Fig Newton Nutritional Information

People have been devouring delectable sweet figs for at least the last 5,000 years. In 1892, a cookie company brought figs to the masses in a fig and cake concoction called the Fig Newton. The Nabisco Company sells millions of Fig Newtons every year and even offers them in a handy snack-sized box. While Fig Newtons can be a sensible and healthy snack, as with any snack, you should understand what you are eating. Before you eat that entire box of Fig Newtons, take a look at the nutritional information.

Calories

• For nutritional data purposes, one serving of Fig Newtons is considered to be one 31g serving of Fig Newtons, which is equal to two cookies. Two Fig Newton cookies contain a combined 110 calories, of which 20 calories come from fat and 48 calories come from sugar.

Carbohydrates

• A serving of two Fig Newton cookies contains a total of 22g of carbohydrates, of which 12g is sugar and 1g is dietary fiber. The US Department of Agriculture recommends that an adult following a 2,000 calorie per day diet should limit sugar intake to no more than 40g per day (equivalent to 10 teaspoons of sugar.) Eating two Fig Newtons accounts for over 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance for refined sugar.

Fat

• Two Fig Newton cookies contain 2g of fat, composed of soybean oil and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Despite the presence of these oils in the Fig Newton recipe, the nutritional data indicates that one serving of cookies contains 0g of saturated fat and 0g grams of trans fat. USDA labeling guidelines allow Nabisco to quantify the amount of trans fat as 0g because each serving of two cookies contains less than .49g of trans fat.

Vitamins/Minerals

• A serving of Fig Newtons includes 125mg of sodium, which accounts for 5 percent of the recommended daily allowance. In addition, choosing two Fig Newtons as an afternoon snack provides 75mg of potassium, or 2 percent of the daily recommended allowance, along with 4 percent of the recommended intake of iron and 2 percent of the recommended intake of calcium. Because Fig Newtons are baked using enriched flour, the cookies also contain vitamins B1, B2, niacin and folic acid.

Alternatives

• Consumers may choose the 100 percent whole grain Fig Newton or the fat-free variety. The 100 percent whole grain cookie provides the same number of calories per serving as the original Fig Newton, but because it is not baked with enriched wheat flour, the whole grain version lacks vitamins B1, B2, niacin, and folic acid. Whole grain Newtons do contain 10g less sodium per serving, and an additional gram of dietary fiber. A serving of fat-free Fig Newtons has 90 calories, an additional 5g sodium than the original cookie, and glycerin replaces the use of soybean and cottonseed oils.

Misconceptions

• Though the nutritional data for every variety of Fig Newtons cookies is based on a serving size of two cookies, most fans of these cookies eat far more than two cookies at snack time. Nabisco sells a very handy 8 oz. snack-sized box designed for people on the go, and many consumers make the mistake of considering one snack-sized box to be one serving and eat the entire box. Eating an entire box of original Fig Newtons turns out to be a meal rather than a snack. A snack-sized box contains about 14 cookies, the equivalent of 7 servings, and provides 770 calories, over one-third the entire recommended caloric intake of 2,000 recommended for the average adult. Of those 770 calories, 336 calories come from sugar (equal to 22 teaspoons of refined sugar), along with 875 mg of sodium, which represents over 33 percent of the recommended intake of sodium each day.