Development and Nutritional Optimization of a Healthy Snack Bar for Children Using Locally Available Ingredients

The rising global demand for healthy, convenient, and ready-to-eat foods has increased the popularity of snack bars, valued for their energy density and portability. This study aimed to develop nutritious snack bars for children using locally available ingredients: oats, faba beans, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. A mixture design supported by Minitab v.18 generated 17 formulations with varying ingredient ratios. Rosemary leaf extract was added to enhance antioxidant properties, and jaggery was used as a natural sweetener. Proximate analysis showed moisture content of 6-8%, ash 1.12-2.57%, fiber 2-3.5%, fat 5-7%, protein 20-24%, and carbohydrates 58-62%, yielding an energy value of 393-400 Kcal/100g. Mineral content included sodium (5-7 mg), potassium (364-440 mg), calcium (4-8 mg), and magnesium (118-121 mg), with micro-minerals copper (0.4-1.67 mg), iron (6-9.25 mg), and zinc (4-7.5 mg) per 100g. The optimal formulation, with a composite desirability of 0.940494, comprised 48.18g oats, 39.80g faba beans, 4g sunflower seeds, and 8.01g flax seeds. Sensory evaluation confirmed its high acceptability, and microbial analysis verified product safety for up to 30 days of storage.