General Mills, Inc.

A grain-based expanded food product comprises a base formulation and a vegetable powder component present in an amount from about 7% to about 11% by dry weight. The vegetable powder component includes at least one starch-containing tuber vegetable powder, at least one low-starch root vegetable powder, and at least one leafy green powder, wherein the vegetable powder component comprises at least about 10% starch. In preferred embodiments, the vegetable powder component comprises a combination of sweet potato powder, carrot powder and spinach powder. The food product can be a puffed breakfast cereal or a puffed snack. A method of producing a grain-based expanded food product comprises combining a base formulation with a vegetable powder component to form a dough and processing the dough in an extruder to form an extruded mass. The method can further comprise forming the extruded mass into pieces, which can be further processed.

The present disclosure relates to low density, high protein, oat-based ready-to-eat food pieces, compositions including such food pieces, and methods of making such food pieces. The pieces include oat flour as a first ingredient, about 30% to about 40% by dry weight protein, where at least a portion of the protein ingredients include a protein with a PDCAAS greater of at least 60%, such as pea protein or soybean protein, and 0% to less than 6% maltodextrin.

Cooked and uncooked caramel slurries and products prepared using the cooked caramel slurries, and methods of preparing caramel slurries and coating a cooked caramel slurry onto a food piece. A process of providing a cooked caramel slurry comprises providing a slurry comprising sucrose, non-sucrose sugar, fat, water and protein, and having an initial total moisture content of at least 6 weight percent moisture and cooking the slurry in a closed cooking system that does not allow moisture to leave the slurry during cooking. A cooked caramel slurry comprises from 30 to 80 weight percent sucrose, from 5 to 25 weight percent non-sucrose sugar, from 5 to 25 weight percent fat, and from 0.1 to 5 weight percent protein, each on a total solids (dry) basis, and at least 5 weight percent water, wherein the slurry is undiluted, the water being also present during cooking of the slurry.

A confectionary that contains 3.0% to 3.5% of a short fiber length cellulose is described. The confectionary maintains a good opacity and texture after heating and good visual and textural stability over shelf life or at least one freeze/thaw cycle. A confectionary can typically have a relatively high moisture content, relatively low fat content, and relatively low non-fat solids content and retain the desired stability, opacity, and texture attributes. In some cases, a confectionary can exclude certain ingredients that consumers prefer to avoid.

A dough- or batter-based food product is prepared by mixing dough or batter ingredients to establish a dough or batter composition, the dough ingredients including at least flour, water and salt. The salt particles have dissolution rate of at least 120 seconds. Batter or dough provided herein, and cooked foods made from the batter or dough, include pockets of salt at a higher concentration than the dough, batter, or cooked food overall. Batter- or dough-based food products provided have a saltiness perception level substantially the same as compared to batter- or dough-based food products that include table salt in an amount at least 40% greater than the provided batter- or dough-based food product.

A dough- or batter-based food product is prepared by mixing dough or batter ingredients to establish a dough or batter composition, the dough ingredients including at least flour, water and salt. The salt particles have dissolution rate of at least 120 seconds. Batter or dough provided herein, and cooked foods made from the batter or dough, include pockets of salt at a higher concentration than the dough, batter, or cooked food overall. Batter- or dough-based food products provided have a saltiness perception level substantially the same as compared to batter- or dough-based food products that include table salt in an amount at least 40% greater than the provided batter- or dough-based food product.

A confectionary that contains 3.0% to 3.5% of a short fiber length cellulose is described. The confectionary maintains a good opacity and texture after heating and good visual and textural stability over shelf life or at least one freeze/thaw cycle. A confectionary can typically have a relatively high moisture content, relatively low fat content, and relatively low non-fat solids content and retain the desired stability, opacity, and texture attributes. In some cases, a confectionary can exclude certain ingredients that consumers prefer to avoid.

Puffed cereal pieces which are random and irregular in size and shape relative to each other are produced by forming a protein-based cereal dough, having a density of about 100-150 g/100 in 3 and including about 30-60% plant protein by weight, in an extruder, extruding the cereal dough from a plurality of spaced, commonly shaped geometric openings of a die, directly expanding the cereal dough, cutting the cereal dough into extrudate pieces, and drying the extrudate pieces. The plant protein is derived from seeds, legumes or grains, with a particular embodiment employing a combination of soy protein isolate and one or more types of grains.

Described are packaged batter compositions, and related methods, the batter compositions being refrigerator stable in a non-pressurized package. The compositions include a fruit and/or vegetable puree and are suitable for making quick bread and/or muffins. The compositions preferably exclude gums and/or hydrocolloids.

The present disclosure relates to high protein, high fiber ready-to-eat food pieces, compositions including such food pieces, and methods of making such food pieces. The pieces include a plant-based protein ingredient in an amount of about 25% to about 55% by dry weight protein and an insoluble fiber ingredient contributing insoluble fiber in an amount of at least 12% by dry weight of the pieces. Food pieces can optionally contain a soluble carbohydrate ingredient in an amount of about 8% to about 30% by dry weight, where the soluble carbohydrate ingredient includes psyllium and/or a high molecular weight soluble carbohydrate.