The Best Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies, EVER!

As mentioned in Dieting can Make you Fat, I don't diet because I do feel it is too restrictive and can lead to feelings of failure. Instead, I strive to make healthy decisions throughout the day, every day; I modify my foods at restaurants, read labels in super markets, make a lot of foods from scratch, and alter recipes. The two most important objectives when I am making food are to make the healthiest, best tasting version of whatever I want to eat. It just so happens, I have a very substantial sweet tooth. Here is my version of a recipe I found to make

The BEST Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!

Preheat oven to 325°F      Grease cookie sheets with vegetable oil

Mix above ingredients together and set aside:

2 cups No Additive Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp salt (I use slightly less than 1/2 tsp)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

In a separate bowl, cream together:

3/4 cup Trans-Fat Free Margarine* or unsalted butter, melted

1 cup Organic Fair-Trade Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Organic Fair-Trade White Sugar

Beat together:

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

5 tbs egg whites + a splash more or 1 egg and 1 egg white

Slowly whisk in dry ingredients that were previously set aside.

Combine:

1/4 cup crushed pecans or nuts of your choice **

1 cup Organic Fair Trade Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Chips will likely fall to the bottom a bit and will need to be pressed into cookies when putting them on cookie sheet. If the batter needs more moisture, add an additional splash of egg whites.

Baked cookies at 325°F for 15-17 minutes. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

* Check your margarine labels to ensure there are no  hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils

** Because I have taken out a lot of the fat from the original recipe, I want to add in healthy Omega-3 fats instead. The fat and protein from the nuts will help you feel satiated and less likely to go back for several more cookies. The nuts as well as the whole wheat flour will also diminish a sugar surge and crash.

NB - these are still cookies. Though sugar from the original recipe (Best Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies) has been cut back, the fiber increased, and the saturated fat largely substituted out, these still are treats and should be treated as such!

Nutritional Information

Based on the batch divided into 18 cookies - brackets compare to the original recipe
Calories 288 

Total Fat 11g (2.9g less fat)

            Saturated Fat: 2g

Sodium 206mg

Total Carbohydrates 28g  (12.1g less carbohydrates)

            Sugar: 19g

Dietary Fiber 16g    (14.5g more fiber)

Protein 3g