Meet the Dietitian:
Amanda Forman MS, RD, CDN
As a Registered Dietitian, I receive many questions on a variety of nutrition topics. I am excited to provide some insight into these frequently asked questions.
1. Why choose products that contain only simple ingredients?
Many food products contain food additives and chemicals which can be used for flavor, color enhancement and to prolong shelf life. When you eat a lot of these, they have been linked to contributing to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal issues, hormone disruptions and imbalances, and even cancer*.
Sweet Loren’s has become one of my go-to dessert options. I feel confident enjoying and serving to others because of their commitment to sourcing the best quality, clean ingredients. I love their variety of flavors and when I have time, trying out their dessert recipes, like the Brookie!
You can always find a pack of their cookie dough in my fridge or freezer for whenever I have a craving for a fresh-baked cookie or unexpected guests over – with or without food allergies.
I have so many reasons to love Sweet Loren’s!
2. We often hear “sugar is bad” and “I am cutting out sugar”. So what is the deal, do we have to avoid sugar to be healthy?
Absolutely not! Many people think that cutting out all sugar is the only way to lose weight or prevent diabetes and other diseases. This isn’t true. Here is a fun fact, The American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 grams per day (6 teaspoons) of added sugar for ladies and 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for guys. If you eat a healthy balanced diet, there is no reason you can’t have some sugar! So, ladies and gents, you can enjoy two Sweet Loren’s cookies every day while staying under the daily recommended added sugar intake. Hold on it gets better…all of their products contain only cane sugar and no artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes.
3. What is palm oil anyway?
So here is the deal, palm oil is made from the fruit of the oil palm tree. Palm oil is about 50% saturated fat whereas butter, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil are about 85% saturated fat. That is quite a difference if you ask me. As a health-minded company, Sweet Loren’s products contain RSPO (responsibly soured) certified sustainable palm oil – which is better for you and better for the environment – especially the orangutans who are most impacted by deforestation.
4. Why are whole grains healthier than refined grains?
I hear this all the time: “choose whole grains” and “avoid refined grains”. As a true believer in the health benefits of whole-grain foods, I couldn’t agree more. Here is why: whole grains contain the whole kernel. The kernel contains B vitamins, iron, and fiber. When a grain is refined, it is processed and most of the vitamins, fiber, and iron are lost. This is not good! We need B vitamins for many body functions, iron to prevent anemia, and fiber to help lower cholesterol and maintain blood sugar levels. All of Sweet Loren’s Cookie Dough products contain whole grain within their Gluten Free Flour Blend, so you are getting some vitamins and minerals while enjoying their decadent and delicious cookie dough.
5. Can I have dessert without gaining weight?
Of course, you can! Life without dessert would be a tragedy.
As always, it is important to keep in mind portion sizes. For my dessert, I typically enjoy 1-2 Sweet Loren’s cookies at a time. Either I bake just what I know I want to enjoy at that moment, which helps prevent overindulging, or I bake the whole batch and put the remainder in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer. They stay for up to one week, and when out of the freezer, thaw into a fresh baked cookie within a couple of hours. If you have a toaster oven, just place set to warm or low temp for a few minutes.
This is a great parenting hack I love to share – pop a frozen Sweet Loren’s cookie into your kid’s lunch box and by lunchtime, they will have a delicious, allergy friendly cookie to enjoy.
When you allow yourself to have a little bit of what you love each day, you will never feel like you are depriving yourself. This mindset will allow you to foster a healthy relationship with food and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. All things in moderation.
About Amanda:
Amanda Forman MS, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian in the New York City region. She received her bachelor’s degree in Public Health from College of Charleston and her master’s degree in Nutrition from Meredith College. She completed her dietetic internship at Mississippi State University.
Amanda believes that all foods should be enjoyed and shares her love of food with her clients. Her passions are helping people develop healthy relationships with food and working with her clients to develop sustainable lifestyle practices. Some of her hobbies include developing new recipes, training at the gym, going to the beach and traveling as much as possible. Amanda believes there is nothing better in life than a good cookie, her favorite Sweet Loren’s flavor is Fudgy Brownie.
