Can you enjoy Girl Scout cookies without blowing your diet?
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Expert Column It comes but once a year, that time when a few bucks will buy you a stroll down memory lane. As we speak, girls dressed in green are knocking on doors across America, selling boxes filled with everyone's favorite treat -- Girl Scout cookies.
Which ones do you look forward to? It's a very subjective thing. While my husband is a Thin Mint kind of guy, my youngest daughter is a Tagalong fan and my oldest daughter enjoys the shortbread cookies. I used to be all about the All Abouts, but, sadly, they’ve entered early retirement, as do many of the more inventive cookies.
And yes, this dietitian and her family do indulge in these not-so-healthy treats. I usually buy a box of everyone’s favorite cookie, we enjoy them, and after about a week or two, we move on. Girl Scout cookies are one of those unique food traditions that mark a certain time of year. If you are someone who really looks forward to these cookies and would register it as a loss if you didn’t partake, I'd say you should treat yourself -- but with moderation in mind.
What’s New in Girl Scout Cookies?
Two different bakers make Girl Scout cookies, and each makes their own particular rendition of the classics -- Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Samoas, Shortbreads. (These five are the top-selling types of cookies, with Thin Mints at No. 1.)
Depending on which baker supplies your particular cookie connection, the names and nutrition information can vary. I might say "Tagalongs" and you say "Peanut Butter Patties," or you say "Shortbread" and I say "Trefoils." Samoas are similar to Caramel deLites and "Peanut Butter Sandwiches" are equivalent to "Do-si-dos."
Each year, the two chosen bakers try out at least one new cookie option. If they don’t sell well, they usually aren't back the next year.
"It’s a constant process," says Michelle Tompkins, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts USA. "But there’s always a demand for healthier cookies."
This year, the new cookies on the block are the Shout Outs. The Girl Scout cookies web site describes them as "light and crisp ... Belgian-style caramelized cookies." Back from 2010 are the Thank You Berry Much cookies and all the classics. Gone are the Reduced-Fat Daisy Go Rounds.
Rating the Girl Scout Cookies
Although Girl Scout cookies can't exactly be considered health food (they are cookies, after all), which are the most healthy -- or perhaps I should say the least unhealthy?
Below is my ranking, from most figure-friendly to least, of popular Girl Scout Cookie options. The ones with asterisks beside their names were superlative in some category (like lowest in fat or highest in sugar) among those ranked.
1. *Shortbread (4 cookies)
*Lowest in sugar; lowest in fat
Fat grams: 4.5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 120
Sugar grams: 4
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 3 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, and palm oil; cookies contain less that 2% of the remaining ingredients
2. Do-si-dos (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 1.5
Calories: 110
Sugar grams: 7
Total carbohydrate grams: 16
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, whole grain oats, soybean and palm oils
3. Thank U Berry Munch (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 120
Sugar grams: 7
Total carbohydrate grams: 18
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil (soybean, palm, and palm kernel oil), sweetened dried cranberries
4. Shout Outs! (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 130
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 18
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, palm oil, brown sugar
5. *Peanut Butter Sandwich (3 cookies)
* Tied with Lemon Chalet for highest in carbohydrate grams
Fat grams: 6
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 26
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, peanuts, oats
6. Thanks-A-Lot (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 6
Saturated fat grams: 3.5
Calories:150
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, high fructose corn syrup
7. Trefoils (5 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams:7
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oils, sugar, brown sugar
8. *Lemon Chalet Cremes (2 cookies)
* Highest in calories; Tied for highest in sugar with Caramel deLites; Tied with Peanut Butter Sandwiches for highest in carbohydrates
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 170
Sugar grams: 13
Total carbohydrate grams: 26
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, soybean and palm oils, dextrose
9. Lemonades (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 4
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: 0
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, cornstarch
10. Thin Mints from Little Brownie Bakers (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm kernel and/or cottonseed oil, palm oil), cocoa
11. *Caramel deLites (2 cookies)
*Highest in sugar; Tied with Thin Mints by ABC and Samoas for the highest in saturated fat
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 140
Sugar grams: 13
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, enriched flour, corn syrup, vegetable shortening
12. Peanut Butter Patties (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 17
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, enriched flour, peanuts, vegetable shortening
13. *Tagalongs (2 cookies)
* Highest in fat: lowest in carbohydrate grams
Fat grams: 9
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories:140
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 13
Fiber grams: less than1
First 4 ingredients: peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm, palm kernel, and/or cottonseed oil, soybean and palm oil, hydrogenated palm, soybean and cottonseed oil), enriched flour
14. Dulce de Leche (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 3.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, dulce de leche flavored drops (sugar, palm kernel and palm oil, etc.), sugar
15. * Samoas (2 cookies)
Tied with Thin Mints (ABC) and Caramel deLites for highest in saturated fat[/B] [/B]
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 11
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil (soybean and palm oil, partially hydrogenated palm kernel and//or cottonseed oil), enriched flour, corn syrup
16. *Thin Mints from ABC Bakers (4 cookies)
*Tied with Caramel deLites and Samoas for highest in saturated fat
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 21
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, cocoa
What About Trans Fats in Girl Scout Cookies?
Since 2007, all varieties of Girl Scout cookies have contained "zero trans fat per serving," Tompkins says. But you might notice in the ingredients lists that some of the cookies contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are how trans fats are made.
How can they claim to have zero trans fats? These cookies meet or exceed the FDA's guidelines for the "zero trans fat" designation because they contain less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving.
So if you eat two servings of cookies (or more), particularly those that list partially hydrogenated oils among their first four ingredients, you might take in close to a gram of trans fat. This is less likely to happen if you stick to the cookies that don’t have "partially hydrogenated oil" listed among their ingredients.
How Not to Eat the Whole Sleeve
It's fine to talk about moderation, but what if you're one of those people for whom the suggested serving size is never enough when it comes to Girl Scout cookies?
Believe it or not, two or three cookies will go a long way if you really savor every bite.
Megrette Fletcher, RD, CDE, MEd, executive director of The Center for Mindful Eating and co-author of Discover Mindful Eating, says one way to heighten your mindfulness while eating fattening treats is by changing your sensory environment. For example, to "tune in" when eating a serving of cookies, change up their temperature (by eating them straight from the refrigerator or freezer) or texture (eat a crisp cookie, and then a soft cookie).
"We often tune out when we eat the same things over and over again," Hammond says.
Another trick is to reset your palate in between bites by sipping a cup of tea or mineral water. This way, your taste buds will really notice each bite of cookie.
And make sure you're not overly hungry when you open that sleeve of those magical mint cookies. You don’t want to put yourself in a situation that makes it difficult for you to eat a moderate amount, Fletcher says.
Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the "Recipe Doctor" for WebMD and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Expert Column It comes but once a year, that time when a few bucks will buy you a stroll down memory lane. As we speak, girls dressed in green are knocking on doors across America, selling boxes filled with everyone's favorite treat -- Girl Scout cookies.
Which ones do you look forward to? It's a very subjective thing. While my husband is a Thin Mint kind of guy, my youngest daughter is a Tagalong fan and my oldest daughter enjoys the shortbread cookies. I used to be all about the All Abouts, but, sadly, they’ve entered early retirement, as do many of the more inventive cookies.
And yes, this dietitian and her family do indulge in these not-so-healthy treats. I usually buy a box of everyone’s favorite cookie, we enjoy them, and after about a week or two, we move on. Girl Scout cookies are one of those unique food traditions that mark a certain time of year. If you are someone who really looks forward to these cookies and would register it as a loss if you didn’t partake, I'd say you should treat yourself -- but with moderation in mind.
What’s New in Girl Scout Cookies?
Two different bakers make Girl Scout cookies, and each makes their own particular rendition of the classics -- Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Samoas, Shortbreads. (These five are the top-selling types of cookies, with Thin Mints at No. 1.)
Depending on which baker supplies your particular cookie connection, the names and nutrition information can vary. I might say "Tagalongs" and you say "Peanut Butter Patties," or you say "Shortbread" and I say "Trefoils." Samoas are similar to Caramel deLites and "Peanut Butter Sandwiches" are equivalent to "Do-si-dos."
Each year, the two chosen bakers try out at least one new cookie option. If they don’t sell well, they usually aren't back the next year.
"It’s a constant process," says Michelle Tompkins, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts USA. "But there’s always a demand for healthier cookies."
This year, the new cookies on the block are the Shout Outs. The Girl Scout cookies web site describes them as "light and crisp ... Belgian-style caramelized cookies." Back from 2010 are the Thank You Berry Much cookies and all the classics. Gone are the Reduced-Fat Daisy Go Rounds.
Rating the Girl Scout Cookies
Although Girl Scout cookies can't exactly be considered health food (they are cookies, after all), which are the most healthy -- or perhaps I should say the least unhealthy?
Below is my ranking, from most figure-friendly to least, of popular Girl Scout Cookie options. The ones with asterisks beside their names were superlative in some category (like lowest in fat or highest in sugar) among those ranked.
1. *Shortbread (4 cookies)
*Lowest in sugar; lowest in fat
Fat grams: 4.5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 120
Sugar grams: 4
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 3 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, and palm oil; cookies contain less that 2% of the remaining ingredients
2. Do-si-dos (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 1.5
Calories: 110
Sugar grams: 7
Total carbohydrate grams: 16
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, whole grain oats, soybean and palm oils
3. Thank U Berry Munch (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 120
Sugar grams: 7
Total carbohydrate grams: 18
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil (soybean, palm, and palm kernel oil), sweetened dried cranberries
4. Shout Outs! (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 5
Saturated fat grams: 2
Calories: 130
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 18
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, palm oil, brown sugar
5. *Peanut Butter Sandwich (3 cookies)
* Tied with Lemon Chalet for highest in carbohydrate grams
Fat grams: 6
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 26
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, peanuts, oats
6. Thanks-A-Lot (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 6
Saturated fat grams: 3.5
Calories:150
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, high fructose corn syrup
7. Trefoils (5 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams:7
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oils, sugar, brown sugar
8. *Lemon Chalet Cremes (2 cookies)
* Highest in calories; Tied for highest in sugar with Caramel deLites; Tied with Peanut Butter Sandwiches for highest in carbohydrates
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 2.5
Calories: 170
Sugar grams: 13
Total carbohydrate grams: 26
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, soybean and palm oils, dextrose
9. Lemonades (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 4
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: 0
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, cornstarch
10. Thin Mints from Little Brownie Bakers (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 22
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm kernel and/or cottonseed oil, palm oil), cocoa
11. *Caramel deLites (2 cookies)
*Highest in sugar; Tied with Thin Mints by ABC and Samoas for the highest in saturated fat
Fat grams: 7
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 140
Sugar grams: 13
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, enriched flour, corn syrup, vegetable shortening
12. Peanut Butter Patties (2 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 17
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, enriched flour, peanuts, vegetable shortening
13. *Tagalongs (2 cookies)
* Highest in fat: lowest in carbohydrate grams
Fat grams: 9
Saturated fat grams: 5
Calories:140
Sugar grams: 8
Total carbohydrate grams: 13
Fiber grams: less than1
First 4 ingredients: peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm, palm kernel, and/or cottonseed oil, soybean and palm oil, hydrogenated palm, soybean and cottonseed oil), enriched flour
14. Dulce de Leche (4 cookies)
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 3.5
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 9
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, dulce de leche flavored drops (sugar, palm kernel and palm oil, etc.), sugar
15. * Samoas (2 cookies)
Tied with Thin Mints (ABC) and Caramel deLites for highest in saturated fat[/B] [/B]
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 150
Sugar grams: 11
Total carbohydrate grams: 19
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil (soybean and palm oil, partially hydrogenated palm kernel and//or cottonseed oil), enriched flour, corn syrup
16. *Thin Mints from ABC Bakers (4 cookies)
*Tied with Caramel deLites and Samoas for highest in saturated fat
Fat grams: 8
Saturated fat grams: 6
Calories: 160
Sugar grams: 10
Total carbohydrate grams: 21
Fiber grams: less than 1
First 4 ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, cocoa
What About Trans Fats in Girl Scout Cookies?
Since 2007, all varieties of Girl Scout cookies have contained "zero trans fat per serving," Tompkins says. But you might notice in the ingredients lists that some of the cookies contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are how trans fats are made.
How can they claim to have zero trans fats? These cookies meet or exceed the FDA's guidelines for the "zero trans fat" designation because they contain less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving.
So if you eat two servings of cookies (or more), particularly those that list partially hydrogenated oils among their first four ingredients, you might take in close to a gram of trans fat. This is less likely to happen if you stick to the cookies that don’t have "partially hydrogenated oil" listed among their ingredients.
How Not to Eat the Whole Sleeve
It's fine to talk about moderation, but what if you're one of those people for whom the suggested serving size is never enough when it comes to Girl Scout cookies?
Believe it or not, two or three cookies will go a long way if you really savor every bite.
Megrette Fletcher, RD, CDE, MEd, executive director of The Center for Mindful Eating and co-author of Discover Mindful Eating, says one way to heighten your mindfulness while eating fattening treats is by changing your sensory environment. For example, to "tune in" when eating a serving of cookies, change up their temperature (by eating them straight from the refrigerator or freezer) or texture (eat a crisp cookie, and then a soft cookie).
"We often tune out when we eat the same things over and over again," Hammond says.
Another trick is to reset your palate in between bites by sipping a cup of tea or mineral water. This way, your taste buds will really notice each bite of cookie.
And make sure you're not overly hungry when you open that sleeve of those magical mint cookies. You don’t want to put yourself in a situation that makes it difficult for you to eat a moderate amount, Fletcher says.
Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the "Recipe Doctor" for WebMD and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.
There is nothing else to do cuz it is so damn cold. 
