Is a Thin Mint Blizzard worth it? I mean, we all know DQ Blizzards and Thin Mint cookies aren’t health foods… but who knew the combination could be this bad? Seriously – like drinking 2 Big Macs???!
Nutritionists from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found a large Thin Mint Blizzard from Dairy Queen has more than 1,000 calories, 31 teaspoons of sugars, and more than a day’s limit of saturated fat. A small one has 540 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat. The popular flavor is the Blizzard of the Month for July.
CSPI says the Girl Scouts of the USA should have thought twice before lending its good name to the ice cream chain and that the Thin Mint Blizzard and its marketing campaign send out a very unhealthful message to young girls and others.
“If you were designing a product with the intent of promoting obesity and type-2 diabetes in girls, it would look exactly like the Thin Mint Blizzard,” says CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.
Ouch. Those are seriously harsh words.
CSPI is also not pleased about the creme-de-menthe flavored syrup that’s in the Blizzard because it says it contains the controversial artificial food dyes, Yellow 5 and Green 3.
I love ice cream and Thin Mints, and trust me – I have no problem splurging every once in awhile, but the combination of the fat, calories, and artificial food dyes really makes this a treat I won’t try. I’ve really been paying more attention to preservatives and additives in foods lately. Do the artificial food dyes bother you? Or would you have one of these Blizzards anyway?
FRICK
why did this NOT convince me
I know.
I know.
but all things ONCE and in moderation, yes?
LETS DO A VIDEO SOON!
Im nailing a big deadline on monday.
Yikes. Yes that artificial stuff is nasty!
Novemeber of last year, we decided to cut out all food with high fructose corn syrup, so that made a drastic change in the foods we purchase. Most of the processed, artificial stuff went out the door with the change. I agree though, everything in moderation. Fortunately for me (or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), my body seriously revolted a few years ago with all things dairy, so I indulge sometimes in soy ice cream instead. I add a few raw walnuts and I’m a happy girl!
Wow, Caroline – that is an amazing undertaking, but you are really doing something important for your health.
Miz – I do believe everything in moderation, too. It’s just these food dyes are starting to spook me lately!
Doesn’t anyone else find it ironic that it’s called a THIN Mint Blizzard?
[...] Yet another discussion of this same topic: http://fatfightertv.com/blog/2008/07/thin-mint-blizzards/trackback/ [...]
Darn, darn, darn. This is my fav Blizzard, too. I usually only have a couple of year, but now maybe I’ll try to make my own low-fat version at home. It can’t be that hard to make, right?
Dang this hurts (ignorance was bliss), but my fave was the June flavor of the month: Cotton Candy Blizzard. I wait for it all year. I’m sure it’s MUCH healthier.
I must say I love the commercial for the thin mint blizzard that is out right now, with the soccer mom screaming in the face of player: In Your Face. I tried to find it on Youtube to put on my site.
How about making your own kind of thin mint ice cream. I love ice cream with chunks of stuff in it. Use softened low fat ice cream, broken up frozen Girl Scout thin mint cookies (yeah right !!!! as if there’s any in there) and mix them together. If you can’t find the GS cookies (we haven’t had any since the hour after we bought them) maybe low fat, low sugar ones are out there.
DR – funny!
splihall – yum… if only we could find the ingredients this time of year.
Oh, that looks so very-very yummy…but the calorie count is so very-very scary!
Actually, I would only probably get the smaller blizzard. The larger one is something to SHARE! If I were to try to finish the entire thing I would get sick.
Da Capo – Me, too! The small is plenty… and I hardly ever even get those – just as an occasional treat.