Three oatmeal cookies that you can easily make

Oatmeal cookies are easy to make and don’t call for special baking skills. Source: Rebecca Sims/Flickr

Snacking is a real struggle, especially when you’re working really hard at sticking to your diet plan. Passing on that bag of chips becomes tough, especially when you don’t have healthy options available at hand. For most people, oats are restricted to their morning breakfast. Quick rolled oats are combined with water or milk as a porridge or form a part of a bowl of warm or cold muesli with milk (or non-dairy milk for vegans). Oats are a rich source of fibre and are touted as one of the healthiest foods around.

The high dietary fibre – beta glucan – helps keep the heart healthy and aids in maintaining blood cholesterol levels. Moreover, oats have a low glycemic index, which means, they release energy slowly, helping keep blood sugar levels at an optimum – making them an ideal addition to the diet of those suffering from diabetes. A serving of oats (approx 80g) also supplements the daily ideal intake of nutrients like manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, folate as well as essential vitamins.

So it makes sense to not restrict oats to your morning routine and find ways to sneak it into your snack-time. We searched for several recipes and found a few that we keep going back to. With just a handful ingredients and oats, there’s a huge batch of delicious cookies that stay for long, without any hassle. There’s butter in some of them, but don’t fret about your weighing scale going crazy – it’s really a small amount of saturated fat as compared to all the additives, chemicals and synthetic flavours you’d find in store-bought snacks. Here are three of our favourite recipes for easy-make oatmeal cookies:

Banana, oats and peanut butter cookies
These cookies made with banana, peanut butter and oats are ideal for vegans. Rich in natural, energy-supplementing sugars like fructose and glucose, these cookies also make for a wonderful recovery snack for fitness freaks. Peanut butter is a wonderful source of protein – just ensure to use a high-quality version that has minimal additives. The recipe also suggests adding nuts (optional) and you can add in whatever kind you prefer or have at hand – walnuts, almonds or cashew are great. Simple and easy, we’re sure you’re going to make several batches once you work your way through the first one.

 

Honey oatmeal cookies
This recipe cuts the use of all-purpose flour to a minimum and uses whole wheat flour instead. Apart from the goodness of oats, these whole-grain cookies also help lower the risk of type two diabetes and help keep your digestive system functioning smoothly. Honey brings in anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, antioxidative properties, making these cookies an excellent chai-time accompaniment. They’re also eggless, which makes them perfect for vegetarians.

 

Cranberry yoghurt and oat cookies
Perfect for those watching their weight, this recipe uses olive oil instead of butter. Olive oil has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids that further helps improve cardiovascular health. Cranberries are packed with a host of antioxidants and have a really low calorie markup. They also contain vitamin C, a fair amount of dietary fibre, and manganese as well as vitamin K, E and essential minerals. Yoghurt is a weight-loss favourite and adds in minerals like calcium and essential vitamins to the mix – all in all, a super healthy recipe.