Cookies

As you probably already know, cookies are not something that you should eat every day. Cookies are high in calories and they generally do not provide much nutritional value. Check the calorie counter for your favorite cookies to determine their calories and nutritional facts.

High-Calorie Ingredients

Though the calories in cookies may vary from one type to another, most cookies are made using some high-calorie ingredients. Ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and eggs are all fairly high in calories and these are the staple ingredients in most cookie recipes. The combination of these ingredients – plus add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or candy – make cookies high in carbs and fats while only providing a moderate amount of protein. Unless you use enriched flour, cookies are also likely to be fairly low in vitamins and minerals.

High Glycemic Index

Because most cookies are made using some type of flour, they tend to be high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a rating system designed to measure the effect a food has on your blood glucose levels – high glycemic foods are quickly absorbed and cause a spike in blood sugar while low-glycemic foods are absorbed more slowly and do not cause a spike. The carbohydrate and sugar content of cookies typically combines to give them a high glycemic index rating which makes them a dangerous food for people who are sensitive to changes in blood sugar levels, particularly diabetics.

Eating too many cookies on a regular basis can have a negative impact on your health in a variety of ways. In addition to causing weight gain, eating too many cookies may also have a negative impact on your heart health. Check the calorie calculator for your favorite cookies to determine their calories and nutritional facts.

Cardiovascular Health Risk

Some of the main ingredients in most cookie recipes (butter, sugar, and chocolate) are not only high in calories but also in saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that you only receive about 5% of your daily calories from saturated fat. If you are already eating some type of meat and you add cookies to your daily diet, you may be exceeding your daily value for saturated fat. To reduce your saturated fat consumption, enjoy cookies only in moderation and consider recipes that use low-fat milk or substitute coconut oil or even unsweetened applesauce for the butter.

Weight Gain

As you probably already know, cookies are typically high in calories and low in nutritional value – this is not a good combination for weight loss. The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume and, to do this, you must include nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods in your diet. On average, cookies contain upwards of 100 calories each which adds up quickly and increases your daily calorie intake such that you may end up gaining weight if you eat too many. Eating one cookie now and then is unlikely to cause you to gain weight, however – just remember to enjoy cookies in moderation.