Santa, Cookies And Traditions

One of my favorite family traditions is baking homemade cookies with my daughter and putting them out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Of course, we have to sample the cookies to make sure they are yummy and won’t disappoint the big man. The average sugar cookie has about 220 calories for a medium size cookie and if it has frosting, the calories are even higher. And who can stop at just one cookie? So what are some things parents can do with their children to keep the tradition alive, while sharing healthy habits as well?

Use homemade cookies over store bought

• Store bought cookies tend to be higher in calories and preservatives (which we know are bad for our health)
• The baker can control the quality and quantity of the ingredients that go into making the cookie

Find a recipe that uses whole fresh fruit instead of white refined sugar

Use sugar substitutes when baking

• There are products like Stevia, Swerve, Truvia and others that can be used as sugar replacements but beware they may change the taste and texture of the recipe
• It might be a good idea to do a few batches before the big day and check for proper measurement conversion

Put something out other than a cookie (Santa may get burnt out with all the cookies he has to sample)

• Fruit like apples or an orange would be a great substitute for cookies and parents can still give the effect of a bite out of the fruit letting kids know Santa was there

Don’t forget the Reindeer!

• They have to work hard Christmas eve too, so why not put out some carrots
• After a quick google search, you can find a recipe for reindeer food and can be put it outside to feed them (or really birds and wildlife)

To find a recipe for healthier cookies check out: https://www.acouplecooks.com/soft-gingerbread-cookies-healthy-christmas-cookies/ 

By: Chelsea Smitson, MHA, BSW, SRHM-CP