If you can't resist Girl Scout cookies and have made a New Year's resolution to eat healthier, you might want to hold off on that diet plan for a little while.
January 2 marked the official beginning of the organization's cookie-selling season, and not only will the beloved classic flavors be available, a new cookie has been added to the lineup for 2019.
In addition to Thin Mints, Caramel deLites/Samoas, Shortbread/Trefoils, S'mores, Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs, Do-is-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich, Thanks-A-Lots, Lemonades, and Savannah Smiles, you'll be able to enjoy the new Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies.
The gluten-free treat features semi-sweet chocolate chips, rich caramel, and a hint of sea salt.
This cookie will join the returning gluten-free flavor, Toffee-tastic, so those with gluten intolerance can enjoy the delicious concoctions as much as everyone else.
The Girl Scouts of America previously added two s'mores-inspired cookies to their lineup in 2016. One of the sandwich-style treats featured graham cookies with a layer of marshmallow and chocolate while the other was a graham cookie dipped in a thin layer of creme icing and another layer of chocolate.
"The Girl Scout Cookie Program plays a powerful role in developing financially savvy girl leaders," Girl Scout USA CEO Sylvia Acevedo says in a press release. "Girl entrepreneurs learn valuable interpersonal and business skills via the cookie program that help them become successful in their future careers, no matter what path they choose."
In the last couple of years, members of the Girl Scouts program have developed some creative (and a bit unconventional) strategies to sell their cookies.
One Scout and her father decided to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary in San Diego, a move helped the young girl sell more than 300 boxes of cookies in under six hours and made her a viral sensation.
Even the children of celebrities like Jennifer Garner take part in the rite of passage. Last year, the actress and her daughters sold cookies outside of a grocery store.
Garner previously revealed in an interview that she teaches her girls the best tactics so they can sell all of their boxes.
"I'm the one telling the girls, you know, "˜Try to talk about the gluten free because they're a dollar more.' Let's have an upsell!" she said.
If you ever felt guilty about eating so many Girl Scouts cookies, it might help to know that due to your contributions, the Scouts rake in an average of $800 million annually from the cookie sales, and the money is used to fund entrepreneurial and leadership programs for the young girls.
