The cookie diet, created by Dr. Sanford Siegal, promotes eating cookies throughout the day for meals and snacks and then having a healthy dinner. The catch is that you must eat the cookies sold for the program, which many dieters say don't taste as good as traditional cookies. In an interview with ABC News, Amy Campbell, a nutrition educator, calls the cookie diet a fad and one that is not very nutritious.
Calories and Fat
When you are dieting, it is necessary to burn more calories than you consume. This means that you must choose low-calorie and low-fat foods that will fill you up and keep hunger at bay until it is time to eat again. The cookies included in Dr. Siegal's diet program contain a small amount of calories and fat, but may not contain enough other nutrients to make them healthy choices. The cookies have 90 calories and 2.5 g of fat, and come in oatmeal raisin, chocolate, banana, blueberry and coconut flavors.
Fiber
Fiber is a nutrient that offers appetite control because it digests slowly and keeps you feeling full. Each of Dr. Siegal's cookies contains 2 g of fiber. Men should be getting 30 g to 31 g of fiber each day, while women need 21 g to 25 g daily. The diet allows for six cookies each day, which adds up to only 12 g of fiber, leaving you quite a gap to meet with one meal. Not only are you likely to fall short of the daily recommendation, but not getting enough fiber increases your risk of irregular digestion and bowel function and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Vitamins and Minerals
Following the cookie diet puts you at risk of nutrient deficiencies, because the cookies are virtually devoid of any nutrients. Each cookie contains 0 percent of your daily needs for vitamins A and C. They contain no iron or calcium, with the exception of the oatmeal raisin cookies, which offer 2 percent of both nutrients. These are nutrients that protect your immunity, aid in wound healing, help carry oxygen throughout your body and support healthy bones and teeth. Not getting any throughout the day compromises your health and puts you at a higher risk of many health concerns.
Dinner
Dr. Siegal recommends eating one low-calorie meal at dinnertime. Your daily total on the diet should not exceed 800 calories, and the cookies add up to 540 calories, leaving you 260 calories for your meal. The foods that are recommended include 6 oz. of chicken, turkey or seafood and 1 cup of vegetables. The meat choices offer protein and iron, and the vegetables contain carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals -- but the small amounts you are allowed to eat are not enough to meet the daily recommendations for good health.
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