Chocolate Chip Cookies: Healthy or Unhealthy? (2024)

by Ali Mooradian

Posted on: Healthy Eating, Pastries

ByDr.Jorge,Ph.D.

Wildgrainis the first bake-from-frozen subscription box for sourdough breads, fresh pastas, and artisanal pastries.

Many of us find great joy in indulging in chocolate chip cookies, whether homemade or store-bought. This classic cookie is often reminiscent of childhood memories or a family member’s beloved recipe. While this is a favorite cookie for many, how healthy can a chocolate chip cookie be? This article will discuss the nutritional value of chocolate chip cookies and how you can incorporate them into your lifestyle.

Are chocolate cookies unhealthy? Are chocolate chip cookies unhealthy?

Traditional chocolate cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not considered to be healthy on their own due to the large amount of sugar and butter used to make them. However, you can still enjoy these cookies in moderation and as part of a healthy diet. Additionally, chocolate cookies and chocolate chip cookies that are made with whole wheat flour or oats are more nutritious. When you’re craving something sweet, you can also opt for an oatmeal raisin cookie, which contains whole grain oats that will help you stay full for longer.

Do chocolate cookies make you gain weight? Do chocolate chip cookies make you gain weight?

Chocolate cookies and chocolate chip cookies will not make you gain weight if eaten in moderation as part of an overall healthy and balanced diet. Gaining weight occurs when you consume more calories than you burn; therefore, if you start regularly consuming excess calories, it is reasonable that you could gain weight.

Is it okay to have a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast?

Yes, it is okay to have a chocolate chip cookie with your breakfast occasionally. However, it is important to keep in mind that a traditional chocolate chip cookie is not very nutritious and is not a complete meal. If you want to make sure your breakfast is filling and balanced, try pairing a chocolate chip cookie with breakfast foods high in protein, such as eggs or a bowl of oatmeal.

What’s a clean chocolate chip cookie? Are there healthy chocolate chip cookies with few ingredients?

While there is no FDA definition for “clean”, a “clean” chocolate chip cookie could be one made with whole grains and healthy fats, with limited processing, added sugar, and salt. There are also recipes available for healthier chocolate chip cookies that are made with a limited number of ingredients. Traditional chocolate chip cookies are made with flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and chocolate. But alternative chocolate chip cookies can also be made with as little as three ingredients – peanut butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. While this is an example of a very minimal chocolate chip cookie recipe, many varieties of healthier chocolate chip cookies exist, with many recipes calling for whole wheat flour, oat flour, and coconut sugar as substitutes to make for a healthier chocolate chip cookie.

What makes a healthy chocolate chip cookie for toddlers?

A healthier version of a chocolate chip cookie for toddlers is the same as those for adults. To make a healthier version of a chocolate chip cookie, you can make substitutions for the chocolate, sweeteners, and flour ingredients used in traditional recipes. For example, you may use dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips, coconut sugar in place of white sugar, and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Additionally, for a healthier cookie that will both taste delicious and be more nutritious for your toddler, you can add in oats and dried fruit.

Are chocolate chip cookies with milk healthier? Why do chocolate chip cookies taste good with milk?

While it can’t be denied that a cold glass of milk to wash down a warm chocolate chip cookie is delicious, it doesn’t make the chocolate chip cookie any healthier. This is because milk is high in sugar. Pairing this sugary drink with an already high-sugar chocolate chip cookie will likely make you even more thirsty. If that’s the case, why does milk taste so good with cookies? The reason is that both milk and the chocolate in cookies contain emulsifiers, or substances that help different ingredients mix that typically wouldn’t, such as oil and water. When the milk coats your tongue, it enhances the flavor of the chocolate chip cookie and also acts as a palate cleanser, making the milk and cookie combination smooth and delectable.

Are homemade chocolate chip cookies healthier?

Homemade chocolate chip cookies are generally healthier than store-bought cookies because they don’t contain added chemicals and preservatives. If you are making your own cookies at home, you also have control over the quality of the ingredients you’re using. Additionally, you can increase the nutritional value of homemade cookies by substituting ingredients, such as refined sugar and white flour, for healthier alternatives. You can also add nuts, oats, or dried fruit to your chocolate chip cookie for a protein and antioxidant boost.

Where can I buy the best chocolate chip cookies to bake at home?

At Wildgrain, we specialize in making high-quality, fresh baked goods that are delivered directly to your door. Wildgrain is the first bake-from-frozen delivery subscription service for breads, baked goods, and fresh pastas. Some of our best cookies include chocolate chunk cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies, which can be freshly baked at home. Learn more about Wildgrain and our artisanal baking and cooking methods.

About the Author

Dr. Jorge has been a public health researcher for many years, holding both a Bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. in Chemistry. They presently work as a medical writer and love being able to assist others in understanding various health and scientific topics.

This content is for informational use only and does not replace professional nutrition and/or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is not a substitute for and should not be relied upon for specific nutrition and/or medical recommendations. Please talk with your doctor about any questions or concerns.

FAQs

Are chocolate chip cookies unhealthy? Traditional chocolate cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not considered to be healthy on their own due to the large amount of sugar and butter used to make them. However, you can still enjoy these cookies in moderation and as part of a healthy diet.

They also contain a high amount of sugar and unhealthy fats , which can lead to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease . Additionally , consuming too many chocolate chip cookies can also cause tooth decay and other dental problems .

Cookies tend to be high in refined sugar and saturated fats. They're generally considered unhealthy, and eating them often can be a risk factor for developing type II diabetes, obesity and Alzheimers. Currently, across the globe, more than 1.6 billion people over 15 years old are overweight or obese.

For example, chocolate chips are a good source of antioxidants, which help to protect our cells from damage. They also contain flavonoids, which have been shown to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. In addition, the oats in some chocolate chip cookie recipes are a great source of fiber.

Potato chips have a large number of empty calories that come from monounsaturated fat and sodium. Cookies, on the other hand, have empty calories from different kinds of sugar, which has been documented to have a lot of negative health effects.

For instance, 1 chocolate chip cookie every hour throughout the day is much worse for our teeth than 10 cookies all at once. It's our own saliva that can help rescue our enamel. Saliva is loaded with calcium and phosphorus that help rebuild enamel and bicarbonate that helps return our mouth to its neutral pH level.

It is best to steer clear of raw cookie dough due to the potential contamination of disease-causing bacteria in raw flour. If you love indulging in cookie dough, look for brands that state they are safe to eat raw. You can also make your own edible cookie dough at home with commercial heat-treated flour.

While one cookie a day isn't going to completely derail your diet goals, it's often easy to eat more than one at a time, and soon enough, downing quite a few cookies throughout the day could lead to unwanted pounds.

Deep-fried plants, such as potato chips, may form different chemicals, like acrylamide, a neurotoxic industrial chemical formed by frying carbohydrates at high temperatures. Acrylamide has been associated with several cancers and may cause inflammation, which may explain its purported role in cancer progression.

Popcorn is a healthy snack when it's air-popped and served without ingredients high in fat, salt, or sugar. Popcorn is high in important nutrients, including fiber. Popcorn is one of the world's healthiest and most popular snack foods. It is loaded with important nutrients and offers a variety of health benefits.

Of course you can. Simply pay attention to consistently eating the amount of calories that keeps you at the weight you'd like to be, and make the majority of your foods “healthy.” The cookies (or whatever treat you love) are part of the diet—not the entire diet.

Packaged cookies

Buy your cookies at the grocery store and you're pretty much guaranteed an unhealthy choice. The average serving of supermarket cookie has 6 to 8 grams of fat with about 3 grams of saturated fat. It has about 1 gram of protein and less than 1 gram of fiber.