My nephew was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He is only 7 years old. He is doing well, but I know he misses out on the goodies this time of year. I know it is not the most important thing, but I wanted to make him some cookies. I found some that are pre-packaged dough to cook. They are sugar-free, made with Splenda. The ingredient list on the package shows the sugars are 0. Is this safe for him? I know they have a lot of sugar-free products that have a lot of natural sugars, so I am reading labels. Can my nephew enjoy these chocolate chip cookies this holiday season?

You ask a very good question. I would stress to you that when you are looking at the nutrition facts information, you focus on the total carbohydrate rather than the sugar content. The sugars are included in the total carbohydrate. Something can be sugar free but still contain carbohydrates, just a reduced amount. I suspect the cookie dough made with Splenda probably falls into this category. As long as your nephew knows the carbohydrate information and can work a few cookies into his meal plan, go ahead. The key is small amounts and substituting the cookies for another source of carbohydrates in his meal. Good luck with meal planning during the holidays.

JMS