Marc and I were at the grocery store a few weeks back and saw a display for cookies right near the front door; we had a good laugh at them. The cookies? WhoNu. As in “Who knew cookies could be so healthy?!”
From the WhoNu Website, here are their healthy cookie claims:
Here is the commercial for them:
Alright, so these cookies have some vitamins and fiber – does that make them healthy? Maybe they are made with healthy ingredients (like so many packaged foods…)
Alright, so these cookies have sugar, flour, different oils, corn and soy products, and different artificial flavors and preservatives. They also look very familiar to Oreos. Let’s compare:
Taken from the Nabisco Website
So what is the difference? Not much. Except WhoNu added a whole bunch of synthetic vitamins. Love oreos but want to make them as healthy as the WhoNu people claim? Take a multi-vitamin and fiber supplement with them. There wouldn’t be much difference (actually, you would get more nutrients that way).
Just because an item has nutrients added, does not make them healthy. Let’s repeat: JUST BECAUSE A ITEM HAS NUTRIENTS ADDED, DOES NOT MAKE THEM HEALTHY.
These cookies can be filed along with sugary kids cereal: both of them are made with processed ingredients and too much sugar, full of empty calories, but have nutrients added to make them seem like a healthy choice.
If you are trying to eat healthy, on a diet, or looking for nutritious alternatives, you aren’t going to find much from a box. Eat real food. Packaged food claiming to be healthy, or low-fat, or sugar-free does not mean they are truly good for you. 99% of the time they are foods with empty calories. If you food doesn’t go bad, chances are it is not good for you (yes, there are a few exceptions, like beans).
What are some healthy food choices?
- Meat, nuts, and eggs
- Fruits and vegetables
- No-sugar added full-fat (the less processed, the better) dairy products (like yogurt and a glass of milk)
To many of you this may seem like a no-brainer, but yes, I did come across a blog or two that thought these cookies were a great snack idea (and this was only 1 or 2 pages of “WhoNu Cookies” search results).
