Trade Up Tuesday: High Scoring Cookies
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, a weekly feature here on A Better Bag of Groceries. Today I am giving away my favorite dessert: Cookies! Not just any ordinary cookies – but cookies that get the best NuVal scores I’ve been able to find so far. For the grown-ups, there’s Kashi TLC and for the kids, Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
I’m a cookie girl. I have a very hard time saying no to a cookie. I can say no to cake, to pie, to candy – but cookies are hard for me to resist. And dark chocolate – but that’s a blog post for another time!
Cookies, as you can imagine, score rather low on the NuVal scale (1-100, 100 is best). The median score for cookies (1/2 score above it, 1/2 score below it) is only a 3. Ouch!
The Uber-Scorer in the Cookie category is Kashi’s TLC (Tasty Little Cookie) Oatmeal Raisin Flax. It gets a 40. Wow! I buy them, but I do like the other Kashi cookie better: Kashi TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, which gets a 24. Still great for a cookie and did I mention that I love dark chocolate?
As for my kids, I try to steer them towards Chocolate Teddy Grahams which get a NuVal score of 25. The Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams only score a 12. Chips Ahoy only score a 6. And lest you think that you might do better with Reduced Fat Chips Ahoy, think again. They get the same score as regular Chips Ahoy – a 6!
Today’s GiveAway
I am giving away all 3 boxes of cookies so that you can try them out for yourself. All you need to do is head on over to the NuVal website to check out the scores. Find something that makes you go hmmmmmmm. And come back here to comment about it. One lucky commenter will win my Cookie Trade Up prize. The contest closes at 11:59 pm Eastern time tonight! Good luck!
Posted by: Melissa 43 comments
Posted in: Cookies, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Cookies, Kashi TLC, Teddy Grahams
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 7:59 am
I used to LOVE Teddy Grahams as a kid! Anything Kashi, to me, is amazing and full good protein.
Nuval site: Green Giant Creamed Spinach With Artificial Cream Flavor = 34 score. Really? I understand it’s a vegetable. But…’creamed’ and ‘artificial’ in the same title? Some frozen veggies with sauce even contain trans fats. Seems high considering (possibly) processed sauce. Just my two-cents!!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 8:11 am
i’ve been wanting to try the kashi cookies for forever now!
i was surprised that the honey teddy grahams (24) are more than half the score of the kashi cookies (40). i guess i just expected them to be so much lower considering kashi is chock full of good ingredients and teddy grahams seem like little sugar bombs
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 9:51 am
I’m actually shocked that Teddy Grahams weren’t lower, they taste so good, I just grabbed 2 boxes this morning!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Oh my gosh, I still can’t get over shredded wheat being SO high….and it tastes great, especially warm with a light dusting of cinnamon.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 9:54 am
The Garden of Eatin’ Blue Chips All Natural Tortilla Chips make me go Mmmm. I really want to try them after hearing about them so much!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Something I really took the time to consider were the milk scores. I was a little surprised to see soy milk score quite as high as it did- Well perhaps surprised is the wrong word, more like intrigued.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:06 am
That Nuval site is great, wish it was in my grocery store. I am a cookie monster and can’t believe Kashi didn’t score a little higher, given all that good stuff…goes to show you can’t judge a book by it’s cover–but you can judge by its Nuval score!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Definitely would LOVE to try all the cookies, I don’t discriminate! That Nuval site is great, I printed a list of some all stars to take with me for my next grocery trip!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:30 am
I love NuVal. It’s so informative. I live near a Price Chopper and Hannaford so I started seeing it a while back. I didn’t realize that kettle chips scored so high!! I love them!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I’ve been wanting to try the kashi cookies. I looked and learned the seemingly healthy glutino pretzels only score a 1!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Chocolate Teddy Grahams were always my favorite cookies growing up… and they still are! I was so happy to see that they didn’t score too low! The Kashi cookies sound amazing too – and have incredible scores! I’d love to try them!
Something I was really surprised by was the difference in scores between the frozen (prepared) vegetables and the frozen (plain) vegetables! The prepared vegetables had much lower scores! Now I’ll be sure to make sure my frozen veggies are just the plain kind!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:58 am
I can’t believe Baked Lays got a 24…I totally thought they would be lower than that
Glad to get some ideas of healthy snacks here!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 11:29 am
I am not a big fan of seafood, but I do love clams, shrimp, and lobster. I was surprised to see how much better the shrimp and clams scored than lobster…I assumed they would all be pretty similar. I guess it’s a good thing that lobster’s so expensive and not so high on the list- it’ll help me appreciate the times when I “splurge” on it (both for my health and my wallet).
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Goldfish pretzels scores a 20…I would think some thing like this would score much lower.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Honey Teddy Grahams get s 24, but chocolate ones get a 25. Not a huge difference obviously, but makes me curious what about the honey is slightly less nutritious than the chocolate!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 11:55 am
i cant believe the chocolate teddy grahams scored that high – i never would have imagined!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I have been wanting to try the Kashi cookies too! The dark chocolate especially…
I was surprised that Teddy Grahams scored so highly…I thought they were going to be “traded in” for another treat. Good to know!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
I was surprised by the scores of pretzels in general…you always hear about what a good snack they are, but not so much. I don’t remember the scores off the top of my head, but I was surprised! And, who says Teddy Grahams are just for kids? I still love them! A little healthy chocolatey treat!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I was surprised none of the bread was rated that high! I like that Kashi cookies are a better choice than cinnamon raisin bread!!! I’d rather have cookies than bread anytime!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Nilla Wafers score an 8? Not great, but it could be worse, I guess. I’d be curious to see the score for an Oreo.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Such a great giveaway, thanks…i’m most surprised by how widely the peanut butter scores vary, good thing I’m a big fan of Teddie!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
I still want to know why spinach is so low!
And I’m shocked that chocolate teddy grahams scored a 24. I would have thought it closer to a 1.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Hi Lily – Fresh spinach gets a score of 100. I believe the low-scoring spinach you are referencing is a canned product.
Melissa
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
oh Kashi, how I love these!! Teddy Grahams are AWESOME
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I’ve noticed that it’s been mentioned multiple times that the “reduced fat” or “low fat” version of some foods score lower on the NuVal scale – is there a reason behind this? Or does it vary from food to food? I always tend to reach for low fat dressings and don’t know if that’s really what I should be doing?? Thanks!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I’m really into the Nu Val scores now..I’m surprised some of the Kashi cereals do not have very high scores..I’m also into broccoli now and it has a high score of 100! I think you can’t beat that.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I was excited to see that my favorite healthy restaurant option of salmon (I try to have it cooked in the healthiest method possible) is one of the top scorers in the seafood category with an 87!
But I sure could go for one of those cookies for dessert!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Hi Christine -
Often a light or reduced fat food will have a lower Score than its counterpart. A food’s label may say that it is reduced in fat, or sugar, but that doesn’t tell you abour the other nutrients. Often sugar is reduced, but salt and fat are added; or fat is reduced, but sugar and salt are added. Consequently, you may be trading one dietary “evil” for an even bigger one.
That’s why the NuVal system was created – because those labels are so confusing!
Melissa
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I like to check out the scores for foods I regularly eat and was surprised, yet happy to see that pineapple scores a 99! I better make more Hawaiian pizzas with fresh pineapple on top.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I decided to check out the bread scores today. Apparently, I could do better by eating the Arnold Natural Flax and Fiber bread (score 48) rather than the Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Bread 100% Whole Wheat which only scores a 29.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Thanks Melissa – if only they had NuVal in my local supermarket
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I wish NuVal was at my grocery store!! I cannot believe that ANY cereal could possibly score 100, even Hodgsons!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I love Kashi cookies! I am very suprised that the Teddy Grahams scored quite high!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I love chocolate teddy grahams!! You just made my day!
My hmm moment came when I checked out the frozen pizza scores. None are great, but I was plesantlty surprised that my beloved DiGiorno Rising Crust Spinach, Mushroom, & Garlic, with its score of 20, was one of the better ones.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I was surprised that Cheez-Its got a 23… seems a bit high for um… cheese? haha
Oh gosh, I’m going to have to go out and buy some Kashi cookies now! I’ve never tried them!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
i was shocked my fave breakfast is 82 (for the light soy milk) and 91 for the shredded wheat
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
I was surprised to see that Kashi Strawberry Fields cereal is only an 11 – kinda low for Kashi
. Their cookies are better numerically! Sooo, I’d love to have some of ‘em 
.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I just saw that Arnold Natural Flax and Fiber Bread scored a 48 – I really love Arnold’s breads and will have to look at this particular kind the next time I go to the store!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Stacie & Kimberly Lee -
I really like the Arnold’s Flax & Fiber. I buy it whenever I can find it. 48 is a great score for bread.
Melissa
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
I was surprised that so many cold cereals scored so low. I may have to rethink my typical breakfast choice or at least make an effort to eat some fruit with my cereal.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
I am very suprised between the difference in scoring between both those Kashi cookies! I still like the dark chocolate better as well!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I want to try!
Kashi Strawberry Fields scored an 11…*tears*
on Jan 13th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I’ve got my eye on oatmeal! Slow cooked all the way just rethinking my brand preferences now that I’ve seen the NuVal scores!