Tag Archives: cookies

Pimp That Recipe: The Ultimate (Healthier) Chocolate Chip Cookie

By Abra Pappa for NutritiousAmerica.com

What is more delicious than warm chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven? Not much I tell ya, not much. We all should have a reliable, delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe in our back pocket to wow impromptu guests and convince our kids that we are, indeed, super mom.

Trouble is most cookie recipes begin with ingredients that need..well.. pimping! I encourage you to push beyond your baking comfort zone to try this nutrient dense, crazy delicious treat. The ingredients here should easily be added to your arsenal of real food, health promoting pantry staples.

So let’s pimp that recipe! (more…)

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Nutritious_America

Kick-Off College Football With Healthier Man-Approved Tailgate Recipes

Finally! The weather is just starting to cool off, my favorite alma mater T-shirt is hanging front and center, and college football kicks off tomorrow. It’s almost more excitement than I can bear. I know I’m not alone, and I know I’m not the only one preparing a first game feast for my friends.

Whether you tailgate at home or from your couch, you can consume A LOT of calories in the four hours it takes to win a football game. I, for one, don’t want to be bloated when the big score comes in at the end, so I make a healthier spread. It’s far from rabbit food, but it’s also not the calorie bomb that most of my fellow fans are dishing up.

If I can promise you bold-flavored, sticky-fingered buffalo chicken, wicked dips, and killer desserts, can you promise to try at least one lighter tailgate party this season? I’m pretty sure everyone scores in that deal!

BBQ Pork Sliders

No one needs a half-pound pile of pulled pork, but a tiny slider or two can really fill you up. Our little pork sliders are smothered in a homemade barbecue sauce and a little coleslaw for a cool crunch.

Lighter Buffalo Chicken Dip

We guarantee everything about this recipe is the same as any you’ve tried before, except we’ve cut more than 200 calories out of it! A few simple swaps make this appetizer just as creamy, spicy, and in demand as its gut-busting counterpart. (more…)

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Natalie K

How to Eat Gluten Free: Dessert

Welcome to part four of my “How to Eat Gluten Free” series. In case you missed the first three editions, check them out for some delicious and healthy inspiration in eating gluten free for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t have celiac disease and I don’t adhere to a gluten free diet. However, as more and more of my friends are forced to go gluten free, I desire to know how to cook for them on nights that my husband and I host them for dinner. After all, tacos on corn tortillas get old after four nights in a row.

Additionally, because I’ve noticed feeling sluggish and tired myself after consuming particularly carb-heavy meals, I’ve grown interested in carving some gluten out of my diet just for trial and health’s sake.

With that said, let’s move onto the main event: dessert! At first thought it seems desserts are off limits for the gluten-free eater: no cake, no cookies, no muffins – basically no anything that contains flour. But thanks to the innovation and creativity of several gluten-free cooks and professional chefs, there are now countless options when it comes to enjoying gluten-free desserts. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Dana

Cookie Monster’s “Call Me Maybe” Spoof Cuts Calories by Sharing

Carly Rae Jepsen’s song “Call Me Maybe” is such an internet sensation that it has made its way to Sesame Street! The Cookie Monster created his own lyrics to the hit beat and we aren’t going to lie, his lyrics are kind of catchy, too. The creators at Sesame Street made sure to have Cookie Monster’s lyrics kid friendly, but they are by no means diet friendly.

Cookie Monster’s parody, “Share It Maybe,” starts out with him in an office where he sees cookies being passed around, and that’s when he starts singing. Here is a selection of some of his lyrics in the parody:

Me got a wish on me mind

It is a chocolate chip kind

Me look at you and me tell

You may have snicker doodle (more…)

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Samantha

Manhattan Mud Oatmeal Cookies with NY Superfoods Chia Kind Butter

We get a lot of yummy stuff sent to us. I mean, sometimes the office looks like the world’s healthiest pantry. We’re not complaining by any means! But once in a while we get something that we can’t wait to share with you. This week was one of those times, when a box from New York Super Foods arrived full of their ChiaKindButter. One bite was all we needed to be downright obsessed!


Catherine and Jason met at a 10K and fell in love. Then, with a mutual love for natural foods that taste good they launched New York Super Foods, which makes a variety of products using chia seeds, which are just about one of the healthiest things you can eat. They have hydration properties, loads of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, they are high in fiber, and have a delightful little crunch that’s perfect in just about anything you add them to. Like their Chia Chargers.

Chia Chargers were their answer to a healthy, natural, great-tasting post-workout snack. When no one else offered what they wanted, they made it themselves, and they were such a hit they started selling them. They have four flavors: original granola flavor, xpresso, agave nectar, and paprika. Dense, filling, and chewy, they’re completely satisfying and one little 100-calorie nugget is all you need. The ingredients are completely recognizable and include things like chia seeds, peanut butter, agave nectar, sunflower seeds, blueberries, oats, and cranberries. (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Natalie K

Health Buzz June 15: Yoga Barbie Controversy, Worst Grilled Foods, Dad’s Weekend Recipes

Yoga Teacher Barbie Bends Children’s Advocates Out of Shape

Add yoga teacher to Barbie’s list of careers. Mattel added yoga Barbie to their exclusive line “I Can Be…”,  which is supposed to inspire girls to strive for more than just the ordinary. Once again Barbie stirs up controversy and we hear from people on both sides of the argument.

A Carrot Had More Nutrients 50 Years Ago Than it Does Today

Nutrition from your fruits and veggies isn’t going away, but studies show that there were more nutrients in them years ago than today. The environment is responsible for less nutrients in your fruits and vegetables. But don’t shy away from these essentials because those guys still pack a punch when it comes to nutrition.

Zero Weights, Zero Problem: Strength Training Without Weights

Can’t get to the gym or don’t have your own weights at home? That’s no excuse to skip strength training. We show you a variety of moves that rely on your own body weight to get toned. (more…)

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Samantha

An Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Accident with a Lower Calorie Surprise

Full disclosure: I’m a terrible baker. My husband warns people not to eat anything I bake.

That said, I get the itch to bake periodically and it always has to be scratched. Quiet, uneventful Sunday afternoons get the better of me and my well-stocked pantry. Once I’ve made up my mind, the oven’s on and the flour’s flying.

This past Sunday, I was already in cooking mode, with Chef Devin’s turkey meatballs and homemade marinara simmering on the stove (see the Biggest Loser Family cookbook). When I pulled the oats out of the cabinet to combine with the turkey, I immediately thought “cookies!”. I also had mini chocolate chips left over from a birthday party the previous weekend. A couple of tiny cookies would be the perfect end to our dinner and weekend.

I started reading through the ingredients listed on the oatmeal container and pulling each out of the cupboard and refrigerator. It called for butter. I froze. No butter. Then I remembered the healthier baking swaps article we did last year, and recalled Marisa Churchill’s suggestion for replacing butter with cream cheese. An entire brick of neufchâtel cheese sat in my fridge. Ball dodged.

Then it called for granulated sugar. Completely out. So I Googled “honey replacement for sugar” and found several suggestions for a 1:1 swap. Completely doable. (more…)

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Natalie K

Why it’s OK to Celebrate Oreo’s 100th Birthday

Happy birthday to the Oreo cookie! There’s probably not an American kid around who hasn’t twisted, licked, dunked, and devoured. One of my favorite photos is of me at around two-years-old sitting on my dad’s lap dunking cookies in a shared glass of milk. He taught me to hold the cookie in the milk until it just starts to give way between your fingers and then drop it in your mouth. Important life lesson!

Look, these cookies are as processed as they come and don’t really have any redeeming qualities, other than tasting so darn good. But I, like so many, enjoy practicing a life of moderation. And that means that once or twice a year I’ll buy a small six-pack of Oreo cookies, fill a glass with skim milk, and share the treat with my husband.

That’s why I’m saying it’s OK to celebrate Oreo’s centennial. (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Natalie K

Savannah Smiles No Healthier Than Other Girl Scout Cookies

It’s that time of year again! Girl Scout Cookie season is upon us. Among the classic favorites like Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs, the girls will be offering a brand new cookie this year as part of the organization’s 100th anniversary.

A new lemon cookie called Savannah Smiles will be sold. The name is a nod to the hometown of the Girl Scout’s founder Juliette Gordon Low. The new cookie is designed to look like a smile shape. It is a hard cookie covered in powered sugar with a lemon flavor.

Taste testers haven’t been overly impressed by the Savannah Smiles, mentioning that the flavor lacks the uniqueness that many come to expect from a Girl Scout Cookie. Many Girl Scout flavors are attempted to be replicated and offered on the shelf all year round, but few succeed at really edging out the original. However, the review of the Smiles seem to indicate that many lemon cookie alternatives offer more flavor than the new Girl Scout version. (more…)

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Lacy

Empty Calories Comic: Confronting Santa’s Diet

See more Empty Calories right here in the blog each week, or receive one each month when you subscribe to our free newsletter. (more…)

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Health Buzz

Happily Eat Carbs for the Holidays

Heather Sokol is the frugal mother of 3 girls. She has lost 30 pounds in the last year and blogs about her weight loss journey at Just Heather.

Cookies. Candies. Pie.

It’s a trifecta of holiday goodness. And, a whole lot of carbs to derail a year of healthy habits. It’s all about striking a balance between maintaining my weight loss and taking part in the festivities.

Family gatherings take place in the kitchen and celebrations revolve around food. Dessert is as much a part of the holiday traditions as Santa and stockings. So, what’s a carb loving girl to do when she goes home for the holidays?

This girl enjoys the carbs. In moderation.

(more…)

Posted on December 18, 2023 by GuestBlogger