Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Using canned salmon is a great, budget friendly way to eat this heart healthy fish. These Salmon Patties are so simple to make. Try eating them on a bun, on top of a salad, or on their own with one of our yummy side dishes. You can replace the salmon with canned tuna if you’d like or try a combination of the two!
Makes: 9 Servings
Ingredients
1 can (15 oz)salmon, canned in water, drained
1 cup cereal or crackers, whole-grain, crushed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Instructions
Use a fork or clean fingers to flake salmon until very fine.
Add cereal or cracker crumbs, eggs, milk, and pepper to salmon. Mix thoroughly.
Shape into 9 patties.
Heat oil in a skillet. Over medium heat, carefully brown both the sides until patty is thoroughly cooked.
*Nutrition information includes whole-grain cereal in analysis.
This recipe is so easy to pull together and is perfect for dinner on a busy night. Adding garlic to spinach is a great way to add flavor. Don’t like cooked spinach? Try making this Mozzarella Chicken with a one of our other side dishes!
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts (about 6 oz each), boneless and skinless
1/4 cup bread crumbs, plain, crushed
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, part skim, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz frozen spinach leaves
1 Tbs olive oil, or other vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound chicken to½ inch thick.
Coat chicken with bread crumbs and place on a foil-covered baking sheet. Discard remaining bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes.
Top chicken with cheese; bake 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
While chicken is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute stirring consistently so it doesn’t burn.
Add the spinach and cook for 2minutes, or until wilted, stirring occasionally. Serve with chicken.
This simple one dish meal is a family favorite that is perfect for busy nights. It can be eaten on its own with rice, or you can use it as a filling for fajitas or tacos. Looking for other taco filling ideas? Try these Vegetarian Tacosor Fish Tacos.
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb of chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
2 large bell peppers, seeded and sliced thinly
1/2 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend
2 Tbs low sodium taco seasoning or homemade Fajita Seasoning
1 Tbs olive oil or vegetable oil of choice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Lay chicken breasts flat on the bottom of a 13×9 inch pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top of the chicken.
Add onions and peppers and drizzle olive oil over the top.
Sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until the juice of the chicken runs clear.
Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or fill a tortilla with this blend!
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes or large white potatoes
1 boneless chicken breast (about 8 oz),without skin
2 cups broccoli, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, low fat
2 Tbs BBQ sauce
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil, or vegetable oil of your choice
Optional: salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
Add 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper to the chicken breast and place on the baking sheet next to the potatoes. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
Cut up your broccoli while the potatoes and chicken are cooking. Drizzle broccoli with 1 Tbs olive oil. Remove the pan from the oven and add the broccoli. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the juices of the chicken run clear and the potatoes are softened.
Cut the potatoes in half and use a fork to mash the inside.
Add your toppings to the potato. Slice the chicken and put ¼ chicken breast in each potato half. Add broccoli, cheese and a drizzle of BBQ sauce to each potato half. Place back into the oven for 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.
This recipe is a SNAP4CT staff favorite! What could be easier than throwing two ingredients in a crock pot and having a meal ready in a few hours? Serve this chicken in tacos, over rice or quinoa, or on top of eggs. The options are endless!
This one-pan meal is very easy to throw together. Use any vegetables you like to switch up the flavors! Pro-tip: try veggies that last a long time.
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped (about 2 cups)
12 oz brussels sprouts, ends chopped off, sliced
1/4 cup basil pesto(try this recipe!)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs olive oil, or vegetable oil of your choice
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Peel and chop sweet potatoes, slice brussels sprouts. Place sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on opposite sides of a large baking sheet.
Pour 1 tsp olive oil and1 tsp garlic powder over each set of veggies. Toss to coat evenly.
Place chicken in the center of your baking sheet, and coat both sides with basil pesto.
Place sheet in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the juice of the thickest chicken breast runs clear.
This simple dip combines the cool and tangy flavors of cucumber, lemon, garlic, and dill with your favorite plain Greek yogurt. So easy and a great choice for a healthy, party snack that people will crave!
Makes: 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain, non-fat
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
2 Tbs lemon juice, juice from half a lemon
1 Tbs fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Instructions
Drain the water from the grated cucumber by placing it in paper or cloth towels and letting it sit for a few minutes. Wring the towel tightly and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Mix yogurt, drained cucumber, lemon juice, dill, and garlic in a serving bowl. Chill for 1 hour.
Serve with raw vegetables for dipping, as a spread on sandwiches or wraps, or on top of fish.
Our easy guacamole recipe is simple and sure to be a hit at your next party. And of course, every salsa needs a guac! Make sure your avocados are ripe and garnish with some chopped cilantro!
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
2 avocados
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: diced jalapeno
Instructions
Peel and mash the avocados in a medium serving bowl.
Stir in onion, garlic, tomato and lime juice.
Season with pepper to taste.
Chill for a half an hour to blend the flavors (optional).
It’s not often you find a healthy, delicious black bean dip that only uses five ingredients. If this is more your style, check out our other Five Ingredients or Less recipes.
Makes: 8 Servings
Ingredients
1 can (15 oz)black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp of Taco Seasoning
½ cup salsa
½ cup shredded cheese
Optional: cilantro, tomatoes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mash beans or blend beans together with Greek yogurt and taco seasoning. Spread into a baking dish.
Layer with salsa and cheese.
Bake for 15minutes, top with tomatoes and cilantro for garnish (if desired) and serve.