Chemical composition of some traditional dishes of Oman

Proximate, mineral, fatty acid and cholesterol compositions of 20 dishes consumed in Oman were analysed. Protein level ranged from 0.4 to 7.6%, while the fat content ranged between 0.3 and 28.1%. The dishes were found to be poor in Fe, Zn and Ca. Except for three dishes which had sodium levels less than 70 mg per 100 g, the sodium ranged from 108 to 571 mg 100 g. Two dishes were high in cholesterol (69.3 and 32.7 mg per 100 g), while the cholesterol level ranged from 0.0 to 9.64 mg per 100 g. The fatty acid analysis showed that palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were predominant. In general, the chemical compositions of Omani dishes are similar to those of other Arabian Gulf countries. The present information can be used as a baseline for establishing food composition data for Oman.