READY-TO-EAT, GLUTEN-FREE AND KETOGENIC COCONUT MEAT-BASED CEREAL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ready-to-eat, gluten-free, and ketogenic cereal comprising of: coconut meat as the base component, said base component comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the cereal batter, a natural binding component, said binding component comprising of sago starch from about 2 parts to about 3 parts by weight of the cereal batter, a natural food flavoring, said food flavoring comprising from about 0 part to about 1 part by weight of the cereal batter, and sufficient coconut water, comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight, to render the cereal batter composition liquid-like. The present invention further comprises a process for preparing such a ready-to-eat, gluten-free, and ketogenic cereal, with no salt, no sugar, no chemical preservatives, and no artificial flavors and colors added, and which has characteristically high medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and fiber contents, and low glycemic index.

Claims

1. A ready-to-eat cereal of natural ingredients, said cereal comprising of; coconut meat as the base component, said base component comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the cereal batter, a natural binding component, said binding component comprising of sago starch from about 2 parts to about 3 parts weight of the cereal batter, a natural food flavoring, said food flavoring comprising from about 0 part to about 1 part by weight of the cereal batter, and sufficient coconut water, comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight, to render the cereal batter composition liquid-like.

2. A ready-to-eat cereal product as in claim 1 wherein the natural food flavorings comprises a member selected from the group of fruits and or vegetables and a combination thereof.

3. A ready-to-eat cereal product as in claim 1 which has a final overall moisture content from about 1.0 to about 5.0 percent by weight.

4. A ready-to-eat cereal product as in claim 1, wherein the natural binding component is a sago starch.

5. A process producing a ready-to-eat cereal of natural ingredients, said process comprising: a. preparing the coconut meat as base component by cleaning, chopping and grating it into approximately small bits of about 0.5-1 cm by 0.5-1 cm in size; b. preparing a base by admixing from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the chopped and grated coconut meat with from about 2 parts to about 3 parts by weight sago starch as natural binding component, and from 0 part to about 1 part by weight natural flavorings; c. adding into the mixture of base components sufficient coconut water from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the total mixture, to render the mixture a cereal batter, which is liquid-like; d. blending the whole mixture thoroughly for about 5 minutes or so; e. blanching the coconut meat mixture to a temperature of about 80 C. to about 100 C. for about 2 to 5 minutes; f. cooling the said mixture and spreading it evenly and thinly into trays; g. drying the mixture to an enrobed base to reach below 5 percent by weight moisture to produce a product that is light brown in color and crunchy; h. cooling the said dried coconut cereals; and i. packing the dried coconut in tightly sealed containers.

6. A process for producing a ready-to-eat cereal of natural ingredients, as in claim 5, wherein the said drying process comprising the following steps: a. drying the mixture in trays employing solar energy for the first 3 to 4 hours at a temperature of about 45-50 C.; b. further drying using the mechanical oven dryer for another 2 to 3 hours at a temperature of about 55-65 C.; and c. final drying in a baking oven for about 5-10 minutes at a temperature of about 70-80 C.

7. A process as in claim 5 wherein the natural flavorings are dehydrated fruits and or vegetables and a combination thereof.

Description

THE INVENTION

[0013] The basic concept of the invention is to utilize coconut meat, known to be composed of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), for the preparation of a ready-to-eat cereal and improving the processes and nutritional and health benefits of the coconut cereal as a good alternative to various cereals already available in the market. The product has a naturally sweet coconut flavor, light brown in color, and crunchy in texture, can also be eaten directly as a snacks, can be used as toppings and a breakfast cereal substitute added with milk and other fruits and nuts in a mixture. The product is produced from all natural ingredients, grown coconuts, with no salt and no sugar added, and no chemical preservatives. Thus it is gluten-free, with low glycemic index, high dietary fiber, and high medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) content. The cereal product is naturally preserved through dehydration and is stable for at least ten (10) months.

[0014] The objects of this invention are accomplished by a ready-to-eat, gluten-free and ketogenic cereal of natural ingredients, said cereal comprising of: coconut meat as the base component, said base component comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the cereal batter, a natural binding component, said binding component comprising of sago starch from about 2 parts to about 3 parts by weight of the cereal batter, a natural food flavoring, said food flavoring comprising from about 0 part to about 1 part by weight of the cereal batter, and sufficient coconut water, comprising from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight, to render the cereal batter composition liquid. The present invention further comprises a process for preparing such a ready-to-eat, gluten-free, and ketogenic cereal, which is characteristically with low carbohydrate and high fiber contents and low glycemic index.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the objects of the invention are accomplished by a ready-to-eat cereal of natural ingredients, said cereal comprising of natural flavoring ingredients, comprising from about 0 to 1 part by weight of the coconut cereal batter, said natural flavorings can be dehydrated fruit bits such as mango bits, pineapple bits, raisins, chocolate powder, cinnamon, moringa, turmeric, lemon grass, and other preferable and desirable natural fruit and or vegetable flavors.

[0016] The objects of this invention are further accomplished by a process for producing a ready-to-eat gluten-free and ketogenic cereal of natural ingredients, said process comprising: [0017] a. preparing the coconut meat as base component by cleaning, chopping and grating it into approximately small bits of about 0.5-1 cm by 0.5-1 cm in size; [0018] b. preparing a base by admixing from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the chopped and grated coconut meat with from about 2 parts to about 3 parts by weight sago starch as natural binding component, and from 0 part to about 1 part by weight natural flavorings; [0019] c. adding into the mixture of base components sufficient coconut water from about 48 parts to about 50 parts by weight of the total mixture, to render the mixture a cereal batter, which is liquid-like; [0020] d. blending the whole mixture thoroughly for about 5 minutes or so; [0021] e. blanching the coconut meat mixture to a temperature of about 80 C. to about 100 C. for about 2 to 5 minutes; [0022] f. cooling the said mixture and spreading it evenly and thinly into trays; [0023] g. drying the mixture to an enrobed base to reach below 5 percent by weight moisture to produce a product that is light brown in color and crunchy; [0024] h. cooling the said dried coconut cereals; and [0025] i. packing the dried coconut in tightly sealed containers.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the objects of this invention are accomplished by a drying process for producing a ready-to-eat cereal product of natural ingredients, said drying process comprising the following steps: [0027] a. drying the mixture in trays employing solar energy for the first 3 to 4 hours at a temperature of about 45-50 C.; [0028] b. further drying using the mechanical oven dryer for another 2 to 3 hours at a temperature of about 55-65 C.; and [0029] c. final drying in a baking oven for about 5-10 minutes at a temperature of about 70-80 C.

[0030] Of particular importance in this invention is the embodiment of the process wherein the admixture is spread onto thin trays, then the enrobed base is formed into a sheet prior to drying and then subdivided after drying to render the final product crunchy and light brown in color.

[0031] The new ready-to-eat, gluten-free, and ketogenic cereal product of this invention has therein the following proximate composition:

TABLE-US-00001 Components Percentage Protein 5.80% Fat 26.70% Fiber 5.30% Carbohydrate 55.30% Moisture 3.70% Ash 3.20% Calories per 100 grams 484.8 calories

[0032] This invention provides a new and novel ready-to-eat cereal product that is gluten-free, cholesterol-free and rich in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which gives the ketogenic characteristics of the product. It is a highly desirable cereal product to a large segment of the population in that it is completely free from chemical additives and has no salt and no sugar added. It is a product which is made from natural ingredients, but yet which is stable against rancidity and staling for at least ten (10) months. It is a very tasty and crunchy product having good taste and texture characteristics.