By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

http://www.girlscoutcookiesabc.com/atc

http://www.littlebrowniebakers.com/cookies/cookies.html

Trans fat info

Trans fats are fatty acids often used in processing to help keep foods fresh. They can be found in vegetable shortenings and some margarines, and the foods made with them. For years, people thought trans fat was better than saturated fat. But studies now seem to show that trans fat is actually worse, with smaller amounts not only raising levels of bad cholesterol faster, but decreasing good cholesterol.

Girl Scout cookies

Highest in total fat (ABC Bakers): Peanut Butter Patties and Thin Mints: 8 grams per serving

Highest in total fat (Little Brownie Bakers): Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos: 9 grams per serving

Lowest in total fat (ABC): Reduced-fat Cartwheels: 4 grams

Lowest in total fat (Little Brownie): Lemon Coolers: 4 grams

Highest in calories: Peanut Butter Sandwiches (ABC) and Do-Si-Dos (Little Brownie): 170/180 per serving

Lowest in calories: Shortbreads and Reduced Fat Lemon Pastry Cremes (ABC); Tagalongs, Trefoils and Lemon Coolers (Little Brownie): 130 per serving.

Cookie conundrum
Mainers get their Girl Scout cookies from two bakers who list different nutrition facts.

There’s a new North-South divide in Maine. Forget education, economics or population.

It’s all about Girl Scout cookies.

This year, southern snackers can buy most of their cookies, including the most popular – Thin Mints – minus trans fat. Northern snackers can’t.

That’s because the southern Kennebec Girl Scout Council contracts with ABC Bakers of Virginia to provide their cookies. ABC, spurred by customer demand, removed the trans fat from five of its eight brands of cookies.

The northern Abnaki Girl Scout Council contracts with Little Brownie Bakers of Kentucky to provide their cookies. Little Brownie is still working on the trans fat issue. Six of its eight cookie varieties contain trans fat. Its Thin Mints – crunchy, mint cookies coated in chocolate – will have 1 gram per serving (four cookies).

The national Girl Scout organization has approved both ABC and Little Brownie. Maine’s two councils said they never considered trans fat when they signed with their bakeries years ago.

But deep into the sales season, the southern council happily touts its newly trans-fat-free cookies.

“It’s something that’s highlighted on the cookie form,” said Deb Nelson, spokeswoman for the Kennebec council, which covers roughly the southern and western portions of Maine. “People do care. We’ve gotten calls.”

The northern council downplays any cookie conundrum.

“I think most people that eat the cookies don’t care,” said Sue Glidden, head of cookie activities for Abnaki. “They know (to eat) within moderation.”

As of Jan. 1, trans fat must be listed on nutritional labels.

ABC and Little Brownie produce eight similar – but slightly different – cookies for more than 300 Girl Scout councils across the country. ABC removed trans fat from five brands: Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Thanks-A-Lots and reduced fat Cartwheels. Peanut Butter Sandwiches and reduced fat Lemon Pastry Cremes still have 1 gram of trans fat per serving and shortbread cookies have 1.5 grams.

Little Brownie Bakers removed trans fat from its Lemon Coolers and Tagalongs. Its Thin Mints, Trefoils, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, All Abouts and Cafe Cookies have trans fat ranging from 1 to 2 grams per serving which ranges from two to five cookies.

Dietitians recommend less than two grams of trans fat per day.

But a “zero trans fat” label doesn’t make a cookie a health food.

Thin Mints sold in the south will have more saturated fat and sugar, and have more calories that those in the north, due in part to being slightly larger.

“They’re both bad,” said dietitian Ellen Boldon with a chuckle. “And I hate to say that about Girl Scout cookies.”

She and Maine Girl Scout representatives – both southern and northern – said the cookies, like all sweets, should be eaten in moderation.

“That’s what I tell people,” said Glidden with the northern council. “They’ll buy a box of cookies, eat some and put the rest in the freezer.”

Copy the Story Link