What do alternative proteins, fats and sugars give us, and how do they behave in cooking?
Soya, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds, and the fats and sugars group (butter, oils, margarine, sugar, syrup): their nutritional value, as alternative proteins for plant-based diets, their working characteristics, and how they are used and stored.
A focused answer on the soya, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds group and the butter, oils, margarine, sugar and syrup group for Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (C560), covering their nutritional value, role as alternative proteins, working characteristics in cooking, and storage.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to know two commodity groups: the alternative-protein group (soya, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds) and the fats-and-sugars group (butter, oils, margarine, sugar, syrup): their nutritional value, the role of alternative proteins in plant-based diets, their working characteristics in cooking, and how they are used and stored.
Soya, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds
These foods also provide dietary fibre, unsaturated fat, B vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium (especially fortified soya products). Tofu is made from soya milk that is curdled and pressed; TVP (textured vegetable protein) and Quorn (mycoprotein) are other meat alternatives. Nuts and seeds are nutrient-dense but high in energy, and nut allergy can be severe, so labelling matters.
Butter, oils, margarine, sugar and syrup
These ingredients are valued in cooking for their working characteristics:
- Fats: shortening (coating flour to give a crumbly texture), plasticity (being shapeable and spreadable at room temperature), aeration (trapping air when creamed with sugar), and adding moisture, flavour and a tender crumb. Butter also browns and adds flavour.
- Sugar: sweetens, helps aeration when creamed with fat, adds moisture and keeps cakes soft, lowers the freezing point in ice cream, and caramelises on heating to give golden-brown colour and flavour. Sugar also feeds yeast and acts as a preservative in jam.
Storage and use
Solid fats are kept in the fridge (or cool place); butter and margarine can go rancid (an off, stale flavour from the fat reacting with oxygen) if kept too long or warm. Oils are stored in a cool, dark place to slow rancidity. Sugar and syrup are dry or high in sugar, so they keep almost indefinitely in a cool, dry, airtight container. Because fat and free sugar are linked to obesity, heart disease and tooth decay, dietary guidelines recommend using them sparingly.
Try this
Q1. Name one plant food that provides high biological value protein. [1 mark]
- Cue. Soya (tofu, soya milk, edamame) or quinoa.
Q2. State two working characteristics of fat in baking. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of shortening, plasticity, aeration, adding moisture, adding flavour.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20196 marksExplain how a person following a vegan diet can get enough protein, and evaluate the use of soya products such as tofu as a meat alternative.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark extended-response question. Mark it for protein sources, complementation and a balanced evaluation of soya.
A vegan can get enough protein by eating a variety of plant proteins. Most are low biological value, so two are combined (protein complementation), for example beans on toast or rice and peas, so that together they supply all the essential amino acids. Soya is special because it is a plant high biological value protein, so tofu, soya milk and edamame provide all the essential amino acids on their own.
Evaluating tofu: it is a good meat alternative because it is HBV, low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, versatile (it takes on flavours) and more sustainable than meat. Drawbacks are that it is bland on its own, needs flavouring and good preparation, and some people dislike the texture or have a soya allergy.
Top-band answers (5 to 6 marks) explain complementation, name soya as plant HBV, and give both strengths and limitations of tofu.
Eduqas 20214 marksExplain the functions of fat (such as butter or oil) and sugar in making a cake, referring to their working characteristics.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark structured question.
Fat (butter, margarine or oil) adds moisture, flavour and a tender texture; when creamed with sugar it traps air (aeration), helping the cake to rise, and it has shortening and plasticity properties.
Sugar sweetens, adds moisture and helps aeration when creamed with fat; on baking it caramelises at the surface to give a golden-brown colour and flavour, and it helps the cake stay soft. Markers reward at least two correct functions of fat (aeration/shortening, moisture, flavour) and two of sugar (sweetness, aeration, caramelisation/colour, moisture).
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition specification (C560) — WJEC Eduqas (2016)