By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)
It’s time for Girl Scouts to set up all around with their indulgent classic cookies and new additions.
If you’re watching your figure or trying to monitor sugar intake, knowing which cookies are healthiest — and which aren’t — could help restructure your sweet tooth craving and keep you on track with your health goals.
According to Healthline, rankings are based on nutritional facts per cookie and not serving size for a more accurate assessment that includes saturated fats, total calories and added sugars:
Healthiest
Here are the top three healthiest Girl Scout cookies.
Shortbread and trefoils: They were the lowest in calories per cookie (30 and 32 calories, respectively), and the lowest in saturated fat and added sugars.
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Thin Mints: They have just 40 calories per cookie and only slightly more saturated fat and added sugars than shortbread and trefoils.
Do-si-dos: They have between 53 and 57 calories per cookie and are a little higher in sugar content than Thin Mints.
Unhealthiest
The unhealthy options include one of the Girl Scouts’ latest additions, the Raspberry Rally. The following cookies not only have a high calorie count, but they also have more added sugars:
Samoas: They’re one of the classics on the menu and also the unhealthiest. While they are lower in calories (75 per cookie) than the Raspberry Rally, Samoas have 6 grams of sugar per cookie.
Raspberry Rally: The latest addition to the Girl Scout menu is the second unhealthiest, with 80 calories per cookie.
Adventurefuls: They have 60 calories per cookie and a fairly high sugar and saturated fat content.
According to a 2015 study, food enjoyed in “moderation through portion control may be more effective than elimination or restriction.”
Rachel Goldman, a licensed psychologist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University’s School of Medicine, told My Fitness Pal: “From a psychological standpoint, when we restrict ourselves or make something completely off limits, it could set us up to overeat or binge later. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it makes sense if you think about it. If you can’t have something, then many times you want it even more.”
In conclusion, if you want the cookie, have it — but enjoy in moderation.
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