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Knock-knock. Who’s there? Just a sweet girl with an endearing smile and a box full of calories and trans-fat.

After Wired Magazine shared the most popular Girl Scout Cookies by sales we decided to see how that data compared to their caloric value. Two of the least popular varieties also have the most calories/cookie, so at least not that many people are indulging in those. The most popular’s, the Thin Mint of course, saving grace might be that it’s second-to-last for calories/cookie.

Philanthropic calories count the same as any other. So imagine walking 10 minutes for each Thin Mint you eat. If you eat the entire sleeve in one sitting… well, we’ll be here when you get back. Or, you can just make a direct donation to the Girl Scouts. Your local troop will get more of your generous dollar, and you won’t have to burn off an unhealthy snack.

Not Pictured: 2012′s Savannah Smiles lemon cookie

By Jamie Birdwell

The Girl Scouts of the USA are trying to earn their merit badge in sustainability.

The use of palm oil in their iconic cookies has become a hot topic for debate recently, with some experts indicating that the oil commonly used in processed foods can cause harm to the environment due to deforestation. All sixteen varieties of Girl Scout cookies contain palm oil, but official Girl Scout cookie bakeries ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers have made a commitment to sustainability, Amanda Hamaker, manager of national products, said.

According to an article in Time Magazine, the awareness about the famous cookies containing palm oil came from none other than a couple of Girl Scouts themselves. While researching about Jane Goodall and her work with primates, Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen learned that the use of palm oil can contribute to harming the environment of the orangutan.

“Being a Girl Scout is about showing stewardship for the land. We knew we had to keep fighting.” Vorva said to Time.
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February means lots of things – Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and that most traumatic time of the entire month – Girl Scout Cookie time!

Going to the grocery store means that you are confronted with sweet little faces, begging you to buy just one box, please? What harm can there be in purchasing such delights? They are for a good cause, after all. Beware, however – altruistic moves can have devastating consequences on your waist line. Here are the top 6 Girl Scout cookie offerings and their calorie counts along with the necessary exercise needed to burn them off. Read the labels and make an educated decision; don’t be swayed by  guileless smiles and sweet dispositions.

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A mere 21 days ago you rang in the new year with a resolution to the tune of getting fit, losing weight or eating healthier. And just like that, Girl Scout cookie season blows in and tempts you out of your resolve and back in to her $3.50-per-box sugar heaven.

Girl Scout cookies are like a double-edged sword: the purchase is for a good cause, yet, you end up with boxes of cookies staring you down from the pantry.

Guess what? It’s mind over matter. You do have more willpower than those cookies have sugar. We’re here to say that you can have your cookies, eat them too, stick to the resolution and make it through to the other side.

So here are our tips for making it through Girl Scout cookie season:
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Very soon, your doorbell is likely to ring. On the other side of that door is a cute, likable, do-gooder little girl who wants nothing more than to sabotage your diet. She doesn’t know that’s what she’s doing, she just wants a free pass to summer camp.

There’s no denying Thin Mints are one of the tastiest cookies ever created. They account for 25 percent of the Girl Scouts’ total sales each year. The Lemonades are sweet and refreshing and there is something so comfortable about the Peanut Butter Sandwiches. No matter which $3.50 box you buy, the nutrition facts and ingredients are the last thing those little sweethearts of cookie entrepreneurship want you to see.

So here’s the truth: it’s not nearly as cute as those girls’ pigtails.
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