Although the name "oatmeal raisin cookie" may make us think we are choosing a healthy cookie, the key word here remains "cookie." Oatmeal provides nutrients. Raisins also contribute vitamins and minerals as part of a healthy diet. However, to create the cookie, the oatmeal and raisins must be mixed with sugar and fats, transforming these healthy ingredients into a not-so-healthy snack.
Oatmeal
As one of the main ingredients and the one that adds both flavor and texture, oatmeal on its own provides nutrition. Oatmeal contains fiber -- the portion of plant-based foods the enzymes in the intestines cannot break down. Fiber, both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, promotes a prolonged feeling of fullness and contributes to a healthy digestive tract. Oatmeal also contains vitamins, such as B vitamins, and some varieties are fortified with vitamins A or D. Oatmeal serves as a good source of essential minerals, including potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and selenium. The amount of oatmeal in each cookie, however, remains low, therefore offering little of the nutrition per cookie.
Raisins
Sun-dried raisins contain natural sugars the body uses for energy. Raisins also provide both types of dietary fiber. Two tbsp. of raisins contain 0.2 g of soluble fiber, which helps release the energy from the sugars slowly over time, according to Harvard University Health Services. They also contain 0.2 g of insoluble fiber that promotes a healthy digestive system. Raisins serve as a good source of potassium and iron. Raisins also contain antioxidants -- substances that protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, the negatively charged atoms in the body created by interactions with oxygen. Because each oatmeal raisin cookie only contains a few raisins, the number of cookies that must be eaten to reap the nutritional benefits of the raisins provides too much fat and sugar.
Fats
Oatmeal raisin cookies contain some sort of fat -- either butter, margarine or shortening. The type of fat used makes a difference on how healthy, or more accurately how unhealthy, the cookies become. All three types contain saturated fat -- fat that contributes to increasing cholesterol levels. Trans fats, the fats created by adding hydrogen in order to increase the shelf life, are the worst type of fat. When making oatmeal raisin cookies, choose a fat that contains no trans fats.
Sugar
Cookies contain added sugars that provide calories without any nutrients. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the intake of added sugars to less than half of your discretionary calories -- the amount of calories left after your nutrient needs have been met. For women, this averages to about 100 calories per day and for men 150 calories per day. Just one oatmeal raisin cookie takes up most, if not all, of those calories, depending on the recipe used.
Alternatives
When compared with alternative cookies, such as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin cookies do offer some nutritional value. However, because of the fat and sugar content, they certainly cannot be considered healthy.
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