7 Homemade Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

I was a Girl Scout all the way through high school graduation. My grandmother and mother were troop leaders, and my mom earned a 25 year award for her commitment to scouting. We love the Girl Scouts in my family.

One of my least favorite parts of scouting was also one of my favorites: the cookies! I detest selling things to this day, so I never won any cookie awards. But I sure did love eating them! Now that I have the metabolism of a 30-something woman rather than a kid, I'm not going to be downing sleeves of Thin Mints like I did back then, but I do still enjoy them.

I just moved to rural North Carolina, where I don't know any Girl Scouts, so there will be no cookies for me this year. I might instead whip up a batch of these Girl Scout clone recipes (with some healthy ingredient swaps, perhaps?). We've rounded up seven homemade Girl Scout cookie recipes!

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7 Reasons You Can Feel Good about Eating Chocolate Today

Chances are good that you'll encounter chocolate at some point today. Chocolate has earned a bad rap as a guilty pleasure, but this superfood has some pretty amazing health benefits. We think you should feel good about eating chocolate--the dark variety, in moderate portions. Here's why:

1. Chocolate contains more than 300 chemicals, including phenyethylamine, an amphetamine-like substance that simulates the feeling of falling in love. Is there any more appropriate day than today to eat a treat that makes you feel like you're in love?

2. If you're feeling a bit glum, chocolate can boost your spirits and dull your pain, thanks to b-endorphin, a naturally occurring chemical similar to opium. Read More ›

4-Ingredient Chocolate Tarts (Only 63 Calories)

This no-cook treat is a quick way to satisfy a craving for chocolate and cheesecake. We think it's perfect for Valentine's Day! With just four ingredients and five minutes of prep time, you'll love this not-too-sweet treat.

We used Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies. You want a very thin cookie, but you could also try a chocolate graham cracker (1 sheet=4 tarts). You could swap in your favorite fruit (such as blueberries or even kiwi) for the raspberries. Read More ›

What is Nectresse, the New Zero-Calorie Sweetener?

I turned the corner and headed down aisle #6--the baking section of my local grocery store--eyes peeled for the "new kid" on the shelf. The new zero-calorie sweetener, Nectresse from the makers of Splenda.  There it was, in canister and packet form. The label read: "100% natural" and "made from monk fruit."  Really?  100% natural?  Made from monk fruit? 
Now, it was time to investigate.
 
What is monk fruit?  Monk fruit (a dark-green, plum size fruit) comes from the plant, Siraitia grosvenorii, which is native to southern China and northern Thailand. The fruit also goes by the names Swingle fruit, Buddha fruit, luo han guo or luo han kuo. This fruit is noted for its intense sweetness, which comes from naturally occurring sweet constituents called mogrosides. In pure form, mogrosides are up to 300 times sweeter than table sugar.  There are five different mogrosides, numbered from I to V, with mogroside V being the desired component.  To remove the interfering components and aromas, manufacturers used an ethanol solvent solution. 
 
How do they extract the sweetener? The end product is a powdered concentrate of mogroside V which is about 150 times sweeter than table sugar (depending on the mogroside V concentration).  This non-nutritive sweetener is calorie-free and diabetic-safe, as it does not raise blood sugar levels.  The powdered concentrate is very soluble in water and ethanol, heat stable, and can be stored for long periods of time without changes in taste, smell, or appearance.  
 
Is it safe to eat? It is classified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).  Therefore, it can be used as a tabletop sweetener, as a food and beverage ingredient (gums, baked goods, snack bars, candy, drinks, etc), or as a component in other sweetener blends (since it may have an aftertaste at higher levels on its own).  There is very preliminary research investigating possible health benefits—anti-cancer properties, antioxidant activities, benefits for diabetes with insulin production.  However, much more research is needed before any health claims can be made.
 
What is in Nectresse? And is it 100% natural? Read More ›

13 Tips to Ensure Your Cookies Turn Out Perfectly

Thinking back to your childhood, what part of the holidays do you remember the most?  Seeing people kiss under the mistletoe, sipping hot chocolate after an afternoon of sledding, or opening presents under a real tree?  Heck no!  It’s the cookies your mom or grandmother made.  The baked treats were so much a part of the holiday that my siblings actually bickered over who would get my mom’s tins that she stored the baked goods in before the holiday.

Let’s face it. The winter holidays are so stressful and busy. If we make a commitment to bake cookies we want it to be fun, we need the recipes to be simple, and most importantly outcomes to be successful.  When you invest time and money into baking supplies for cookies, you want them to come out perfect, right? 

Stress no more. I've answered all your baking questions below, pondered all the "what-ifs" when it comes to making cookies, and even provided you with a brand-new, healthier, no-fail holiday cookie recipe, too!
Read This before You Bake:
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Even Dietitians Have a Vice (Bidding Adieu to Ho-Hos)

If you recently thought you heard some strange, frantic scream coming from the direction of southeastern Indiana, you were right. Your ears were not deceiving you.  It was me, Dietitian Becky, mourning the death of my dear friend, the Ho-Hos.  I am not the only one in mourning. In fact, nutrition professor and food activist Marion Nestle is doing the same. 

It was actually my teenage son who informed me recently of this crisis. He keeps me up-to-date on most of the tragedies of the world.  ''Hey, Mom,'' he asked, ''What are you going to do without your Ho-Hos?'' 

''Without my Ho-Hos?  What the heck are you talking about?'' I responded.

If you haven’t heard, Hostess Brands is in deep financial trouble, closing plants, and wants to sell off its brands. It has been reported that more than 18,500 people will lose their jobs and full liquidation is expected since mediation with the striking bakers’ union has failed.   Bye-bye Twinkies, so long Ho-Hos, sayonara Sno Balls! 

While there isn’t a package of these Hostess products currently in my pantry and I didn't storm the supermarket the way others have, they have been known to appear from time to time.  

While I was never a fan of the golden sponge cake with creamy filling known as Twinkies, I adored those cylindrical, frosted, cream-filled cakes. As a child, these Ho-Hos were not found in my Flintstones lunch box often--mom said they were too expense and she made cookies weekly for my school lunch treat.  However, on special occasions, those Ho-Hos would show up to brighten my school day.  Heck, yes, I would get requests to trade, but nothing was worth giving up my Ho-Hos.  Except when I entered fourth grade and would share one (just one!) of the Ho-Hos with my beau, Terry.

Today, as a Registered Dietitian, I really can’t report much nutritional value of these Hostess goodies. But they do teach perhaps another lesson (or two)!  Read More ›

The Apple Pie You Gotta Wrap Your Hands Around

This Thanksgiving, you can put away the pie server, the pie plate, and even those forks because the pie you'll be serving up is of the grab-and-go variety--though it's so delicious you'll want to sit and linger over it!
 
Just like petite pies in mini muffin tins were popular last year, this year it's all about hand pies. These tasty, versatile treats are perfect as a dessert after a holiday meal, in a lunch box or as after school treat. They're also a great single-serving dessert for all the holiday open house parties. If you remember the personal size fruit pies from your youth, fear not: I've cut more than half the calories and fat. 
 

Chef Meg's Apple Hand Pie	National Brand Apple Hand Pie
161 calories	470 calories
9 grams fat	20 grams fat

 
In addition to traditional fruit pies, you can turn these into portable lunches, too. Savory or sweet, these pies are easy to make and easier to eat! And they only take eight minutes to bake and 15 to prep. Let's get started! Read More ›

Don't Be Tricked by This Sweet Halloween Treat!

Halloween candy can be downright scary. All of those colorful ''fun-sized'' bars may tempt you to have just one piece, but beware—those tiny, innocent-looking treats can add up if you're not careful! Some people forgo the chocolate candies altogether in favor of low-fat choices, such as Starbursts and Twizzlers, thinking that they are doing their waistlines a favor. But does low-fat always mean low-sugar? If you were to choose between a chocolaty fun-sized bag of peanut M&Ms and a serving of Twizzlers, which one would be the least sugary choice? Read More ›

Food Showdown: Know Before You FroYo

It's safe to say that the frozen yogurt trend has taken the US by storm—and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. Several ''FroYo'' franchises have cropped up over the past few years, including Pinkberry, Red Mango, Orange Leaf, and many others with tasty names and even tastier flavor and topping offerings. Some of these yogurt shops claim that their product is a healthier alternative to ice cream, made with ''all-natural,'' wholesome ingredients, including good-for-you probiotic cultures to balance your digestive system. But can you believe the hype? Between two big-name frozen yogurt chains, Pinkberry and Red Mango, which has the most ''natural'' yogurt with the fewest ingredients? Read More ›

Tips for a Healthier Spring Candy Fling

Candy tempts me just as it does everyone else, especially when it is chocolate. Estimates suggest that Americans spend over $2 billion a year on Easter candy making it the third largest candy-consuming holiday. In a SparkPeople poll asking which Easter candy is most tempting, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs are the leader. They are the most tempting to me too especially after Easter when they are on the clearance table!
 
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with chocolate. We love the melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavor of chocolate especially when we enjoy it with family and friends during celebrations. We hate the guilt that loving it brings as well as the potential damage it can do to our weight loss goals. With Easter only a few days away, the clearance candy is not far behind. Here are some strategies to help keep your spring candy fling in check.
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Cool Infographic: How Kids Consume Food Marketing

As some of you may remember, Coach Tanya recently blogged about how First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined celebrity chef Rachael Ray and announced last month that there will be changes to the school lunch program. To help support these new nutritional standards in schools, Teach.com has created and shared the following infographic with statistics that share lifestyle, consumption, and media activity relating to children, which contribute to obesity in childhood (and for some, into adulthood).


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Video: Ramen Noodles vs. Real Food--vs. YOU!

You are what you eat.

That adage is a reminder to me at every meal, and it's one of my secrets to losing 50 pounds and keeping it off for six years and counting.

I follow it up with: Make every bite count.

That is, if I'm going to drink my calories, they shouldn't be empty ones. (Calcium-fortified soymilk, yes, Diet soda, never!)  If I'm going to have a snack, I want it to fuel me through my evening workout.  If I'm going to reach for a slice of bread, it will always be a whole-grain variety that's full of fiber and other nutrients.

I love to cook (I did co-write a cookbook, after all!), and I make almost everything I eat from scratch. I read labels, buy raw ingredients, and make time to prepare healthy and nutritious food each day.

That said, I'm not perfect. I reach for prepackaged treats on rare occasion. I have a serious affinity for all things crunchy and salty, and sometimes, I just want a Twizzler. I know those foods aren't good for me, but I know that when 98% of my diet is whole foods, the infrequent junk foods won't have a tremendous effect.

But have you ever wondered how certain food affects your body? Do you ever think about how much effort your body has to put into digesting one food versus another?
TEDxManhattan 2011 Fellow Stefani Bardin did, and that's why this "media maker" and her colleague had two people swallow M2A cameras (mouth-to-anus) and SmartPill wireless gastroenterology devices collects time, pressure and pH from within the GI tract. The participants ate similar meals: Gummi Bears, blue Gatorade and Ramen noodles. The only difference: One person had a homemade, real-food version. (Awhile later, each participant ate the other version of the meal.)

The results--and the visual proof--are startling. Watch for yourself: Read More ›

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae from Weight Watchers Smart Ones

Editor's note: This is a sponsored post from Weight Watchers® Smart Ones®. It was written by the SparkPeople staff.

No matter where you are on your weight-management journey, Smart Ones® helps you stay on track by offering a variety of products that are convenient and taste great. And, because you asked for it, all of their desserts are now available in a convenient four-pack!

That includes the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae: Low-fat cookie-flavored ice cream over a crumbly cookie crust topped with fudge sauce with cookie dough crumbles.

140 Calories
3g Fat
0g Fiber
2g Protein


Learn more about the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae and all the great varieties by clicking here--you can also find coupons and other special promotions!

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10 Decadent Desserts You Won't Believe are Only 200 Calories

Editor's Note: All this week, we're sharing meals, snacks and even desserts that can fit into your daily life. We combine our recipes with simple and nutritious sides for healthy meals, snacks and desserts that are calorie-conscious. You'll be amazed that you can fill your plate and still fit into your jeans the next day. (Find the whole series here.)

You'll need to pick up a copy of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight" to access the recipes, but we will share some sneak peeks this week--and you can easily add recipes from the cookbook to your SparkPeople Nutrition Tracker, too!

Desserts are treats, an occasional sweet that isn’t meant to fulfill any nutritional requirements. That said, our desserts in "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight" are healthier than most—and even more satisfying than anything you’ll find at the bakery or in a 100-calorie pack.
 
You won't believe that these treats are 200 calories or less (including extras!).
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We Tried It: Weight Watchers Ice Cream Treats

Editor's Note: This is a sponsored blog post written by the SparkPeople team.

No matter where you are in your journey, what counts are the little choices you make every day. That’s why Weight Watchers® is proud to offer a delectable line of frozen treats that allow you to eat what you love and still help you meet your weight loss goals. From creamy and crunchy to fruity and frozen, Weight Watchers® frozen treats satisfy with decadent taste and low PointsPlus® values. The best part? They’re from Weight Watchers®! So you know you’re making a smart choice no matter which tasty treat you choose.

Look for Weight Watchers® frozen treats in your grocer’s freezer case.
Savor life...one bite at a time!

Weight Watchers® Ice Cream is available in snack sizes for a quick pick me up, standard sizes for when you want a little more, and GIANT sizes for those times when you really want to reward yourself.  With such a delicious variety, the whole family can enjoy these low calorie, better-for-you treats.
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