Recently I was introduced to Nairn's Oat Cookies. These cookies, a product of Scotland, claim to be all natural, wheat free (great for those of you with wheat sensitivity), and made with wholegrain oats. They also have no trans fats, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Sounded like a good start, but how would they taste?
First I tried the Mixed Berries Oat Cookies. They were softer than I expected and had a good berry flavor. The texture of the oats gave it a bit of crunch that I liked, as well. Overall, I would say they were pretty tasty!
Next I tried the Stem Ginger flavor. Wow! If you like ginger, this cookie is for you. It was much stronger than the berry flavor and distinctly ginger. This cookie was more crunchy, and still had that good oat texture.
After tasting the two, I decided that for me the bite of the Stem Ginger won out over the sweetness of the Mixed Berries. So, flavor and texture was a thumbs up for these cookies. But, how about the dirty details? In one serving (2 cookies) there are 90 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 3-4 grams of sugar (depending on which cookie you choose). A few of the bonuses include 1-2 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 3-4% of the RDA of iron. Not amazing, but it is a cookie afterall. For a sweet snack, I'd say it's not too bad.
The biggest downfall of these little treats (each cookie being about two inches in diameter) is that while a serving is 2 cookies, they are wrapped in packs of 5. Once you open that package of 5 cookies it's hard to stop with just 2, so make sure you have a friend to share with or you may end up consuming 225 calories! As this tester can admit to, it is hard to have just two. They are a bit addicting! Especially that spicy ginger flavor.
There are other Nairn's Oat Cookie flavors that I have not yet tried, including Dark Chocolate Chip and Fruit & Cinnamon. Nairn's also makes Oat Crackers, which I think I'll have to try next. For now, it looks like you can find Nairn's products at Whole Foods and New Seasons. If you try them, let me know what you think. And, remember, everything in moderation!
