WhoNu Cookies Should be Called HellNo

hahaha. oh my! Beautiful post Cranky One. Always a pleasure reading your product reviews

Spinach doesn’t even have all that much iron IN IT to start with; many people think it does, but there’s a long standing amount of goobledegook (whether it was a printing error or a mistake in science, or just a myth in general is unclear) about spinach having a rather lot of iron… I’m not saying it’s bad for you, but if you need to boost your iron, spinach is not your best choice anyway!

@lynn – good point! I thought about that, too – they totally rely on general ignorance. Like, a bowl of oatmeal really doesn’t have all that much fiber when compared to beans and vegetables (same with the iron thing), but they know people falsely believe that, so they bank on it. Wrong on so many levels. All this bitching makes me want a cookie….but not one that is masquerading as healthy – just a regular, non-deceptive, straight up bad for me cookie!

Haha! A blogger of my own heart! First of all, I love that your domain name is catchy, cute and clever…. and I saw this crap at the grocery store and thought the same thing – nice try!!!!!!! Bah. Marketing.

Anyways, I came over from a Merry Life cuz I’m looking for new blogger pals to hang out with and read each other’s stuff. You seem fun. I’ll see ya around

I AGREE!!
why does it feel, sometimes, as though we are the only ones who feel this way!

Check it out; people actually **DO** believe the absurd nutritional claims made by Big Food on their colorful packaging: http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2011/08/13/parents-that-cereal-is-not-as-healthy-as-you-think/#more-5907
**LOTS**of people think they’re doing a good deed when they choose the all-sugar-and-chemicals cereal that has “the complete RDA of Vitamin X” or “no cholesterol” (HELL, even my tub of coconut oil proclaims that it has “100% less cholesterol than butter!” Ummmm…duh.). Whenever I am asked for diet/fitness advice (which is fairly often, as I’m sure you are as well), I take the “stay out of the aisles!” approach and remind people that most whole foods are found in the perimeter of the supermarket (rice and oats being two exceptions)…and ask yourself this about all the splashy “good for you!” packaged foods:

** does it have more than 5 ingredients?
** are any of the ingredients things you will not find in a home kitchen (mono- and digycerides; high fructose corn syrup)?
** could my grandparents have purchased/eaten this “food”?
**if it provides “as much X as real identifiable food Y, shouldn’t I just eat Y?” — a great point you made

And carefully evaluate whether this is something that you really need to be eating. Slightly off-topic: I am a huge label reader in a house full of huge peanut butter eaters and I am continually stunned at why 98% of the jars of peanut butter have anything in them besides peanuts and trace salt…why on earth does there need to be HFCS, molasses, palm oil, etc. added to a nearly perfect real food?

I’m just amused now at the inane markerting and pandering of these types of products. And I know some consumers actually believe the nutritional claims. I was looking for an ingredient list on their website, didn’t one. People should use the same precaution with products like this as animals that use flashy coloring to ward off predators. DON’T EAT ME!

They’re great if by great you mean they generate a major fart fest an hour after eating them. Do not consume around open flame!

i totally agree, ive cut out all the cookies chips, etc.. ive made my own snacks for my kids because i get tired of see the mile long ingredients in these foods.. anything that says “enriched” or “refined” or even high fructose syrups are the ones i stay away from.. i dont buy cookies instead i make my own but use whole wheat flour,i dont white bread or white rice…they talk about people becoming obese, well they need to start putting more healthy foods out there and at cheaper price and people will start buying,but if its cheaper to buy a bag chips then fruit,then we know what they arew going to buy..

All my daughter said… “Mom they are liars. Cookies are not healthy.” Yep

They are too salty

You are SO right about just eating a regular non deceptive cookie. The truly best cookie is a homemade one. Then you know EXACTLY what is in it.

Homemade is best, but if you must eat packaged cookies, go with Newman O’s, or any other chocolate cream cookie that you can find at Whole Foods. Also, I have found that Amazon.com now offers a huge variety of organic foods in bulk that I find at Whole Foods. I get all of my 13-month-old’s organic snacks (Earth’s Best, Happy Baby, etc.) through Amazon Mom, plus I get Cascadian Farms and Annie’s items, including granola bars and cereal, for the rest of the family. Over the past couple of years, we’ve stopped eating any kind of processed food. And, we only drink from glass or stainless steel. Even the baby bottles are glass. Processed foods, plastics, refined sugar… all toxic. We’re not overly granola tree huggers, either… just a normal family trying to make healthy decisions.

Gotta say – I know the guy they hired to do the voiceover for this commercial…he’s TOTALLY drinking the kool-aid for these cookies. Had a gathering of friends & family last night, there was a box of each variety on the table after dinner – and he’s giving us all the party line in person, too… “as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal” etc…

But they taste good…lol

Nabisco took the trans fat (hydrogenated oils) out of Oreos a few years back. These “nutrition rich” cookies contain trans fat. Not what anyone should be considering a healthy snack.

I see your point, but what you are missing is that those cookies are for the kind of people that are going to eat oreos anyway, and say, “If I’m gonna eat this crap, I might as well eat some vitamins, too”, while your point is basically “These aren’t Health Food”, that’s true to a point, as that all the ingredients aren’t things that will actually raise your health. These cookies aren’t for people who want to eat oreo’s but without feeling guilty about eating a bunch of fat and sugar. If you want a snack, eat some fruit. If you want some cookies, eat a cookie. And if you want vitamins in your cookie, this is the best cookie for you.

I think its important to consider that compared to just eating junk food, this is a good idea, because for thousands, probably millions of people in the world junk food is all there is. And at least if junk food is injected vitamins we’d have fat people who are generally at better health than the ones we have now. Just think, going to McDonalds and eating a couple grams of fat, vs going to McDonalds and eating a couple of grams of fat plus some vitamins. While neither is healthy, I find it hard to believe you can’t see the obvious advantage in the latter to general health (like deficiencies in vitamins that lead to so many health problems later down the road.)

Maybe the reason you are cranky is because you didn’t have a cookie!! Did any of you even check the claims against the other items or did all of you “jump of the bridge because someone else did it”? Funny because I did and nutritionally speaking their claims are accurate. Oatmeal is 3g fiber milk is 30% calcium and 25% vit d there is no high fructose corn syrup in the oreo-, like cookies it is however in the chocolate chip. So please continue to put false info on the internet. An oreo cookie has no calcium, no vitamin c, 6% of iron versus 20% iron, no vit a versus 20%, dietary fiber is 3% versus 12%. so those moms who don’t have the time to sit in the kitchen and make cookies. you know those moms who may be single have 2 jobs in nursing school and raising three healthy children. These cookies are a great choice! I didn’t list the entire list of vitamins which are lengthy! so if we are comparing cookies and not cookies to apples, then there really isn’t a debate the cookies are a better selection to the oreo!so to the ladies who are cranky grab some b12. an all you who do no research “vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. At levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory may be experienced” sounds like a few people in this blog. oops by the way there is vit b12 in whonu 20%. So have a less cranky day.!! please to research polyunsat oils you know olive oil study shows polyunsat is carcinogentic! coconut oil may be coming back!

Hey, Kimberly, I assure you my crankiness does not come stem from a lack of cookies, but rather from an allergic reaction to BS. By the way, I eat plenty of dessert — just not desserts that are marketed to fill a nutritional void in my diet. Vitamins and nutrients injected into crap-food are not digested in the same way as nutrients and vitamins from whole foods. It’s just straight up legit science. And, I’m not sure what you’re referring to as “false” information. Nothing I’ve written here is factually incorrect. You might disagree with my opinion, but there are no false facts here. About coconut oil – yea? I don’t think I mentioned being against it…I’ve written here before that I’m all for coconut fat. No whole-foods-based-fat hating here.

To Improve or Maintain Nutritional Value: Vitamins and minerals (and fiber) are added to many foods to make up for those lacking in a person’s diet or lost in processing, or to enhance the nutritional quality of a food. Such fortification and enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition in the U.S. and worldwide. All products containing added nutrients must be appropriately labeled.
Nutrients Replace vitamins and minerals lost in processing (enrichment), add nutrients that may be lacking in the diet (fortification) Flour, breads, cereals, rice, macaroni, margarine, salt, milk, fruit beverages, energy bars, instant breakfast drinks Thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin, niacinamide, folate or folic acid, beta carotene, potassium iodide, iron or ferrous sulfate, alpha tocopherols, ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, amino acids (L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodingredientspackaging/ucm094211.htm

Hope this helps you since you seem to spend more time on learning slang and cursing then providing your readers with information for them to make educated decisions for themselves. The product does not claim once that it is a diet cooking or a replacement for anything. Please rewatch the video you posted it only compares the nutrient values. Amazing that you think your opinion outweighs the fda. What exactly are your qualifications. I couldn’t find your degree, certifications, etc fishy??!! I will say however congratulations on the weight loss only for the fact that obesity is linked to several forms of cancer: men-death from esophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, prostate, and kidney, etc. women-colorectal, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, breast, uterine, cervical, ovarian, etc. with the american cancer society estimating obesity accounts for 14% of cancer deaths in men and 20% in women. The whonu is nothing more than a fortified cookie not much different than fortified cereals. I am a certified nutritionist and certified personal trainer and last year of my bachelors in nursing. I have been a competitive athlete since I was 10 years old. playing soccer volleyball softball at collegiate level ran track played free safety for the hawaii all womens professional full contact football league. Those are my credentials. I am constantly learning as the nutrition and science of our bodies are being examined and changed. I hope that this post allows you to not be so narrow minded and help provide the resources to your fan base to educate themselves rather than dictating to them what they should do. The great thing is we are all individuals what is right for you is not right for someone else that goes with your eating and/or exercise plan. meet with your doctor for specific dietary needs (they can even do a nutrient deficiency test) and a trainer who can encourage a specific plan. individual bloggers you are that special you owe it to yourself to take care of yourself. Last post good luck to you all in maintaining and creating a healthy lifestyle!! Be positive! open minded! test all you hear! trust yourself!

Kimberly, I just want to tell you that you are very admirable for going against the consensus of this website. Nobody is being forced to eat these cookies; however, if you are going to eat cookies, WhoNu cookies are an excellent choice! I enjoyed reading the information you provided as it was backed up by reliable resources. It’s nice to see people take a stand in a world of sitting ducks. I wish that more people would do research and then use their voice. I think we’re all guilty of forgetting to enjoy the little things; if we can get a little nutrition with that enjoyment, where’s the harm in that?

Great info.I’ve been seeing these commercials for awhile and thought I was interested.Well HELL NO! Think I’ll stay w/the best, screw th rest!!!!!!!

here is their ingredient list for all their cookies. They claim they are removing all hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

http://www.whonucookies.com/ingredients.aspx

I get what you’re saying, but I have a 2 yr old who won’t eat veggies and gets a cookie if he eats his dinner. I consider these a better alternative than a regular, plain old sugary cookie.

Hi everyone. I am a Mom of three, and I want to defend my position on purchasing these cookies for my kids.

Hi everyone. I am a Mom of three, and I want to defend my position on purchasing these cookies for my kids. I have a ten month old who is already avidly refusing vegetables and meat, a four year old with a birth defect that often causes unexplained gagging or choking fits during eating, especially with foods that take a little extra chewing power to grind (like many vegetables or fruits that haven’t had the vitamins cooked right out of them). And a six year old with consistency/textural food issues. My children collectively eat literally NO vegetables and only drink fruit juices or occasionally chew on (but do not swallow) grapes or apples. I have been reduced to purchasing items that contain “hidden nutrition”, such as the V8 fruit/vegetable juices in order to get any vegetables/fruit into my children.
So, while I obviously purchase these for different reasons than most – a little extra nutrition to the already limited diet my children have – I would appreciate it if everyone would refrain from the condescending attitude towards the general public who are “fooled” into thinking these cookies are any good. I am not an idiot, and I do not believe that the majority of people who buy these products actually believe they are as good as or better than the fruits and vegetables they are comparing nutritional values to. I am just a concerned parent at my wits end trying to find ways to get extra nutrition into my kids who eat little to nothing good unless it is concealed. (Believe me, I have tried EVERYTHING…special cookbooks, muffins and quiches and cupcakes with stuff finely baked in and icing on top. They are even giving my daughter food/nutritional therapy to try to expend her diet from processed chicken and Nutella toast. NOTHING works. )
I believe that if I am going to give in and allow my children to have cookies, they may as well get extra vitamins out of the deal. I think everyone is making too much out of these “false claims” of nutritional value. They are just another processed cookie alternative, and are no worse than any other cookie out there. The point is they DO contain some good values that other cookies out there do not, and that is the reason I purchase them.
That said, I do take issue with these cookies now, because I originally purchased them as a better cookie to send in for snacks in two different but HIGHLY SENSITIVE NUT-ALLERGY classrooms – to any and all nuts. When I originally bought them (a month or two ago) these packages had ingredients lists that had no mention at all of ANY KIND of contact with nuts. I cut out and sent in the ingredients list to school and have been happily sending my kids to school with them. Last night my husband picked up two new packages to replenish our dwindling supply but they were out of the chocolat “oreo” so he got vanilla. I was about to just toss the package, but I thought again for safety’s sake I should just double check the ingredients for school…and GUESS WHAT? It lists that the cookies are actually are made on the same equiptment as something they make with TREE-NUTS!!! I checked the new box of chocolate chip and you bet it it now being listed there as well. This DOES irritate me beyond belief. But I will continue to buy them for use at home.
Thanks for listening, and please: no more judgements on the people who actually buy these…you have no idea what some parents go through for years trying to get their kids to eat ANYTHING, let alone healthy!

If you are look for a cookie thats good for you as far as cookies go try matt’s cookies. They have under 150 in one cookie. They are a little bigger and thicker than an oreo and they are made from all natural ingredients. Oh and did i meantion they taste great? Some of the different kinds are: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter and more. check them out!

Thanks Kate, I will check them out…do you know offhand if any if them would be acceptable snacks for nut allergy classrooms?

I am with you Mom of 3 Picky Eaters! I have one that would rather starve herself than eat somethign good for her (she is underweight). I have tried the cookies, they are good. As far as extra vitamins? Well that is what her pediatrician suggests, giving her a multi vitamin. So what is bad about some cookies that have a few vitamins added? Seriously the rest of these people need to get off their high horse.

Great job Kimberly!

Just watched the commercial & the commercial never claimed to be “healthier” but they claim to have more fiber & vitamins (which they do) Good Job WhoNu!

Just testing to see if this is changed to caps…

I sort of agree and disagree with the author, obviously these cookies are designed for folks who would eat them anyway, so its a wash, but one could eat an oreo, and have a carrot or lettuce, basically the cookies are fortified, unlike healthy based foods such as a whole wheat bread vs. a white bread or foods that are tasty because they are made with vegetables and other ingredients as a start, this can mislead people into thinking well its healthy so eat some more, and enable less guilt, also a higher price is not justified.

All ingredients are made of atoms, which are completely natural. Except maybe plutonium and stuff, which we create in fission reactors.

So here’s the deal. Americans already have a “weight problem”. Now they want to introduce a “nutrition rich” cookie. Yeah, that’ll show us how to eat proper diets.

It is a cookie. What did you expect? I do not waste my time watching TV so I have not seen the commercials nor would I fall for them if I did watch but it is pretty clear to me that any half way thinking and label reading person would come to the same conclusions as you. Yes, these are simply a cookie, minus high fructose corn syrup, souped up with added vitamins. I really do not think there is anything to get excited about or defensive about!

Yes, I buy these cookies and I eat them. I am sitting here with the box right in front of me and nothing on it says “healthy” – just “nutrition rich”. I did not watch the ad you embedded but there is NOTHING on the box which implies that just because it’s “nutrition rich” it’s “healthy” as you have done. If I have a craving for a chocolate cookie in the afternoon I would much prefer to have these in my desk drawer than to go to the vending machine and buy the Oreos. A cookie is a cookie and I’m not stupid enough to think it’s the same thing as eating spinach or blueberries. But if I want to indulge a desire to eat a pre-packaged chocolate sandwich cookie then I AM going to choose one that has some extra fiber and nutrients over one that doesn’t. I am too busy to cook, to work out, to even leave my desk for a ten-hour stretch in a day (or to watch TV and see a commercial) and if I can make one small change for the better and still get the same taste gratification then that’s what I’ll do. People who preach about how others should eat must have a LOT of time on their hands and assume we all do as well, which is a ridiculous assumption to make. I seriously think that orthorexia nervosa must be the fastest-growing eating disorder out there.

So wait… you’re saying that Oreos are actually healthy? That’s great news!

Lynn C: 1 cup of spinach has 35% of the DV for iron… What’re you talking about?

It has to be true or they can’t prit it on the label thats against the law they probably just don’t tell you about the other bad stuff

Oreo cookies are like 90 cal for one cookie and whonu cookies are 160 cal for three so theres a difference right there

My 2cents…way to go whonu for out thinking the Oreo peeps! That’s why I love America, someone is laying awake at night to figure out how to make a buck and and feel guilt free at the same time…you healthy minded people should just stick with your tofu and granola and leave the driving to us!

Tammy Ornelas you are right on the dot. Rely by making this cookie there giving Americans an excuses to eat all this junk food. -_- and thy wonder how they can make people eat right well don’t tell them or make cookies that they think or lead to believe that cookies are now good for them. -__- out

I never saw a commercial for this product, and indeed never heard of it till I happened to see it in Giant Eagle. I bought a box because of all the vitamins and fiber. It tastes good, and I will probably buy it again. The taste is very much like Oreos or Famous Amos. But those don’t have vitamins and fiber.

I completely agree with you on these cookies, and I think it is important that this information is spread, but seriously, can someone just make the jump and change the theme of this website so that all the comments aren’t fucking caps lock? I try to read the discussion and maybe partake in it but then this shitfest of middle-aged women apparently yelling just makes me want to eat nutrition rich cookies til I puke on my computer and it stops working, just so I don’t have to see another word typed in caps fucking lock. Have a good day and please take my suggestions into consideration, as I believe they are best for society in general.

I love these WhoNu? cookies! I was so proud of myself of weaning myself off of Oreo’s onto these replacement cookies. Now, I will have to think of something else to snack on.

– Tony

It isn’t that these cookies are nutritious, but to say that they are like the OREO is fundamentally and completely INCORRECT. I assume that the writer is not a schill for the food companies. That said, the reason these cookies are in FACT REAL FOOD is that they do not contain the fillers used by the major food companies. Instead of HFC they have sugar and SUSPENDED GLUCOSE(aka corn syrup, not HFC) That is a MAJOR PLUS. That means that YOU WILL EAT LESS food than a product that contains High Fructose Corn Syrup.
I love OREOS, well I used to . I haven’t bought them in years because they are NOW POISON. That said, I can not eat as many of the WHONU’s as I can the OREO. My brain simply shuts down at the thought of eating more sugar. WHY because my brain actually gets the INSULIN SIGNAL from the PANCREAS. So I say HELL YA bitches.

(FYI – I am not a company spokesman, and like any other DRUG sugar should be used in MODERATION)

I ate the chocolate chip cookies. They caused severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. I will not be eating any more of these.

I eat them anyways. ;3

A Doktor – It still contains corn. In those ingredients it lists HFCS; if you would be so kind as to not ignore the article’s date, which may have been true at the time… But we got a box days ago, and it has corn syrup, corn starch, yellow corn flour (IIRC). Three different forms! Yeesh. Hardly any better and you know it.

Not to mention soy. Yes, it is in practically every confection. Even in the aforementioned Newman-O’s I assume. Yeah I know these guys aren’t immune to it either (just check Justin’s cups or about any dark chocolate that isn’t 85% cacao). Soy isn’t the only source of lecithin, and with it, those allergic are screwed out of sugary goodness!

It’s more likely you’re the shill than cranky is!