Organoleptic Tests on Veggie Balls as An Effort to Increase Vegetable Consumption in Children

Banjarwati Village is a village in Paciran District, Lamongan Regency. The majority of residents work as fishermen and farmers. Based on data from the Lamongan Regency Government Agency Work Report, the energy adequate rate (AKE) score for consuming vegetables is lower, 23.6, compared to the maximum Desirable Dietary Pattern (DDP) score, 27.7. Consequently, it is necessary to increase vegetable consumption in an effort to increase the DDP score. This research developed innovative processed products or veggie balls and evaluated them using a panel of 14 children in grade 4 of elementary school. They have an age range of 8-11 years. The testing was carried out at MI Mu'awanah in Banjarwati Village, Paciran District, Lamongan Regency. The students were given a questionnaire containing the parameters that would be tested on the product: taste, aroma, color, and texture. They rated their preferences on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being strongly disliked and 4 being strongly liked. Subsequently, the data obtained were analyzed using the Kruskall-Wallis test method, using the student age variable. Veggie balls were used to increase vegetable consumption, especially for children who find vegetables unattractive and have a boring taste. The study found that the age variable has no significant effect on the panelists' assessment of all parameters. These findings suggest that these products could be effective in encouraging children to eat more vegetables.