0
0
They’re back! They’re smiling at us from every reception desk, every conference table, and every coffee break: those little Christmas cookies. They taste delicious, seem harmless—and sooner or later lead to love handles if you overdo it. So: How many Christmas cookies can you eat per day without gaining weight during the holiday season?
The short answer: it depends largely on the rest of your diet. If you eat a balanced diet and exercise, you don’t need to feel guilty – but there are clear guidelines to follow. Cookies are usually high in sugar and fat – nutrients that, according to the World Health Organization, should be consumed in moderation.
5 cookies per day
If you generally pay attention to your diet, about five Christmas cookies per day is a realistic guideline. However, if your breakfast already weighs heavily with bread rolls, jam, or sausage, and you don’t necessarily pay attention to calories at lunch and dinner, you should eat fewer or no cookies.
But be careful: not all cookies are created equal. Christmas cookies with chocolate, for example, contain a lot of fat and sugar and therefore have a higher calorie density than gingerbread cookies.
There are two basic rules:
1. Snack in moderation – better “less often” than “a little every day.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing the intake of so-called free sugars – i.e., sugar that is added to food or found in honey, syrups, or fruit juices – to less than 10% of daily energy intake. Even better would be a value below 5%, as this has been shown further to reduce the risk of obesity and tooth decay.
When snacking every day, the sugar adds up, and even just a few cookies a day add calories. Consciously choosing days without sweets ensures that your overall energy balance remains in check.
2. A small bite “just for the taste” is not a problem
Small bites now and then are okay because they do not immediately exceed the recommended sugar intake. Free sugar provides empty calories, i.e., energy without any significant nutrients. By consciously tasting instead of eating “several pieces in a row,” you consume fewer free sugar calories.
- source: geund24.at/picture:
This post has already been read 120 times!
