would be the best to send to Somalia. I based this decision mostly on the amount of protein and fat that was in soy flour. Protein and fat provides a longer energy source. Since the people are getting little food and are not eating regularly, they need a flour that will give them fuel for longer periods of time. Soy flour would do that. Soy flour may not be the cheapest, but the protein content is so high that it is worth it. With the soy flour price being $29.00 per 5 lbs, the government would be able to buy roughly 1 206 000 lbs to distribute to the families in Somalia.
9. Bibliography “ Flours Nutrition Facts and Information." Nutrition Facts, Calories in Food, Labels, Nutritional Information and Analysis – NutritionData.com. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. < http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods- flours000000000000000000000.html>. Grain Free And Gluten Free: Healthy Grain Free Flours, Ideas And Recipes. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. < http://grain-free-gluten-free.com >. Nextag - Compare Prices Before You Buy. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. < http://www.nextag.ca/ > "Recommended Daily Intake of Vitamins and Minerals." Water Treatment and Purification - Lenntech . Web. 25 Sept. 2011. < http://www.lenntech.com/recommended-daily-intake.htm >. "Soy Flour on Soyfoods.com." U.S. Soyfoods Directory on Soyfoods.com . Web. 25 Sept. 2011. < http://www.soyfoods.com/soyfoodsdescriptions/soyflour.html >.
