Can Food Boost Your Mood?

http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/food-boost-mood/

Problem:

This experiment will evaluate if mood can be improved by altering diet to include certain “feel good” foods.

Materials:

• “Mood-elevating” food
• Approximately 30 test subjects
• Computer
• Printer
• Notebook for analyzing results

Procedure:

1. Research food that is believed to improve mood.
2. Create a survey to give your test subjects three times during one week that provides a quantification of their overall mood. Example questions could include: On a scale of 1 to 10, how relaxed do you feel? On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your life? On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your current energy level.
3. Average each test subject’s answers for the week to get an idea of their “baseline” mood. A higher score should indicate a better baseline mood.
4. Ask half of your test subjects to change their diet for approximately 3 weeks to include an increased amount of the mood-enhancing food you learned about in your research. Ask this group to keep a food diary so that you have an idea of how well each test subject adhered to the “new” diet. The other half of your test subjects should follow their usual diet.
5. Ask all of your test subjects to repeat the survey once a week. Average the answers to each test subject’s survey each week to get a number that represents their mood for that week. At the end of the three weeks, analyze your results. How much of an effect (if any) does food/diet appear to have on mood? Do those who altered their diets report greater improvement in mood compared to the group that continued their normal diet?

Is a Denser Fruit Healthier?

This idea came from http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/does-density-indicate-nutrition/

Problem:

Does a fruit/vegetable’s density indicate its nutritional value? Students will measure the densities of various fruits and vegetables to determine if there is a relationship between density and nutritional value.

Materials:

• Various fruits & vegetables
• Scale (g)
• 500-1000mL graduated cylinder (wide mouth)
• Water

Procedure:

1. Choose at least 10 fruits and vegetables to sample.
2. Using your background research create a chart of each sample’s nutritional value.
3. Weigh each of your samples record in grams.
4. Fill a 500-1000mL graduated cylinder ½ way with water and record the volume.
5. Place the sample into the graduated cylinder so that it is submerged in the water.
6. Measure the volume of the water and submerged object.
7. Repeat for each object.
8. From the weight and displacement measurements calculate: volume, mass, and density.
9. Compare the densities to the nutritional content from your table. Choose at least 5 nutrients to compare. Each nutrient can be compared individually since some fruits will contain nutrients not found in other foods. Create a graph comparing food density and nutrient content using an X,Y scatter plot.

I'm back!!

I have looked up some ideas that i could experiment with!

maybe, maybe no, food for thought

Just updating some ideas, i don't know if i will be doing some of these projects, but maybe i will.

Sweet as Sugar: Comparing the Sweetness of Sugar & Sugar Substitutes

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/FoodSci_p016.shtml

• Plastic cups, clear, 12-ounce, disposable (30)
• Permanent marker
• Graduated cylinder, 100 milliliters (mL). Available online from Amazon.com. 
• Graduated cylinder, 10 mL. Available online from Amazon.com. 
• Paper, 8½ x 11 inches (3 sheets). Cut each sheet into four equivalent pieces, each 4¼ x 5½ inches, for a total of 12 pieces
• Digital kitchen scale. You can purchase a digital scale online from Amazon.com. 
• Wood or plastic stirring sticks (20)
• Distilled water (1 gallon)
• Sugar (10 grams [g])
• Sugar substitutes; the Experimental Procedure uses one artificial sweetener, one sugar alcohol, and one natural sweetener, but you can make other choices. To follow the Experimental Procedure exactly, you will need:
  • Splenda® (10 g)
  • Erythritol (10 g). You can purchase erythritol online from Amazon.com or at some grocery stores.
  • Honey (10 mL)
  • Note: If you plan to conduct taste tests over more than one day, you will need more sugar and the sugar substitutes than listed here.
• Microwave and microwave safe container for heating up water
• Cotton swabs (package of 300). You can find cotton swabs at a pharmacy.
• Volunteers (10)
• Paper towels (1 roll)
• Lab notebook

1. In this science project you will make 10%, 1%, 0.1%, and 0.01% solutions from sugar and each of the sugar substitutes. You will use the solutions to find out the threshold of taste (sweetness) for each substance.
   1. When you taste-test the solutions, you will be looking for a change in taste and not necessarily a change in sweetness.
2. Label four plastic cups according to the solutions you will put in them. Label the first cup "Sugar 10%," the second cup "Sugar 1%," the third cup "Sugar 0.1%," and the fourth cup "Sugar 0.01%."
3. Measure 90 mL of distilled water into the 100 mL graduated cylinder, and pour it into the cup labeled "Sugar 10%."
   1. Place one of the pieces of paper on the digital scale, zero the scale, and weigh 10 g of sugar. Carefully pick up the paper and pour the sugar into the cup labeled "Sugar, 10%."
   2. Use a stirring stick to stir the solution until the sugar is completely dissolved and you can no longer see any sugar granules in the bottom of the cup.
   3. This gives you a 10% by weight (weight/weight, or w/w) sugar solution.
4. Make the 1% sugar solution. Measure 90 mL of distilled water into the 100 mL cylinder and pour it into the cup labeled "Sugar 1%."
   1. Use the 10 mL graduated cylinder to carefully measure 10 mL of the 10% sugar solution. Pour the 10 mL of 10% sugar solution into the cup labeled "Sugar 1%" and stir the solution with a new stirring stick until the two liquids are completely mixed, about 1 minute.
   2. This gives you a 1% w/w solution.
   3. Thoroughly clean and dry the 10 mL graduated cylinder. Cleaning the graduated cylinder (and using new stirring sticks every time) will prevent cross-contamination between the solutions.
5. Now make the 0.1% sugar solution. Measure 90 mL of distilled water in the 100 mL cylinder and pour it into the cup labeled "Sugar 0.1%."
   1. Use the 10 mL graduated cylinder to carefully measure 10 mL of the 1% sugar solution. Pour the 10 mL of 1% sugar solution into the cup labeled "Sugar 0.1%" and stir the solution with a new stirring stick until the two liquids are completely mixed.
   2. The result is a 0.1% w/w solution.
   3. Thoroughly clean and dry the 10 mL graduated cylinder.
6. Finally, make the 0.01% sugar solution. Measure 90 mL of distilled water in the 100 mL cylinder and pour it into the cup labeled "Sugar 0.01%."
   1. Carefully measure 10 mL of the 0.1% sugar solution in the 10 mL graduated cylinder. Pour the 10 mL of 0.1% sugar solution into the cup labeled "Sugar 0.01%" and stir the solution with a new stirring stick until the two liquids are completely mixed.
   2. The result is a 0.01% w/w solution.
   3. Thoroughly clean and dry the 10 mL graduated cylinder.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 using Splenda® and erythritol. Make sure to label the cups properly (for example, "Splenda® 10%," "Splenda® 1%," and so on; "Erythritol 10%", "Erythritol 1%", etc.), with the dilution and the substance you are mixing into the water.
8. Now you will make serial dilutions using honey. However, honey is a liquid, so the procedure to make the 10% solution is slightly different, because you will measure in milliliters and not in grams. You will also need to warm the water slightly in order to easily dissolve the honey.
9. First, label four plastic cups. Label the first cup "Honey 10%," the second "Honey 1%," the third "Honey 0.1%," and the fourth "Honey 0.01%."
10. Measure 90 mL of warmed (microwaving a cup of water for 30 seconds will be enough to warm the water) distilled water in the 100 mL graduated cylinder and pour it into the cup marked "Honey 10%."
11. Measure 10 mL of honey in the 10 mL graduated cylinder. Pour the honey into the cup labeled "Honey 10%" and stir the solution with a new stirring stick until the two liquids (warm water and honey) are completely mixed and the solution is a uniform light brown color.
    1. The result is a 10% by volume (volume/volume, or v/v) honey solution.
    2. Thoroughly clean and dry the 10 mL graduated cylinder.
12. Now follow steps 4-6 to make up the rest of the honey solutions. Carefully prepare the solutions in properly marked plastic cups. Remember to use a new stirring stick each time you stir a solution and thoroughly clean the 10 mL graduated cylinder between solutions to prevent cross-contamination.

Testing the Solutions

1. Find a place at school or at home where you can do your testing. The location must have water (a faucet or fountain) and a sink.
2. Gather ten volunteers. Make sure that each volunteer has written permission from a parent or guardian (if they are younger than 18 years old) to participate in the test.
   1. Remember, if you need to conduct your taste tests over more than one day, you will need to make new solutions each time you conduct tests.
3. Prepare tables in your lab notebook, like the one shown below, to record your data. Make a table for each of your volunteers. For 10 volunteers, you will have 10 data tables.

Substance	10% solution	1% solution	0.1% solution	0.01% solution
Sugar
Splenda® (sucralose)
Erythritol
Honey

Table 1. Collect a volunteer's taste-threshold data in this table.

4. Each volunteer should rinse his or her mouth out with plain tap water and then gently dry his or her tongue with a paper towel.
5. Fill a plastic cup with distilled water.
6. Dip a clean cotton swab into the distilled water and smear it all over the first volunteer's tongue. This gives the volunteer a baseline for comparing the different solutions.
7. Dip another clean cotton swab into the 0.01% sugar solution and smear it all over the volunteer's tongue. Ask the volunteer if he or she can detect a changein taste compared with the distilled water. Make sure to tell the volunteer there is no right or wrong answer, and that each person tastes differently. If the volunteer can detect a change in taste, then write "yes" in the data table in the 0.01% solution box for sugar. If the volunteer cannot detect a change, then write "no" in that box.
   1. Reassuring the volunteers that their answers cannot be wrong will help you get their most accurate answer, instead of the answer they think you are looking for.
   2. Remember, you are asking for a change in taste. The change does not have to be in terms of sweetness.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the 0.1%, 1%, and 10% sugar solutions. Be sure to test the solutions in that order, for least concentrated to most concentrated. Volunteers should rinse their mouths out with tap water and gently dry their tongues with a paper towel in between tasting after tasting each solution.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with each volunteer until all volunteers have tested the sugar solution. Follow the same steps for the Splenda®, erythritol, and honey solutions. Remember to record your volunteers' "yes" or "no" taste responses in your data table.

Analyzing the Data

1. Review the data that you collected from your volunteers.
2. For each combination of sugar, sugar substitute, and dilution percentage, count the number of volunteers who detected a change in taste. Record this data in a table like the one shown below.

Substance & Dilution	Number of People Who Detected a Change
Sugar 0.01%
Sugar 0.1%
Sugar 1%
Sugar 10%

Table 2. Use a table like this to tally the total number of volunteers who detected a change for sugar and/or sugar substitutes. The rows for sugar at all the tested dilutions are shown here as an example; you will need additional rows for the sugar substitutes you tested.

3. Plot the data from Table 2 on a bar chart. Label the x-axis Dilution Percentage, and the y-axis Count of Volunteers Who Tasted a Difference. This kind of plot is called a histogram.
   1. Plot all of the data for each substance (sugar, Splenda®, etc.) on one chart to make comparisons easier.
   2. You can make your own plot by hand on graph paper.
   3. If you would like more information on plotting or would like to make your plot online, check out this website: Create A Graph.
4. Let us assume that the detection threshold (when the volunteer notices a change in taste) and sweetness go hand-in-hand. So, the earlier a change in taste is detected, the sweeter the substance. Based on your data and plots, which substance did the volunteers find sweetest? At what dilution percentage did most people notice a change? How does this match your background research?

Choice Cheesecakes: Which Baking Method is the Best?

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/FoodSci_p068.shtml

• ingredients to make nine cheesecakes. The type and quantity of ingredients required will vary, depending on the recipe you decide to use and the diameter of your cheesecakes.
• Springform pan, with a diameter of your choosing; available at your local home goods store
• Kitchen appliance to mix your cheesecakes, such as a mixer with beaters, a mixer with paddles, or a food processor
• Mixing bowl, large
• Large bowl for inverting (turning upside-down) over a cheesecake as it cools; should be bigger in height and width than the finished cheesecake
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Silicon spatula
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil (1 roll)
• Baking dish or roasting pan, shallower than the springform pan, but at least 3 in. wider
• Recommended: Oven thermometer for checking the accuracy of your oven temperature
• Optional: Fine grater for making lemon zest from the yellow part of lemons
• Optional: Camera
• Ruler
• Lab notebook
• Graph paper

1. Select a cheesecake recipe to use for all of your testing.
1. The Bibliography has sample recipes, but you can find others online or in recipe books.
2. Some cheesecake recipes have a sour cream layer or a topping above the cheesecake layer. If you decide to use a recipe like this, then you will need to take your measurements on the cheesecake layer (counting cracks and measuring rise) before you add the sour cream layer or topping, since you will be unable to take these measurements once the sour cream layer or topping is added.
2. Gather and set out all the ingredients and utensils you will need to make one cheesecake, according to the recipe that you have selected, on the kitchen counter.
1. Make sure all ingredients (for one cheesecake) are at room temperature before making your batter.
2. Although it is less efficient, it is recommended that you make and bake your cheesecakes one by one, instead of trying to do several at once. This will eliminate variables like placement inside the oven or time between mixing the batter and baking.
3. Follow the recipe directions and make your cheesecake batter.
1. Keep your mixing method constant; in other words, mix your ingredients in the same way for every trial.
2. Write down in your lab notebook the details of how you prepared the batter, such as:
1. If you had the ingredients at room temperature,
2. How you greased the pan,
3. If your oven was preheated,
4. What kind of kitchen appliance you used to do your mixing,
5. How long you mixed the batter, and
6. The order in which you mixed your ingredients.
4. Bake your cheesecake according to one of the three methods described in the Introduction.
1. Use the oven thermometer to adjust your oven temperature to the correct temperature, if necessary.
2. Bake the cheesecake in the same place in the oven for every trial. Record the location of this place in your lab notebook.
5. Select a time (or times) after baking to evaluate your cheesecake; for example, at 15 min. after baking.
1. Count up and record in your lab notebook the number of cracks in the cheesecake top and enter your count in a data table, like the one below.
2. Using a ruler, measure the height of your cheesecake, and enter your measurement in a data table, like the one below.

Number of Cracks Data Table

Baking Method	Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3	Average of Trials
New York
Traditional
Water Bath

Cheesecake Rise Data Table

Baking Method	Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3	Average of Trials
New York
Traditional
Water Bath

6. Repeat steps 1–5 for the two additional baking methods.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 for two additional trials for all baking methods. Running repeat trials ensures that your results are accurate and repeatable. Sure, it's a lot of cheesecake, but your friends probably won't mind helping with the eating part of your science project! And, you can always freeze the cheesecakes for treats throughout the next few months.

Analyzing Your Data Tables

1. For each baking method, calculate an average number of cracks from the three trials, and record your calculation in the Number of Cracks Data Table.
2. For each baking method, calculate an average rise from the three trials, and record your calculation in the Cheesecake Rise Data Table.
3. Make a bar chart showing the baking method on the x-axis and the average number of cracks on the y-axis. You can make the chart by hand, or use a site such as Create a Graph.
4. Make a bar chart showing the baking method on the x-axis and the average rise on the y-axis.
5. Looking at your bar charts, which baking method produced a cheesecake with the fewest number of cracks? Which baking method would you recommend to get the best rise?

Can Baking Soda Substitute for Baking Powder in a Recipe?

Ideas to try out came from this website http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/FoodSci_p008.shtml

To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment:

• Muffin pans
• Optional: paper muffin cups (for lining pan)
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Muffin ingredients (enough for 4 half-batches, see recipe in Experimental Procedure below for more details):
  • Flour
  • Corn meal
  • Eggs
  • Sugar
  • Butter
  • Baking powder (to make "normal" muffins, for comparison)
  • Baking soda
  • Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate)
• Oven
• Oven mitts
• Cooling rack
• Timer

1. Do your background research so that you are familiar with the terms, concepts, and questions, above.
2. Use the muffin recipe below as a starting point (Beard, 1972), or pick your favorite muffin recipe and make a "half batch" of 6-8 muffins. Note: The recipe shown below will make 6-8 muffins. You can "halve" your own recipe by dividing the required amount of each ingredient by two. Be sure and note the ingredient amounts you use!
   1. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
   2. 1/2 cup cornmeal
   3. 1/2 to 1 tablespoon sugar (to your taste)
   4. 2 teaspoons baking powder or
   5. cream of tartar and baking soda (see below for amounts to use)
   6. 1 egg, slightly beaten
   7. 1/2 cup milk
   8. 1/8 cup melted butter
   9. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in the mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and the beaten eggs, the milk, and the melted butter. Stir to a smooth batter. Fill well-buttered (or paper-lined) muffin pans about two-thirds full. Bake at 425°F for 15–20 minutes, or until nicely browned and baked through.
   10. Tip: do your best to start each muffin off with the same amount of batter. You can use a teaspoon to move small amounts of batter between the different cups in a pan to get the muffins equalized. On the other hand, you don't want spend too much time on this, because the baking powder starts working as soon as it touches liquid.
3. Remember to use oven mitts when putting the pans in the oven and when taking them out again.
4. Place the muffin pan on a cooling rack for a few minutes, and then tip the muffins out. Let them cool for a few more minutes before handling (or sampling!) them.
5. Make one half-batch following the baking powder recipe (or your own halved recipe) above, and then four additional half batches, substituting the following amounts of cream of tartar and baking soda:
   1. 0 teaspoons cream of tartar, 3/4 teaspoons baking soda,
   2. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda,
   3. 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 3/4 teaspoons baking soda,
   4. 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda.
6. Remember to keep track of which batch is which!
7. Compare the four different half-batches of muffins:
1. Measure the height of each muffin in each batch and compute the average height for each batch. Note: if one muffin is much smaller than all the others, don't include it when calculating the average height.