Diet & Fitness Blog
Happy Oatmeal Cookie Day (and a healthy recipe)!
Email PageOf all the nationally recognized holidays, April 30's is my favorite. If you're one of the few who aren't "in the know," it's Oatmeal Cookie Day. It's time to celebrate!
Is there anything more comforting than a warm, soft cookie straight from the oven with a nice glass of milk? My favorite cookie flavor is oatmeal raisin. I could eat them by the dozen -- and sometimes I do. Since they're made with real oatmeal, they're healthier than regular cookies, right?
"Well, it's still a cookie," explains eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pam Ofstein. "But it can be a better choice than, say, chocolate chip or sugar cookies."
Pam recommends this recipe for oatmeal cookies because it's made with rolled oats, egg whites and whole-wheat flour as a low-fat, low-cal cookie that won't leave you all soft and doughy in the middle.
"With a glass of low-fat milk, this oatmeal cookie is a tasty treat with wholesome ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth. That little something special to end a healthy meal," suggests Pam.
If plain old oatmeal cookies aren't exciting enough for you, Pam recommends adding raisins or dried cranberries to add some sweetness, as well as valuable anti-oxidants. And if you're looking for something with a little more crunch, add some walnuts for an extra dose of protein and heart-healthy omega-3s.
As far as cookies go, the oatmeal cookie is a healthier selection than most, but don't go all Cookie Monster and eat the whole batch. Just grab a glass of milk and enjoy!
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, beaten
2/3 cup regular oats
Cooking spray
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and next six ingredients (flour through cloves). Beat the sugar, margarine and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites and beat well. Stir in flour mixture and oats. The mixture should be soft, not gooey. If needed, add more flour.
Drop by level tablespoons 3 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until crisp. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Makes 24 cookies.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: one cookie; Calories 76; Protein 1 g; Total Carbohydrate 12 g; Dietary Fiber 1 g; Sodium 61 mg; Total Fat 3 g; Saturated Fat 0 g; Cholesterol 0 mg
Comment by 
said... - Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:34:00 AM
I'm going to try this recipe using olive oil (instead of butter or margarine) and soy flour (instead of regular flour); I'm also going to add some walnuts
Comment by said... - Friday, January 30, 2009 5:11:00 AM
For some reason I don't think it went all that well, had it? Olive oil has its own rich flavor and doesn't go at all too well with sweet baking. Try sunflower oil or canola (which is what we normally use for all cooking and baking).
In any case, fats can be cut many ways, but for optimal results you should include some butter or margarine (for example: 1/3 of the recipe's amount + 2/3 canola oil should work perfectly).
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