Cookie calories. Is flour baking harmful to the body: we analyze the pros and cons

Among the most delicious inexpensive desserts, the clear favorite is oatmeal cookies. Its unobtrusive taste and high nutritional properties are familiar to everyone since childhood. This delicacy has a low cost, which increases the ratings of its popularity. In addition, such cookies can be easily prepared in any home kitchen.

A bit of history

The Scots invented oatmeal cookies in the 17th century. For two centuries, oatmeal delicacy won the sympathy of consumers on different continents. And he succeeded, because the advantages of the product are obvious:

is the ease of preparation;
available ingredients;
nutritional value.

A product is being prepared from flour obtained from oats - an unpretentious cereal crop that grows everywhere. The authors of this product prepared cookies on hot stones. At first, grain was turned into flour by auxiliary methods, which was diluted with plain water. From the dough obtained in such a simple way, small cakes were rolled out and laid out on the hot surface of the stone. The compatriots of the inventors of the product liked the new dish very much, and soon it appeared on the table of the royal people.

When the First World War broke out, many armies of European countries included oatmeal cookies in dry rations. Its excellent taste and satiety helped the soldiers endure the hardships of military life. Therefore, it is no coincidence that at one time this product was called "soldier's biscuits".

The composition of the product and its caloric value

It is difficult to specify the energy parameters of oatmeal cookies, because different manufacturers, in addition to sugar and margarine, add flavors and other non-harmful components to saturate the taste. All this increases the energy value of products. But on average, 100 grams of a store-bought product contains about 400 kcal. Therefore, even a few cookies eaten at breakfast will provide the body with energy for the whole day. But the benefits of an oat product are not limited to calories alone. After all, it contains a lot of elements that our body needs so much. Everyone's favorite delicacy contains:

proteins;
cellulose;
vitamin component (E, B);
trace elements;
carotene;
amino acids.

All of these components in a single composition have a positive effect on brain function, digestion, improve muscle tone and cheer up.

Useful properties of oatmeal treats

One feature that is characteristic of the oat product should be especially highlighted. Unlike other desserts, after which a person feels heaviness in the stomach and satiety, oatmeal cookies do not give such an effect. Its composition is chosen so organically that it has only a positive effect:

normalizes digestive functions;
regulates the work of the intestine;
stimulates brain activity;
favorably affects the condition of the skin of the face;
perfectly cleanses the body;
normalizes hematopoiesis;
quickly gives a feeling of fullness;
eliminates constipation;
activates the production of serotonin.

The last fact explains that oatmeal cookies have a positive effect on the emotional background. This feature is especially pronounced in children. It is worth a child to eat a couple of cookies on the go, and he seems to be charging from a battery: living energy is in full swing and the baby is ready to play indefinitely.

Another outstanding quality of oatmeal cookies, which should be mentioned, is the ability to destroy cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels. True, a product prepared in industrial quantities contains a lot of carbohydrates, so diabetics should not use such cookies.

About the dangers of the product

Everything tasty is useful if its use is limited to a certain measure. This rule applies to oatmeal cookies. Due to the high nutritional value, the product is not recommended to be eaten in large quantities by people prone to overweight. Diabetics also need to carefully select the product. For this category of consumers, special dietary varieties of cookies are produced, where instead of sugar, its substitute fructose is present. Those with oily skin should also refrain from eating this delicacy. This rule also applies to those who are allergic to the ingredients of the product.

Oatmeal cookies and diet

Many fans and fans of healthy eating are concerned about the possibility of using oatmeal cookies as a dietary staple. It cannot be answered in one word. After all, this product in its classic version is very high-calorie, it contains a large amount of carbohydrates and fats. For this reason, oatmeal cookies can appear on the menu only when you need to quickly satisfy your hunger, relieve fatigue, and add emotional positive. For example, you can eat a few cookies before an exam test or an important meeting. Such a light snack will give strength, activate the brain. Oatmeal cookies can replace breakfast when it is not possible to cook a full meal. These are all situational cases, but you should not build a diet on an oatmeal dessert as a whole, and people who are overweight should generally forget about this product.

What additives are in oatmeal dessert

Today, many manufacturers include oatmeal cookies in their product range. Everyone prepares this delicacy according to their own recipe, which explains such a variety of options on store shelves. But there is a list of required components:

Confectionery fats. Without them, it is impossible to prepare this type of dessert.
Baking powder helps the dough to take the desired consistency, so that later it turns out crumbly soft cookies.
Sugar. Its content in the product is high, but there are alternatives where sugar is replaced by fructose. True, the taste of such a product is significantly different from the original.
Vegetable oils. Modern manufacturers often replace margarine with vegetable oil. But, if there is only benefit from sunflower oil, this cannot be said about palm oil.
Fillers diversify the taste and are beneficial. It can be seeds, raisins, dried apricots. Such supplements energize and stimulate the intestines.
Honey is also often used in baking. It gives the product a dark shade and a characteristic honey flavor.
Preservatives are considered a real "scourge" of modern industrial sweets. The presence of these, not very useful additives, is indicated by the long shelf life of the product. That is, the longer this period, the greater the number of chemical additives in cookies.

How to choose quality cookies

A good quality product should be purchased from private bakeries. There, they usually cook cookies according to classic recipes in compliance with the quantitative and qualitative selection of ingredients. If you want to guarantee complete safety for health, you can try to cook a treat at home. It is not a difficult or time-consuming process.

As for store products, when choosing, you should:

Give preference to products in transparent packaging.
Choose a whole product.
A good quality confectionery product has an even color.
The product must be soft.
By the expiration date, you can easily determine how many harmful additives there are in cookies.
To prepare a quality product, it is usually not egg powder that is used, but natural eggs.

All this information is usually indicated on the packaging. Simply, before paying for the purchase, you need to take a few minutes to study the characteristics of the product. Excellent quality oatmeal cookies always add a wholesome variety to your diet.

Video: how to make flourless oatmeal cookies

Cookies are allowed to be given to children from 6 months, but some pediatricians recommend starting to pamper babies with pastries only from 1 year old. Naturally, at first you need to feed your beloved children with special children's cookies without sugar, fat, salt and other harmful substances, and before buying, read their composition very carefully, because even under the name "Baby" a rather allergenic product can be hidden. It is a completely different matter when the baby grows up, gains strength and reaches school age. Then he can eat sweet koloboks, straws with poppy seeds, and shortbread cookies with nuts. But it’s better not to lean on some delicacies or refuse them completely, otherwise there is a chance to undermine health or grow not up, but in breadth.

1st place: biscuits, "School", "Maria"

If you rank the usefulness of cookies, dry biscuits will come first. They are made only from water and flour, therefore they are the most dietary, non-allergenic and low-calorie (340 kcal per 100 g). To make the product airy and fragile, the dough is rolled out in a special laminating machine with a thickness of only 0.2 mm and then the layers are connected to each other - as a result, 40 layers are obtained in each biscuit. Then they are cut into circles or squares and must be pierced, otherwise the cookies will swell and turn out to be egg-shaped. According to a similar technology, they make "Maria", "School" and funny little animals "Zoological", however, they contain fat and sugar. But, since the amount of these ingredients is minimal, nutritionists still call them dietary. In any case, you should not buy products with flavors, but you should not be afraid of soda or ammonium carbon salt in the composition - during baking, these baking powder are converted and become safe, besides, thanks to them, the cookies turn out to be airy and bite well.

2nd place: straw

Fragrant and tasty straws also refer to dry liver, made from flour, water and a small amount of fat. But she got to the second place in the ranking due to the presence of a decent amount of sugar and one technological feature. The fact is that in order to obtain a brown glossy surface, the straws are very strongly fried and sprayed with alkali in the middle of cooking, without which the product would be pale and inconspicuous. In this regard, crispy sticks can be easily eaten by children with high stomach acidity (straws lower PH), but for those who have it lowered, it is better to give up sweets.

3rd place: oatmeal

Another representative of cookies useful for kids is oatmeal (450 kcal). There is little fat in it (only 5 g per 100 g of flour) and, most importantly, in addition to wheat flour, coarse oatmeal was used (in a ratio of 3/1). It is she who supplies the confectionery with fiber, vitamins and minerals. However, not every oatmeal cookie on our shelves can be called healthy. When choosing a treat for your child, pay attention to its color. If the cookies are beautiful, glossy and bright brown, then they are not natural. The fact is that when heated, the mixture of proteins and sugar changes color - a melanogenesis reaction occurs, and the baking becomes dark. But when a large amount of oatmeal is present in the dough, it extinguishes this process, and the product turns out to be pale. Quality oatmeal cookies should be plain in appearance: grayish brown and without gloss on the surface. The absence of flavors, preservatives and flavor enhancers, which some manufacturers are actively adding today, is also a criterion for the quality of sweetness.

4th place: "Jubilee", "Creamy"

Shortbread cookies with a clearly visible pattern on the surface (“Anniversary”, “Creamy”, “Spring”) are called sugar cookies by experts. It has significantly more fat than oatmeal (20 g per 100 g of flour), and it is made from a very plastic dough, which easily takes and retains the shape given to it, therefore various patterns and inscriptions are stamped on its surface. If you see that they are blurred, it means that the manufacturer saved money: reduced the amount of fat and added water. A slightly fried mesh pattern on the back of the cookie is normal, but if its sides are burnt, you should not buy such a product - it can supply your baby with harmful carcinogens. Good sugar should be yellowish in color, brittle, porous and capable of rapid swelling. For a child, it is advisable to buy classic butter cookies, and not strawberry or strawberry - why does the baby need extra flavors? And do not let your beloved child crunch this delicacy for days on end, because its energy value is quite high: 460 kilocalories per 100 grams.

5th place: sand

Unfortunately, children rarely like dry cookies and are more happy to eat shortbread pastries - high-calorie (up to 500 kcal), with a lot of sugar and fat (30 g per 100 g of flour). Naturally, it is better if you cook it yourself on the basis of butter, because all store-bought cookies are made from margarine. However, you should not be afraid of it, you just need to limit the consumption of a fatty product and choose a quality product for your child. Unlike sugar sand products, they do not keep their shape so well, but still, kurabie, koloboks and roses should be without torn edges and bevelled edges. Do not take burnt specimens either. And pay attention to the composition of sweets, because the shorter and simpler the list of ingredients, the safer baking will be for your child.

6th place: crackers

Crackers took the last place in the ranking due to their composition. Because they are made according to the technology of dry cookies - they are rolled out in the thinnest layer, assembled into a multi-tiered “cake” and cut into circles, rhombuses and squares. But unlike healthy biscuits, each of the 40 layers is smeared with margarine and flavored with food additives (cheese, ham, caviar flavoring). Naturally, the product turns out to be incredibly fat and its calorie content becomes at the level of sand - 480-500 kcal. In addition, crackers are abundantly sprinkled with salt, which disrupts the child's water exchange and causes thirst.

Not baby cookies

Cookies with fillings are very tasty and spectacular. But don't give them to kids. Of all the additives in industrial baking, only nut is considered the safest. But the rest of the fillings and decorations can harm the health of your baby.

Chocolate glaze.

Cookies are not poured with natural chocolate made from healthy cocoa butter. And the point here is not the greed of manufacturers, but the technological necessity. It turns out that fats from cocoa products and from cookies, when interacting, cause an unpleasant smell and taste of bitterness (experts call this the “effect effect”). Therefore, the glaze is not even made from palm substitutes for cocoa butter, but from lauric acid. It is also used for the manufacture of sticky sweet tiles on the teeth.

Chocolate chips.

Imagine that you put chocolate chips in your cookies. What will happen to them after baking? Of course they will melt. To prevent this from happening, factories use thermostable chocolate. Its pieces do not melt even in ovens at + 220 ° C due to the huge amount of artificial additives.

Jam.

If in its pure form fruit and berry jelly is useful, then in the case of cookies, this filling becomes harmful. Because for brightness they put a lot of dyes in it, as well as a decent portion of water-retaining and heat-stable chemical additives. Without them, the filling caramelizes under the influence of heat and, having given up water, will decrease in size, leaving a void inside the cookie.

Jelly.

Recently, biscuits decorated with red, yellow or green jelly have appeared. It looks tempting, but in fact it is harmful. After all, this is no longer a useful pectin-based jelly or marmalade, but a chemical gel with a mass of heat-stabilizing additives.

Expert opinion

Irina Filina, head of the bakery and confectionery department of the Russkaya Trapeza company

Whether a cookie has gone bad or not can be determined by its taste and smell. The most important thing is that it should not be rancid. By the way, the drier the pastry, the longer it is stored. Biscuits, crackers, "Maria" or "Children's" do not spoil for a whole year (of course, if they are in polyethylene and protected from moisture). But if such a shelf life is on shortbread cookies, I do not advise buying it for a child - this indicates that the product contains preservatives.

3.4 out of 5

Many of us love cookies since childhood. And, of course, you want to periodically pamper yourself and your family with it. But for people who are on a diet or counting calories, the question of the calorie content of cookies is very important..

Cookies are different, so the calorie content of different types also varies. So, everyone knows that with diets associated with gastrointestinal problems, doctors recommend biscuit cookies, the calorie content of which, by the way, is lower than the calorie content of shortbread cookies. Confectioners distinguish the following main types of cookies: sugar, biscuit, lingering, shortbread, butter, whipped, puff, oatmeal and biscuit.

How many calories in cookies

Any pack or box should indicate how many calories are in the cookies. However, to draw up a preliminary menu and calculate the total number of calories per day, you can focus on the following values.

Sugar cookies are porous and fluffy cookies that break easily. It contains 436 kcal, with 9.2 g of protein, 10.2 g of fat and 68.4 g of carbohydrates;
The name biscuit speaks for itself, such cookies have a calorie content of 349 kcal, while 3.6 g of proteins, 8.5 g of fat and 64.7 g of carbohydrates;
Protracted is made from elastic and elastic dough, its calorie content is 418 kcal, with 8 g of protein, 9 g of fat and 76 g of carbohydrates;
Shortbread cookies have a calorie content of 379.1 kcal, (7.2 g of protein, 12.7 g of fat and 59 g of carbohydrates);
Butter has a lot of sugar and fat, as well as eggs, therefore, this cookie also has a significantly higher calorie content: 458 kcal (10.4 g of protein, 15.2 g of fat and 76.8 g of carbohydrates);
In protein-whipped sweets, 464.6 kcal (total 2.7 g of protein, 25.8 g of fat and 54.7 g of carbohydrates);
Puff pastry, for example, beloved by many "Ushki", has a calorie content of 395 kcal, it contains 7.7 g of protein, 14.3 g of fat and 58.9 g of carbohydrates;
Calorie content of oatmeal cookies - 437 kcal (6.5 g of proteins, 14.4 g of fat and 71.8 g of carbohydrates);
And finally, the calorie content of biscuit cookies is 394.53 kcal, it has 9.45 g of protein, 9.35 g of fat and 66.58 g of carbohydrates;
Let's add that Anniversary cookies, beloved by many, have a calorie content of 463 kcal, 7 g of protein, 19 g of fat and 66 g of carbohydrates..

Nobody talks about the complete rejection of cookies, but you don’t need to get involved in them. Knowing the energy value, you can choose the optimal amount for yourself, so that it is both tasty and not harmful. Note that whipped sweets and anniversary cookies have the highest calorie content.

It should be noted that we have given general figures, however, often there are various additives and fillings in cookies: chocolate, nuts, fruit and others, all kinds of creams and icing. Of course, they all affect the calorie content of cookies, as well as the content of fats and harmful carbohydrates in it. You should not forget about this, wanting to treat yourself to something delicious.

About the dangers and benefits of cookies

I would like to say a few words in defense of cookies. We are accustomed to consider it a harmful product, and, of course, in large quantities, cookies do nothing but harm. Any species, even those that are considered more useful, like biscuit and oatmeal cookies, have a considerable calorie content. Therefore, it is impossible to absorb them uncontrollably, neither for adults, nor even for children.

However, cookies can also be beneficial: they contain a lot of B and PP vitamins, they are rich in phosphorus, potassium, iron, and organic acids. Sometimes pediatricians even recommend giving children cookies as a source of energy. Many varieties are made with the addition of dried fruits, nuts, vitamins, which also benefits.

Unfortunately, we must not forget that some manufacturers make cookies with heavy fatty oil, add chemical additives, dyes with preservatives.

What to do? The conclusion is simple, you can cook cookies yourself. Of course, it is more difficult to calculate the calorie content of such cookies with the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but you will know exactly which ingredients were put there.

What you need to know about vegetable oils

With prolonged or improper storage of vegetable oil, natural oxidative processes inevitably begin in it. Even sunflower oil, which is familiar to us, left in an open container at room temperature, deteriorates in just a few hours.

The harder the fatty compounds are in consistency, the longer the oxidation process takes in them. The longer such a product remains suitable for consumption. For example, animal fats are highly dense. And fresh palm oil is good for human health. In its fresh form, it is not much different from the usual sunflower oil.

In the production of cheap categories of confectionery, all manufacturers replace high-quality and expensive animal or milk fats with cheap vegetable analogues. Therefore, buying inexpensive cookies is clearly not worth it.

Which cookie is more popular

Despite the popularity of various packaged types of flour confectionery, 60% of the market is occupied by loose types of biscuits, which can most often be found in bazaars or street markets. There are no known brands of loose biscuits. But they all belong to about the same price category. But even in it, you can distinguish types of cookies that are different in price and quality.

Cooking features

In the process of making cookies, vegetable fats are mixed with soda or its analogues so that triglycerides of fatty acids break down into glycerol and individual acids. Soda in this process is the initiator of the decomposition reaction. Cookies without the addition of soda or its analogues remain hard.

In flour confectionery products, saponification of vegetable fats inevitably occurs over time. The presence of saponified fats in confectionery products can be determined by the spoiled taste of the product.

Poor quality ingredients in confectionery products, especially cookies, can lead to severe allergic reactions. With each use of baking containing soda, its analogues and vegetable fats, a large amount of gastric juice accumulates in the human stomach.

As a result, foaming of the contents occurs in the human stomach and its return to the esophagus. Because of this, a person develops heartburn. Difficult digestion of food leads to damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, and leads to the absorption of insufficiently digested nutrients into the blood. This causes an immune or allergic reaction.

In the process of digestion of fats in the intestine, the enzyme lipase takes part, which accelerates the formation of saponified fatty compounds. This often causes irritation of the gastric mucosa, caused by the partial ingestion of saponified fats back into the stomach. As a result of the regular use of low-quality confectionery products, including cookies, a person develops gastritis.

The use of modified fats in the recipe significantly complicates the process of digestion of food. As a result, synthetic fatty compounds remain unsplit, which, when released into the blood, remain on the walls of blood vessels, narrowing their lumen, forming cholesterol plaques and blood clots. In addition to affecting blood vessels, synthesized and modified fatty compounds cause fatty hepatosis when they enter the liver.

Cookies and children

The presence in the composition of the product of a large amount of sugars, fats, baking powder makes it harmful to the child's body, even in small quantities. Allergists and pediatricians recommend giving your child cookies as a treat. And in very limited quantities.

The longer the consumption of cookies by a child is limited, the less will be their negative impact on the teeth, gastrointestinal tract and circulatory system.

Most biscuits for kids are either crackers or hard biscuits. Even in a long biscuit there is a decent amount of sugar. Therefore, such a product should not be present in the main diet of the child. There is no sugar in crackers. Since they are made either in salted or fresh form.

But the top layer of cracker biscuits is covered with oils for a better taste and aroma perception by the consumer. And the quality of the oil used is completely dependent on the manufacturer and quality control at the confectionery enterprises. Crackers are also high in vegetable fats.

The right choice (how to choose cookies)

The quality of the fat used in the manufacture of cookies can be easily determined by taste and smell. A bitter aftertaste should alert you.

The drier the baked goods, the longer manufacturers and retailers can keep them.

Biscuits and crackers in airtight packaging, protected from moisture, can keep fresh for a whole year. (biscuits are often used in dry rations by the military)

The long shelf life of shortbread cookies should alert you. It is better not to buy such a product due to the high content of preservatives.

Always read carefully the label for the cookie, and the layouts must be prepared, printed specifically for review, all information about the cookie (ingredients, dates, etc.).

Cupcakes and biscuits

This type of confectionery confidently retains its popularity in the market. Making a quality cake is a rather laborious and costly process. Because you need quality ingredients.

For the manufacture of cakes and biscuits in industrial food production, most large manufacturers use ready-made packaged mixes from suppliers. It turns out that even a large enterprise is a simple bakery in which ready-made powder components are mixed and baked. At the same time, all production costs and insurance against all kinds of risks are transferred to the consumer in the form of an additional margin on products.

Small bakeries are less likely to use ready-made powder mixes or have their own suppliers of semi-finished products made according to their own recipes. I like banana cake, for example. True, we bake it ourselves, we shared the recipe on the blog, in the article "."

But not only cupcakes use powder mixtures. Take cheap crackers and try to set them on fire. They burn like a torch. And try to set fire to homemade cakes, nothing will work. Draw your own conclusion.

Dangerous additives E1520 (propylene glycol) in baking

In ready-made powder mixtures, propylene glycol (E1520) or its analogues is almost always present. This food additive is used as a dough humectant in order to impart a characteristic softness and similarity to the freshness of the product due to the increased moisture content. It is actively used in the production of combined feed, many agricultural preparations and in household chemicals.

In the food industry, propylene glycol is actively used as a water-retaining and softening agent. It can be found in brake fluid. It is widely used in the manufacture of shampoos, lipsticks, fillers and tobacco moisturizers. Propelenglycol is a component of combined feed additives for animals.

Consumers love biscuits for their splendor, juiciness, softness. For the sake of this, many people buy ready-made biscuits. Manufacturers in the food industry achieve softness, juiciness and a long shelf life by adding propylene glycol to the product.

When buying ready-made biscuit cakes in stores, you can see that their shelf life is from 6 to 8 months. This indicates a high content of preservatives in such a product. At the same time, by external signs, an ordinary buyer cannot distinguish a biscuit cake six months after its manufacture.

Differences can only be found by labeling on product packaging. But retail chains very often interrupt the dates on products that have an expiration date.

In the food industry, propylene glycol is used as a moisture-retaining agent and preservative. Due to its physicochemical properties, propylene glycol binds well to both water and fats. When ingested, it is deposited in adipose tissue. A significant part of propylene glycol is deposited in brain tissues, which are one-third composed of adipose tissue.

When a large amount of propylene glycol enters the human body, it has a negative effect on the human central nervous system. At the next stage of metabolism, propylene glycol breaks down and begins to be excreted through the kidneys. Therefore, the main load from propylene glycol goes to the brain and central nervous system.

A similar situation with the massive use of water-retaining agents is observed not only in Russia, but also in most European countries, despite food safety standards. Today, there is an alternative to synthetic humectants.

It is the biological enzymes of the lipase group, which activate the body's own lecithin. Due to this, a juicy and moist crumb is created in confectionery products. For this reason, manufacturers will soon be able to replace synthetic humectants with natural ingredients.

How sweet confectionery products affect the human body

Human exposure to mass-produced confectionery can be characterized as follows. During the first 10 - 15 minutes from the moment of using sweet flour products in the body, there is a sharp increase in the content.

Due to this, there is a feeling of euphoria and happiness, a person enjoys the use of such a product and often cannot stop. This is facilitated by a large number of other food additives: flavors, flavor enhancers, dyes, thickeners, and so on.

After 10-15 minutes, the blood sugar level drops sharply, which leads to a feeling of weakness, depression, and negative emotions. In this case, a person may have an increased appetite for a long time.

How to choose the right cupcakes, biscuits and muffins

When choosing cupcakes, biscuits or muffins in stores, it is important:

Pay attention to product expiration dates.

If the shelf life of the product exceeds 14 days, then it is better to refuse such a product, since it probably contains preservatives.

Quality confections among cupcakes, biscuits and muffins are distinguished by a slightly yellowish tint and should not crumble.

Habitual for many, natural vanillin from vanilla pods is now being massively replaced by artificially synthesized vanillin. It is another nutritional supplement. The use of natural vanillin is disadvantageous for manufacturers. Because it is much more expensive than its synthetic counterpart. Synthetic vanillin is obtained by processing wood chips, which can be called natural raw materials. True, shavings, as a food product, are of little use. In addition, in the process of obtaining artificial vanillin, wood chips are treated with chemicals. It is appropriate to mention margarine, which is also obtained from vegetable oil. But compared to natural butter obtained from milk, it is a much more harmful product.

It is important for a simple buyer to understand that only whole fruits of the plant in pods can be called natural vanilla. And vanillin in the food industry is a crystalline substance obtained from plant materials with the help of chemical agents.

Any substance entering the human body must be broken down, partially absorbed and then excreted. But during the splitting of synthetic vanillin, one of the decomposition products is phenol. Phenol is an extremely toxic compound. There are two types of vanillin: ethyl vanillin and methyl vanillin.

Methyl vanillin decomposes to form a methyl group, which has an extremely negative effect, including on human vision. Suffice it to recall the many cases when people lost their sight from the use of methyl alcohol.

But in the struggle between the use of natural vanillin at home and synthetic vanillin in the confectionery industry, confectionery manufacturers win. Since in their recipe the dosage of aromatic additives, which include vanillin, is clearly calculated.

Depending on the manufactured confectionery product, the dosage of vanillin can be either 200 or 500 grams per 1 ton. And a small pinch of natural vanillin at home can be a multiple excess of the allowable dosage.

What else is important to pay attention to

Most people love confectionery for its taste and feel of pleasure. The different kinds of sugars, the right fats, the flavorings in different foods are considered enjoyable by most people.

By adding such components to their products, manufacturers deliberately cause stable conditioned reflexes and dependence in consumers. This dependence occurs on a purely psychological level.

What is useful from goodies

Useful can be called not flour cookies, but marshmallow and jelly group of confectionery products. These include marshmallows, marmalade.

What is their value for the human body

As a jelly-type foaming agent structure, for example, pectin or agar-agar are used in such products. They are herbal thickeners.

For example, the value of apples for a person, in addition to the contained microelements, also lies in pectin. Pectin, agar-agar and similar compounds are able to actively remove radionuclides, salts of heavy metals from the human body.

In practice, according to the current regulations, marmalade and marshmallow are used as prophylactic means to eliminate negative health effects from exposure. This is due to the ability of pectins to actively remove salts of heavy metals.

Therefore, pectin, marshmallow, marshmallows and marmalade can be safely attributed to healthy goodies. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the composition of such products and their expiration dates.

Well, in the end, if you want, you can watch a video on the topic "Flour products benefit and harm."

Oatmeal cookies are perhaps the first “adult” treat for a baby. In second place in his preference after parents, grandparents - those who seek to lead a healthy lifestyle.

And the reasons for this are clear: the main ingredient, crushed oatmeal or oatmeal, is famous for its beneficial properties. But is this dessert as healthy as it is commonly believed? What are the benefits and harms of oatmeal cookies? And what is the calorie content of this delicious product?

Moderately sweet, with a bright oatmeal flavor, soft inside and pleasantly crunchy from the edges ... And how can you not love it? The classic oatmeal dessert recipe has a minimum of ingredients: oatmeal and wheat flour, sugar, vegetable and/or animal fats.

The calorie content of such a delicacy is 437 kcal per 100 g.

It is noteworthy that the calorie content of oatmeal alone is 369 kcal per 100 g, which is not so little. From here it is easy to calculate the energy value of the remaining components. And given that manufacturers often add dried fruits, chocolate chips, honey, nuts, candied fruits or spices to the delicacy, it is easy to assume that its final calorie content will be even higher.

We study the benefits

The loud glory of this cookie as a healthy product is primarily due to oatmeal. Indeed, in every oat grain lies the life-giving force of nature itself. The most useful fiber, vitamins H, E, PP, group B, as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, iodine, copper - this is what ordinary-looking oats are filled with.

In wholemeal flour and products made from it, almost all of these substances are preserved. This means that such cookies will not only crumble with rich shades of taste with each of their crumbs, but also support health in the body.

After all, with regular use of oats (as well as flour from it):

supports the work of the cardiovascular system due to the high content of potassium;
takes care of the strength of the nervous system;
strengthens bone and dental tissue (calcium is responsible for this). This property of oats is especially valuable for children and people of the third age;
promotes better blood formation;
stimulates the digestive system;
gently cleanses the body of toxins and toxins;
helps to cope with depression and loss of energy: oats - a well-known natural antidepressant;
lowers blood sugar levels thanks to a special component - beta-glucan, also known as soluble fiber;
beneficial effect on the liver;
reduces cholesterol levels and the risk of atherosclerotic plaques.

Beware of harm

And yet, despite the obvious benefits, oatmeal cookies can cause unpleasant troubles - of course, if they are abused. One of the reasons for this is the high calorie content of the product. These cookies are treacherously delicious: a hand reaches for one - and suddenly it turns out that the pack is magically empty.

But in addition to healthy oats, it also contains sugar and fats, the calorie content of which is incredibly high. That is why, before opening the package, you should first exercise willpower for those who are overweight and have high blood glucose levels.

Another risk is associated with the formulation of industrially prepared treats. Unfortunately, many manufacturers often add all kinds of stabilizers, dyes, baking powder, preservatives and other culinary chemicals to the dough.

Such cookies cannot be called completely natural and safe for health. Therefore, before lowering the next package of it into the shopping basket, it will be useful to read the composition of the product indicated on it. Especially if the little sweet tooth is waiting for treats at home.

The product is absolutely contraindicated for those who suffer from an allergy to any of the components of oats or from gluten intolerance. Such cookies will bring nothing but harm to these people.

Choosing cookies in the store

A few simple tips will help you choose the most healthy treat and not be disappointed in the purchase:

the best biscuits are those that arrive on the shelves in hermetically sealed packaging. In this way, it is possible to preserve its softness and delicate aroma. True connoisseurs of delicacy will never buy it by weight;
always check the production date and shelf life of the product. The shorter it is, the less preservatives and artificial additives in the dough;
fresh treat - soft in the middle with crispy, brittle edges;
it is best to buy oatmeal dessert in a transparent package: this way you can make sure that it is not burnt during baking;
if calorie content matters to you, give preference to the classic recipe without any additives.

DIY oatmeal cookies

Of course, you can wander along the racks with sweet pastries for a long time, choosing the “same” cookie with the “same” taste. Meanwhile, it is much more interesting, more pleasant - and more useful - to treat yourself to tea with your own sweets. There are hundreds of recipes and variations, the basis is still the same: wheat and oat flour, butter, sugar, water.

Further - a complete scope for creativity. And most importantly - no preservatives and artificial additives. It is this cookie, made from natural products and with great love, that will heal the body from ailments, and the soul from depression, fatigue and longing.