Clean Eating Cookies

Clean Eating Cookies Can Still Taste Delicious

Can you make cookies as part of a clean eating diet? Yes. Should you? Maybe not. The problem is not with the whole foods approach to eating. The problem is that cookies are yummy and way too easy to eat. If you are one of those people who can eat one cookie and be satisfied, good for you. I want 10.

The best method I have found for satisfying a cookie craving is to make sure the cookies satisfy a nutritional need. It is always best to make only a few cookies, announce to the entire household exactly how many there are, and then let the games begin to see who can withstand them the longest.

You don't need to purchase a specialty cookbook for healthier cookies. Almost any cookie recipe can be made with whole foods with just a few tips at your disposal:

• Sub whole wheat flour for all-purpose, or use a mixture of whole wheat flour and oatmeal.
• Sub agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or honey for sugar. I have often read to sub unsweetened applesauce but, unless you're making apple flavored cookies, I don't care for the way it turns out. Applesauce has its place, but not as a replacement for sweeteners.
• Use a tablespoon of ground flax seed and some water to replace butter, but this does add a bit of a flax seedy flavor to the mix, I don't care what anyone says. Counter the flax flavor with strong spices like cinnamon, cloves, or ginger.
• You can still make chocolate chip cookies with a clean approach. Use unsweetened, organic dark chocolate chips instead of the standard milk chocolate morsels. You'll need fewer of them and they taste even better than the traditional chips, in my opinion.
• Instead of, or in addition to, chocolate chips in cookies, throw in a number of dried fruits. Last night I made cranberry oatmeal cookies and they were fantastic, but you can also add dried, unsweetened coconut, raisins, or basically any other chewy fruit your heart desires. Just make sure they are in small enough pieces.
• Nuts are a popular addition to cookies. I love nuts, but I don't care for them in my cookies and neither does the rest of my family. The one exception: peanut butter cookies. Use freshly ground peanut butter and you will marvel at how much better they taste. For a tropical tasting peanut butter cookie, add coconut oil and unsweetened coconut flakes to the batter.
• If you have the time or the inclination to play around, use pureed fruits and vegetables to add flavor and moistness (Is moistness a word? Moistening? Moistocity?) to the batter. This is where many suggest applesauce, but I more often use pureed sweet potatoes. Take a look at organic baby food and you may find some true inspiration, believe it or not.

Check out this site for links to several clean cookie recipes online.