Thin Mints: Delicious Discs of Death

Those are Thin Mints, straight out of the freezer, hazed by a little condensation. Yum.

One thing about buying Girl Scout cookies is that you feel like you're doing something good AND you get a tasty treat out of the process. That's why this type of fundraising has worked for so many years. Anyway, I was SOOO stoked when my local Girl Scout returned late last week with my Thin Mints!



I popped 2 or 3 in my mouth (ok, 7 or 8...) and happened to glance at the package. Cute GS's doing some rock climbing or rapelling, and the side of the box says "You'd be surprised what a Girl Scout Cookie® can build: Strong Values, Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, Strong Spirit, Strong Friendships, Strong Skills, Strong Leadership, Strong Community."



Ok, I'll buy that. Well, I already did, right? But then I switched around to the other side of the box and took a gander at the nutritional info. Wha?! No! These suckers have 4g of saturated fat and 1 g of trans fat! PER FOUR COOKIES PEOPLE. That means I just ate 8 friggin grams of sat fat and 2 of trans fat. Great. So much for Strong Arteries.



This really pissed me off, I have to say. And while I was, admitedly, still enjoying the aftertaste of the chocomint flavor I love so much, I sat down to scribble an email to Girl Scouts of America:

Hello Girl Scouts. I supported your program this year by buying a box of Thin Mints, a longtime favorite. I am dismayed to see that they contain not only a relatively large amount of saturated fats, but also TRANS FATS! I think it is disingenuous for the Girl Scouts (of all people) to be selling a product that is proven bad for people. Many baked-goods companies have taken steps to reduce saturated fats and remove trans fats from their products. I hope you will do the same, or this is my last time buying. Thanks for your time.

I don't expect I will ever hear back. But you know you'll read about it right here if I do!

On a positive tip, the amazing Heidi at 101 Cookbooks has devised a recipe for healthi(er) Thin Mints. Good on ya, Heidi!