Cookies may not be the healthiest food, but replacing unhealthy ingredients with healthier options can make this snack a better food choice. Butter, the fat in cookies, provides moisture, chewiness and texture. Other healthier fat sources, like vegetable oil, can supply these same attributes without the large quantity of saturated fat.
Butter
Butter contains high amounts of saturated fat, which comes from animal products. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and increases low-density lipoproteins, or the bad cholesterol, raising your risk of heart disease. Butter contains 100 calories and 11 g of fat per 1 tbsp. Limit your consumption of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your dietary intake. Substituting saturated fats for monounsaturated fats is one way to regulate your consumption.
Vegetable Oil
Oils derived from vegetables include, but are not limited to, soybean, olive and corn oil. Vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature. One serving, or 1 tbsp., of vegetable oil contains 120 calories and 13 g of fat. Vegetable oils contain more healthful fats, like polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, than the saturated fat found in butter. Limit monounsaturated fat to less than 15 percent of your diet and limit polyunsaturated to less than 10 percent of your diet.
Substitution
According to California State University at Sacramento, you may substitute equal quantities of vegetable oil for melted butter and substitute 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil for ¼ cup of butter in solid form. However, the University of Illinois cautions against substituting butter with vegetable oil, because it may cause baked goods, such as cookies, to be greasy. To limit the greasiness, the University of Illinois recommends substituting 1 tbsp. of butter with ¾ tbsp. of vegetable oil.
Warning
Hydrogenation converts vegetable oil into solid fats, like margarine. This process creates trans-fatty acids, which act similar to saturated fats by increasing your risk for heart disease. More healthful alternatives to replace fat are available for baking cookies, such as prune puree, unsweetened applesauce or fat-free yogurt. Unsweetened applesauce and prune puree can replace half the oil or butter in a cookie recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use a ½ cup of oil or butter and a ½ cup of applesauce or prune puree. Yogurt may replace 100 percent of the oil in your cookie recipe.
References
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine: Cholesterol
- New Mexico State University; Control Your Diabetes for Life: Keeping Heart Healthy; Karen Halderson and Martha Archuleta; January 2008
- California State University, Sacramento: Healthy Cooking and Baking Substitutes
- University of Illinois Extension; Macon County Echoes of Knowledge; April 2008
- Central Washington University: Fat
- Virginia Cooperative Extension; Heart Healthy Eating: Cholesterol, Fat, Fiber, & Sodium; Kathleen M. Stadler; May 2009
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