Low-calorie cookies can be naturally low-calorie, have reduced high-calorie ingredients, or be smaller in size. Meringue and pizzella cookies are naturally low-calorie, while recipe substitutions and smaller commercial versions are other options. Consumers should read labels carefully as low-sugar or low-fat does not necessarily mean low-calorie.
Different types of low-calorie cookies include naturally low-calorie cookies, cookies in which some or all of the high-calorie ingredients are reduced or eliminated, and commercially prepared cookies that reduce calories by reducing the size and thickness of the cookie. These cookies can make good snacks, even if they generally can’t be considered healthy foods. It should be noted that not all diet cookies are necessarily low in calories. People buying these cookies should read product labels to make sure they understand the calorie count of the cookie they are buying.
Some cookies have fewer calories than others. For example, meringue cookies are typically low-calorie cookies because they consist mostly of egg whites with added sugar. Another low-calorie cookie is the pizzella, a traditional Italian cookie that is very thin and baked on a waffle-like contraption.
Another option for those craving low-calorie cookies is to replace some of the higher-calorie ingredients in a recipe with lower-calorie items or simply reduce the amount of a particular ingredient. In some cases, cooks will simply reduce the amount of fat or sugar in a recipe, thereby reducing calories. This can sometimes require experimentation, as a cookie’s flavor can be significantly compromised if its recipe isn’t followed exactly. It is also possible to replace certain ingredients with others. Common substitutions include cream cheese or even applesauce for all or some of the butter called for in a cookie recipe or using so-called removable sugar substitutes in place of sugar.
Some commercial cookie brands have made smaller sizes of some of their regular cookies in order to build customer loyalty by offering them lower calorie counterparts. These cookies can be significantly smaller than their regular sized versions, and in some cases they can even be much thinner and crunchier. These cookies may be packaged in individual packets and advertised as having only a certain amount of calories in each packet.
Consumers of low-calorie cookies should be aware that just because a cookie is advertised as low-sugar or low-fat doesn’t necessarily mean it’s low-calorie. In some cases, the manufacturer is able to maintain a cookie’s flavor and texture by adding additional fat to a low-sugar cookie or additional sugar to a low-fat cookie. This means that although cookies may be suitable for a particular diet plan, such as a diabetic or low-carb diet, they are not low in calories.
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