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There’s really no holiday cookies on shelves are truly “good” for us, but it’s not all bad news in the bakery department! More & more stores are selling mini versions of decadent cookies, and there are other little sweet bites that can double as better-for-you cookies.  In today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it, we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best bets for holiday cookies, and which have a full day’s worth of sugar in a single cookie!

 

LOVE IT!

 

They’re still just cookies with refined flour, sugar and oil, but at least their small size keeps calories & sugar in check

 

Trader Joe’s bite-size Crispy Crunchy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Per cookie: 12.5 calories – 1.6 grams carb – 0.75 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include unbleached enriched flour (white flour), palm oil, sugar, chocolate chunks, peppermint candies, coconut flakes, egg white, sea salt, molasses…

 

Anna’s Swedish Thins

  • Per cookie: 21 calories – 3 grams carb – 1.5 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include wheat flour (white flour), sugar, oil, sugar…

 

 

LIKE IT!

 

French Twists – Puffed Pastry Twists by Barry’s Bakery (available at Rouses)

  • Per twist: 35 calories – 5.5 grams carb – 2.5 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include unbleached enriched flour (white flour), palm oil, beet sugar, cinnamon

 

Meringues – e.g. Trader Joe’s Vanilla Meringues (GF)

  • Per cookie: 22.5 calories – 5 grams carb – 5 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract

 

Pepperidge Farm Chessman Sweet & Simple Cookies

  • Per cookie: 40 calories – 6 grams carb – 1.6 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include white flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch….

 

 

HATE IT!                                 

 

LoftHouse Holiday Frosted Sugar Cookies

  • Per cookie: 160 calories – 26 grams carbohydrate – 16 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include sugar, white flour, margarine, eggs, corn starch, artificial colors like Red 3 & 40,Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 & 6, Yellow 5 & 6 Lakes, Blue 1 & 2, Blue 1 & 2.

Starbuck’s Frosted Snowman Cookie

  • Per cookie: 390 calories – 15 grams saturated fat – 45 grams carbohydrate – 23 grams sugar
  • Ingredients include white flour, butter, margarine, sugar, fructose, sugared egg yolks, egg whites, white confectionary coating, chocolate flavored confectionary coating….

 

Coming up next:  Ben McLaughlin of Swerve Sweetener joins Molly in the kitchen with recipe for a Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie that’s festive, delicious, and nutritious!

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD