How Unhealthy Are Samoas Girl Scout Cookies?

Do you find it hard to resist Samoas Girl Scout Cookies when the Girl Scouts come around? After all, it's for a good cause - and it's hard not to bite into one of those vanilla cookies drenched in caramel, decorated with chocolate and dipped in toasted coconut. They're yummy, and they're definitely a splurge - but how unhealthy are they? Get the nutritional low-down on Samoas Girl Scout Cookies.

Samoas Girl Scout Cookies: Are They as Decadent as They Taste?

Samoas Girls Scout Cookies aren't low in calories. A single serving of these cookies, which only comes to two cookies, has a whopping 150 calories - and they're not for people who are watching their cholesterol level. With 5 grams of saturated fat and 7 grams of total fat, they aren't cardiologist approved.

As you might expect, they're also high in sugar with a full 10 grams of the sweet stuff. Some of this sugar is in the form of high fructose corn syrup - the controversial sweetener that some experts believe increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Nutritional value? There's not much to speak of here, although two cookies does supply 2% of the day's requirement of iron. On the plus side, they have a gram of fiber and a gram of protein - and they don't contain preservatives.

More Bad News about Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

Samoas Girl Scout Cookies not only have the sweetener high fructose corn syrup, they also contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are trans fats. They're able to say that they have zero grams of trans fat based on the current labeling laws since they have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, but if you eat enough of these sweet treats it adds up.

Girls Scout Cookies and Your Health: The Bottom Line?

Samoas Girl Scout Cookies are tasty, but enjoy them in moderation. They're high in calories and saturated fat - and they contain hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. The good news is you're helping out the Girl Scouts every time you bite into one - and that's a good thing.

References:

Calorie Count at About.com

GirlScouts.org