The fat in Thin Mint

One can have a wholesome cookie that still tastes great without all those nasty additives. So I was surprised to find that Girl Scout cookies, sold by the millions of boxes every year, still contain partially hydrogenated oil -- otherwise known as a trans fatty acid.

Although FDA rules requiring "trans fat" labeling don't kick in until 2006, many companies have taken the initiative and include trans fat information on a product's "nutrition facts" label. I applaud Little Brownie Bakers and ABC/Interbake for taking this step; however, I think it's time to bring the Scouts into the nutritional 21st Century.

I'm not the only person, it seems, concerned about the continued use of bad fat in Scout cookies. On the Girl Scouts of the USA Web site, a FAQ explains that trans fats were previously considered a "healthier food choice compared with saturated fats." This, now, is not the case -- but the site does not outline any steps the cookie makers may be taking to eliminate trans fats from their recipes.

So a serving (about 4 cookies) of "Trefoils," an "old-fashioned" shortbread cookie, contains a total 6 grams of fat, with 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 2 grams of trans fats. A serving of "Thin Mints" has a total 7 grams of fat, with 4 grams of saturated fats and 1 gram of trans fat. (Take a look at all the Girl Scout cookie nutritional information here.)

The USDA recommended allowance of saturated fats is 20 grams per day, on average. There isn't, to my knowledge, any "recommended" daily dose of trans fats -- yet conventional wisdom would suggest we avoid it altogether.