Cookies and biscuits are (usually) in that category of foods that although small in size, can “weigh” a lot and ruin an eating regimen. Historians tell us that if we wish to assign the authorship (and the blame…) of the first biscuits, we need to recede to the Ancient Egypt , where times abundant in wheat sparked creativity and originated other recipes besides bread. With new doughs that could incorporate honey, figurines began to be moulded, some of them to be offered to the gods. The etymological origin of the Portuguese term “biscoito” (biscuit) also provides clues: it derives from the Latin biscoctus – meaning “cooked twice” – and may have entered in Portuguese lands by the hands of the French ( biscuit ). It is attributed to the French the refinement of the culinary technique, after realizing that it allowed to preserve the product better. As for the “bolacha” (cookie), it derives from “bola” (ball) / “bolo” (cake), where the suffix was used to differentiate it in terms of size. The recipes evolved and today rare are the events without biscuits, cookies or small cakes, in a large variety of shapes, more or less dry and more or less crunchy. The great majority has a lot of butter or other fats, besides sugar. However, there are healthier and more balanced alternatives for these ingredients, but equally tasty . Therefore: When opting to buy cookies and biscuits, do not forget to read the labels carefully in order to evaluate what you are taking home; Whenever possible, prefer recipes with healthier ingredients and which can be made at home . Healthier biscuits and cookies are also great to accompany coffee or tea, to help composing morning or afternoon snacks, and to remedy any sudden “appetite” in other times of the day. Besides, they are an excellent way to enter the art and pleasure of cuisine, both for adults and children, for there are very easy recipes to prepare. Fancy a cookie or a biscuit? Learn the suggestions of our nutritionists Ana Carolina Soares , Alexandra Lima , Ana Pimenta Ribeiro , Cristina Vieira Cunha , Raquel Barbosa and Simone Fernandes . Meet the nutrition clinical team from Hospital da Luz network
