How to choose the right biscuits so as not to gain weight?
Beware of fake friends! The cookies we think are best for the line aren't always. Decoding with nutrition expert Jean-Michel Cohen so make no mistake.
Jean-Michel Cohen's new book Eating is Better for Dummies (1st ed.) is full of good advice for making the right choices at the supermarket. As for the biscuits, the chapter devoted to them teaches us some great things. You thought diet cakes weren't fattening? Error !
Diet cookies, not healthy
They contain so-called "nutritional" ingredients such as fiber enrichment with bran to cross, for example, or carbohydrates and magnesium for athletes. However, it is not lower in calories or of better quality.
Low-fat cookies, not better for slimming
Not much different from traditional products. Often we remove fat to add sugar or vice versa. Not to mention the possibility of replacing sugar with sweeteners. In the end, some so-called "slimming" biscuits offer 90 calories each, while the classic mini buttercream has only 35 calories, or the equivalent of 15 grams of bread.
Organic cookies, not better for the planet
Their ingredients come from organic farming but may contain organic palm oil which should be avoided anyway. As for fair trade brown sugar, it's still sugar! Again, more calories can be! As for the "breakfast special" biscuits that highlight a slower spread of energy, this may be the case compared to some biscuits "but they will not replace a piece of buttered bread," Jean-Michel Cohen recalls.
Fruit biscuits, no more vitamins
The percentage of fruit is low and manufacturers include either dried fruit, fruit puree, or sweetened fruit cubes that often contain sugar syrup or even fats and additives. "You shouldn't hope to find fiber and vitamins in fruit," says Jean-Michel Cohen. "You obviously prefer dry crackers and seasonal fruits!"
Anyway, not every day!
Beware of the size as the biscuits weigh between 8 and 20 grams. Also beware of presentation in individual bags, with 3 or 4 units, indicating that this is the recommended portion. However, this equally drives us to consumption. Jean-Michel Cohen recalls: "Biscuits are not essential for nutritional balance and health. You can eat 2 to 3 from time to time. But a piece of bread and 4 squares of chocolate is still more satisfying and less expensive!"