I love Girl Scout cookies. I was a Girl Scout all the way through Senior (high school), even though my own girls aren’t Scouts.
Girl Scout cookies are as American as apple pie, right?
I won’t be buying any this year. Every single variety has GMO soy in it, most have hydrogenated oils, and a few have HFCS. Of course they all have white flour in them, but so do almost all cookies on the shelf of the store. These are cookies, after all, not nutrition dense snacks. (Personally I don’t think an occasional treat with white flour or white sugar hurts anything. It’s the other ingredients that I think are more harmful.)
When I started looking at the Girl Scout cookie ingredients of the different varieties, here are some red-flag ingredients you might want to be aware of. The website lists a couple of different versions of favorites (i.e., Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs®) and depending on what bakery or name they are marketed under, they contain different ingredients.
Artificial food dyes: Dulce de Leche (yellow #5, yellow #6, blue #2), Caramel deLites ® (Red #40, Yellow #5, Blue #2), Peanut Butter Patties (Red #40, Yellow #5, Blue #1, Blue #2) note, a few cookies contained caramel color, often derived from GMO corn sources.
MSG: no Girl Scout cookie lists MSG or its various other names on their ingredient list.
Hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats: Do-Si-Dos®, Samoas®, Tagalongs®, Thin Mints, Caramel DeLites®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Thanks a Lot, Lemonades.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): Dulce de Leche, Thin Mints (ABC), Peanut Butter Patties®, Reduced Fat Daisy Go Rounds, Thanks a Lot.
GMO Soy products: All varieties (usually in the form of soybean oil and/or soy lecithin)
GMO corn products: Lemon Chalet Cremes, Do-Si-Dos®, Samoas®, Dulce de Leche, Thank U Berry Much, Tagalongs®, Thin Mints, Reduced Fat Daisy Go Rounds, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Thanks a Lot, Lemonades.
Artificial flavors: Lemon Chalet Cremes (artificial ginger flavor), Trefoils, Samoas®, Dulce de Leche, Tagalongs®, Thin Mints, Reduced Fat Daisy Go Rounds, Thanks a Lot, Lemonades
Other notes: Shortbread is traditionally made with butter, flour, and sugar. The Girl Scout variety contains no butter but does have 11 ingredients, including palm oil and artificial flavors.
The cookie closest to ‘real food’ is possibly the Thank U Berry Munch, which has actual dried cranberries and no hydrogenated oils, but it still contains corn syrup solids and artificial flavors.
The cookie farthest from ‘real food’ are Peanut Butter Patties, Caramel deLites and Dulce de Leche. Peanut Butter Patties have sugar as the first ingredient, hydrogenated oils, food colors, HFCS, artificial flavoring, and GMO ingredients. Caramel deLites have sugar as the first ingredient, GMO corn and soy, hydrogenated palm oils, HFCS, Red #40, Yellow #5, and artificial flavors. Dulce de Leche cookies contain GMO ingredients, HFCS, and yellow #5.
The products produced by Girl Scout cookie supplier ABC Bakeries are particularly filled with “fake” food, especially HFCS and fake colors.
Are you buying Girl Scout cookies? My favorites are Samoas but I will sadly pass on them this year.
Daisy Go Rounds,Thanks a Lot, and Lemonades are registered trademarks of GSUSA.
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My hubby has been addicted to Girl Scout cookies for YEARS. However, we haven’t bought them in the past two or three years (due in part to allergies to some of the very ingredients you listed).
My husband loves thin mints (straight from the freezer, of course). I found some with more natural ingredients a while ago at Dollar Tree of all places, but I stopped buying them because of the chocolate issues.
I used to love trefoils but after I started making actual shortbread, I couldn’t go back! Coconut, caramel and chocolate Samoas will always be my fave, I think. I could eat a whole box at a time.
Truthfully I never really cared for any girlscout cookies. However my DH stocks up and eats those thin mints year round. He calls them “crack”.
I could eat an entire box of Tagalongs in one sitting… But if I want to gorge myself on chocolate and peanut butter, I could also make Buckeyes for a fraction of the cost with real food ingredients (not necessarily healthy, but real, nonetheless). I did recently experiment with a cookie recipe that when dipped in chocolate came impressively close to Thin Mints…
Aw, phooey!
I love my girl scout cookies. I love the little cookie extortionists that are outside the grocery stores. I love the guilty pleasure of spendign that much on that little bit of cookie.
However, we are reducing our “junk” intake, and probably will only buy two boxes this year.
Anybody have any good “copycat” recipes that we can make, and pass on giving money to GSUSA and eating bad food?
I’ve seen lots of Thin Mint recipes on real food blogs, and trefoils are just shortbread:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/homemade-thin-mints.html
I’m covering my eyes and running away from this post. It’s like you just told me there’s no santa.
Funny, I just blogged about this on Friday! Like you, I was a Girl Scout and have fond memories of camping and earning badges. But now my daughter is GS age, and there’s no way I’ll let her sell the cookies, even if we decide to join a troop. We’ve been having a really interesting discussion in the comments on my post about this (see link below).
Spoonfed: Raising kids to think about the food they eat
I noticed this ingredient issue last year after I received my boxes of from my friend’s niece. I buy fewer now, and will be trying to make *just one* -from the freezer- an occasional treat. This is still in experimental mode, not even beta, so we’ll see.
I think the new HFCS food coloring versions are relatively recent. Buying and eating just ONE box? I think that’s harder than going cold turkey, LOL!
I love me some Tagalongs and Samoas! I only bought 1 box of each last year, though, and I found some awesome replica recipes that I have been meaning to try. They are still cookies, but I would be able to control them. That may mean extra coconut in the Samoas and Triple Decker Tagalongs, but… whatever!
A triple decker Tagalong? Yum!
Send some over, I promise to review them on my blog ::wink::
No one would ever claim them to be health food, but if you can find real butter, cream, sugar caramels:
http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas/
@beth Yum! I love coconut and chocolate- thanks for sharing!
Oooh….or here. Like this one better; looks much more adaptable to “real”ish ingreadients:
http://blog.delementals.com/2010/01/23/homemade-samoas/
I know I’m late here, but I have to chime in. I’m a lifetime Girl Scout, I volunteer with Girl Scouts, and I work for Girl Scouts. I also avoid things like GMOs, HFCS, artificial colors and flavors, etc. as much as possible (which is not as much as many of you, but I am on a graduate student budget). I just want to remind you that Girl Scout programs *depend* on Girl Scout cookies. They fund our programs, our camps, and camperships (full or partial scholarships for girls to go to camp). Girls fund their troop activities with their own proceeds from cookie sales, etc. While I wouldn’t ask you to buy cookies that you’re not comfortable eating, please consider making a donation to Girl Scouts if this is the only reason you aren’t buying cookies. In that way you can vote with your money against the bakeries providing to Girl Scouts and still *give* to Girl Scouts.
I would sponsor the GS’s again if the GS’s offering the unhealthy cookies were educated about the fact that they’re peddling stuff that’s not so good. I’d pay for that privilege. To educate the GS’s. And to inform the people buying them that an option is to say – I’d like a healthier alternative – let me give you some money to make a mark on your list that I’ve objected to GS’s offering HFCS-laden cookies when the biggest food processors in the world – Kraft, Nestle and their ilk, have woken up and started to recognize people don’t appreciate HFCS so much when given a wake-up call.
Here ya go, just posted on Yahoo! today: Recipes for five GS cookies using REAL ingredient (including making your own caramel topping): http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/girl-scout-cookies-year-round-5-copycat-recipes-youll-love-2438912/;_ylt=ApSVBmU5bN9bJobmk.JuRtRdbqU5#photoViewer=1
I’d also like to chime in and say that I loved GS cookies growing up, but have refused to *eat* them or buy them *for my family* for years and years. HOWEVER, I think
1) the money raised is really important to the GS organization (as mentioned previously by commenter Lauren)
2) the Girl Scouts get valuable life skills from selling cookies (courage, poise, public speaking, learning about money, responsibility, etc.)
3) I don’t think of the cookies as food. However, I believe that any ill effects are outweighed by phycological benefits that they provide to our service men and women abroad. They’re probably only going to get a few (not be tempted by 5 boxes in the freezer like many Americans) and it might mean a lot to them to have such a ‘taste of home’.
So, our family uses the GS option of buying cookies for the troops. GS takes care of getting them there and I love to support all three points above. Please consider doing the same.
Back To Nature’s Fudge Mints are “my thin mints”. So I don’t miss GS cookies that much. My favorite are Samoas, but I’m still have hope of finding a healthier alternative (besides my kitchen).
I think they do have msg, the trefoiles anyway. It lists natural and artificial flavoring. Natural flavoring is code name for msg. I got a migraine after eating them and checked the ingredients, didn’t think to check GS cookies. Next time I will go the route of donating to the troops. As a previous GS and GS leader, I know the money is vital.
Personally for my daughter’s troop there haven’t been any trips or anything outstanding that the sell of these cookies would be helping. I don’t know a lot of girl scouts that sell door to door so I am not really sure how much of a life lesson they are learning…
Not to sound rude I am just a little cranky since I found out my favorite cookies that I ate a whole box of have GMO’s in them!!! This whole GMO thing is freaking ridiculous, meaning it shouldn’t be happening.
Wow, kudos for using your blog to raise consciousness on these ingredients!
Doesn’t make sense to me to turn a blind eye to the poor quality of the GS cookies because it supports a worthy cause. Would it be ok for them to sell cigarettes too if it supported a worthy cause? I mean, they’re legal, and people buy and smoke them. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Why should these upstanding young women and future leaders learn any different when it comes to supporting Big Agra and the low quality food substitutes they are pushing into our food supply?
It is so simple for the GS organization to decide to make a change and sell cookies made from healthy ingredients and perhaps, with blogs like yours helping to publicize the issue, they will respond to the pressure on their bottom line.
I did read somewhere that a couple of girl scouts are leading a campaign to lobby GS to clean up their ingredients list. Anybody recall hearing details on that?
Education on this topic is a good thing, reading labels is a good thing (for any food we buy)! By becoming educated and voting with our dollars, we can raise the quality of our food supply. Simply refuse to buy artificial and unhealthy items.
Thanks for speaking out and helping to bring this issue to the fore.
horrified to see food coloring in the peanut butter variety. what on earth do they need food coloring in a peanut butter and chocolate cookie for?!?!
For the love of God, it’s a once-a-year treat, stop taking it out on these poor girls’ and their ability to raise funding for their activities.
What are we doing next year, throwing melted butter on the girls and calling them ‘nutritional terrorists’?
ps- you’ll have to pry the Caramel deLites out of my cold, dead hands.
well, i hope all of you (especially those of you who sold GS cookies when you were girls) will at least make a nice donation to the troops who you are not buying from. This is the major fundraiser for the GS. ANd it helps the troops get to do activities that they may not be able to afford.
I agree. And, I don’t feel guilty. I don’t feed my kids GMO or HFCS, period. If the girl scouts find their fundraising has decreased, well then they should appeal to consumer demand. Much love, peace, and label reading!
As a Girl Scout leader and Girl Scout national deleagate, I to agree that Girl Scouts need to clean up the ingredients, but please remember that the girls and troop selling the cookies do not have immediate control over it. What they do have control over is working their butts off to sell cookies and earn money for themselves and Girl Scouts nationally.
With help from cookies and other money earning projects my girls have gone to DC, spent 10 days in Savannah where Girl Scouts started 100 years ago, this June we are going to DC to join over 250,000 other scouts to celebrate the 100th and in 2 short years they want to explore Europe! I could not guide them to these experiences not to mention all that cookies do for girls beyond our little troop of 13.
So as others have said please consider making a donation to a local troop, council or National in lieu of buying cookies and then let GSUSA and Anna Maria Chavez know about your feelings on the ingredients in the cookies.
My commitment to you is I have girls who are looking to earn the highest award in Girl Scout, the Gold Award, and I will suggest to them to take on the issue of food dyes and additives. I have one girl who is already doing a school project on it because me making them aware if the issue.
Maybe it is a current Girl Scout who will change the US’s view on food dyes.
Thank you for loving all our children and supporting Girl Scouts who Are building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
Sincerely a life long Girl Scout
Susan said, “please remember that the girls and troop selling the cookies do not have immediate control over it.”
I’ve worked behind-the-scenes in corporate America long enough to know that all it takes is for troops and their leaders to stand up to the national organization.
In turn, the contract with the bakeries could be re-negotiated at some point to allow other bakeries to bid on producing a ‘cleaner’ version of these cookies.
And there you go! All the while you’re teaching the girls…
* How to stand up for themselves, or others.
* How to help empower the community, and create positive changes
* How to have respect for their bodies by realizing the health-related consequences of certain ingredients.
Is this organization’s goal to build character, or troop funds?
Most people aren’t aware of the GS connection to Planned Parenthood . . . Check out this website: http://www.honestgirlscouts.com
Hey thanks for writing about this issue. I just posted on my “Die, Food Dye!” blog about our “Cookie Conundrum” yesterday. We had to opt out too. Here’s hoping enough of us write to National to let our preferences be known. I think there is such potential for GSUSA to be LEADERS in an important aspect of wellbeing for scouts – food.
“Here’s hoping enough of us write to National to let our preferences be known.”
Rebecca hit the nail on the head. If we simply refrain from buying the cookies, no message will be sent – how easy would it be to chalk up the decline in sales to a rough economy? However, a letter sent to the decision makers will let them know WHY we are not buying, which gives them a chance to make positive changes. If you really feel passionate about the issue, take a few minutes to let your voice be heard!
I noticed that Keebler makes the exact same cookie (same bakery?) the ingredients aren’t any better, but they are available year round.
I hate when they come out every year and my DH always has to have the thin mints, but I hate what they stand for because they are indeed toxic and send a message of promoting disease.
Sarah I followed your lead and wrote them an email. It’s not so much the selling of cookies, it’s what’s IN the cookies that bothers me so much and the fact that a blind eye is turned.
I hope everyone else follows lead and writes – there are PLENTY of companies out there selling products without these dangerous ingredients, at least sell something that is more natural or as natural as possible – we don’t need all the artificial and overly processed stuff.
Thanks for this article and spreading the word about the some of the fundamentals of proper nutrition. Never will a Girl Scout cookie enter my mouth again.
I only remember buying Girl Scout cookies once abut 25 years ago and threw them away because I thought they were horrible. I don’t really care for sweets and only bought them because of the organization. I’ve never felt guilty since then for not buying them again. Interestingly, I’ve never been asked to make a donation instead of buying the cookies and I would have done it. I admit it should have occurred to me but it didn’t. They should ask. I would really like to see them sell a higher quality product as well…but, a cookie is a cookie after-all.
Sandra, in Girl Scouts rules it states that at the troop level they can not ask for a donation without delivering a service or product. This is why you have never been asked. They however can gladly accept if you offer!
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