Get Your Fiber, Eat a Doughnut
100% whole wheat isn't exactly what I expect to see when I'm passing by a Krispy Kreme drive-thru, but it happened this week! On Monday, the Krispy Kreme company launched this new whole wheat glazed doughnut - my version of Ripley's Believe It or Not (I guess it could be called "Magee's Believe it or Not").
My first question wasn"t "how does it taste?" (I knew it would taste great because it was still being deep fried and glazed for heavens sake). No, I wondered "how many grams of fiber do you get with each doughnut?" I put in a call to the company and found out each 180 calorie whole wheat doughnut increases your daily fiber total by 2 grams! That's basically the grams of fiber in a slice of whole wheat bread. What's the fat cost for these yummy two grams of fiber though? Ah...now, there's the rub!
Each whole wheat doughnut contains:
180 calories
11 grams fat (55% calories from fat)
3 grams saturated fat
3.5 grams trans fat
19 grams carbohydrate
2 grams of fiber
Here's the thing folks...it's darn hard to make a doughnut taste great without deep frying it. Trust me, I've tried this many times. A doughnut that isn't deep fried is basically, well... a muffin. So given that Krispy Kreme is still deep frying the new whole wheat doughnut, you can't seem to get away from the 11 grams of fat price tag. I'm thinking we can lose the saturated fat and trans fat though if they start deep frying these puppies in 100% canola oil. Just a thought!
I've got to admit, I probably enjoy a doughnut several times a year, it isn't in my normal list of foods that I enjoy. But from now on, I'm going to enjoy a whole wheat doughnut on those few times a year and maybe, just maybe, on my next trip, they'll have eliminated those trans fats and brought down those saturated fat grams even farther. Hey, a girl can dream!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Recipe: Jelly Doughnut Muffin, Breakfast Recipes
Technorati Tags: krispykreme, doughnuts, wholewheatdoughnuts, breakfast, transfat, fiber
My first question wasn"t "how does it taste?" (I knew it would taste great because it was still being deep fried and glazed for heavens sake). No, I wondered "how many grams of fiber do you get with each doughnut?" I put in a call to the company and found out each 180 calorie whole wheat doughnut increases your daily fiber total by 2 grams! That's basically the grams of fiber in a slice of whole wheat bread. What's the fat cost for these yummy two grams of fiber though? Ah...now, there's the rub!
Each whole wheat doughnut contains:
180 calories
11 grams fat (55% calories from fat)
3 grams saturated fat
3.5 grams trans fat
19 grams carbohydrate
2 grams of fiber
Here's the thing folks...it's darn hard to make a doughnut taste great without deep frying it. Trust me, I've tried this many times. A doughnut that isn't deep fried is basically, well... a muffin. So given that Krispy Kreme is still deep frying the new whole wheat doughnut, you can't seem to get away from the 11 grams of fat price tag. I'm thinking we can lose the saturated fat and trans fat though if they start deep frying these puppies in 100% canola oil. Just a thought!
I've got to admit, I probably enjoy a doughnut several times a year, it isn't in my normal list of foods that I enjoy. But from now on, I'm going to enjoy a whole wheat doughnut on those few times a year and maybe, just maybe, on my next trip, they'll have eliminated those trans fats and brought down those saturated fat grams even farther. Hey, a girl can dream!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Recipe: Jelly Doughnut Muffin, Breakfast Recipes
Technorati Tags: krispykreme, doughnuts, wholewheatdoughnuts, breakfast, transfat, fiber
17 Comments:
Whole wheat doesn't mean whole grain. That just isn't enough fiber for my liking.
I agree, a measly 2 grams of fiber is not enough to make up for the fat, especially trans fats. I see it as a marketing tactic. "Let's see how many MORE fat people we can get to eat our donuts now that we mention whole wheat". I say, "tisk tisk".
I heard the regular ones were 200 calories, so your only savign 20 calories..big whoop!
Tough room! I think that if you're going to be eating doughnuts anyway, at least you're presented with an option that has a little bit more going for it.
Donuts only have so much flour in them so the fiber content will not be that high. A lot of the content of the donut is fat and sugar. So it would be wrong to expect much in the way of fiber unless they pumped them with extra. Even whole wheat breads don't have a whole lot more fiber per calorie/ounce/carb.
Maybe they could come up with a fax seed donut
I'm a Registered Dietitian, and after reading the articles and blogs above, I feel compelled (and that it's my place) to comment. Despite the fat, what really matters here is the kind of fat. Is it high in saturated or transfat? If it's low in these two fats, I think 11 grams isn't that bad for a meal. There's usually more fat poured on salads! And to comment on what someone else said above, "whole wheat" IS "whole grain" wheat. The word “whole” is the indicative word. Plus, there are additional benefits that come along with whole grain other than just the fiber (such as antioxidants). No, people should not be gobbling donuts down daily, but there is a place for choosing this over the regular, if one was going to eat a donut anyway. Additionally, 180 calories is quite low for a meal. Just food for thought here. Try this. Compare the 180-calorie donut to a 450-calorie bagel or muffin. You're better off with the donut.
I don't think a doughnut constitutes a "meal". I guess it may for some folks which, if that is the case it is sad. Agreed- if people are going to eat that stuff, they are going to eat it. 2 grams of fiber are better than none but I would rather have a piece of 100% whole wheat toast with a natural nut butter. I think it is a marketing ploy as said above. If Krispey Kreme was so concerned about adding fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients into the american diet they would turn their company into a fruit stand. Very unrealistic and dramatic on my part but in the end, this whole wheat business is just a marketing ploy. Don't give in people, don't give in! Eat something better.
Oh give me a break. I highly doubt they are frying those things in olive oil. Not even canola oil I bet- any money says it is all saturated fat. If not all, most.
Who cares! Geez you people are so serious... Of course some whole wheat toast with a "natural nut butter" is better for you, but come on! I love doughnuts- especially Krispy Kreme. I know they're not good for me. But I'm not gonna stop eating them and I'll even try the ww ones. Of course it's a marketing ploy- so what?
If you're going to eat a doughnut, then eat a doughnut! Doughnuts are a splurge. Not a health food. Get your fiber and nutrition else where so you can occasionally enjoy an empty treat like a doughnut.
Why seek good nutrition from a dealer of death? Doughnuts are a toxic food full of nutritionally empty calories. If you choose to eat this poison, then you choose the consequences. It is sad enough that Elaine chooses to eat this occasionally, but to recommend it to us is disheartening.
Good gosh, LIGHTEN UP!!! No one's fooling anyone here about donuts being a "health food". And although I don't go out of my way to obtain one, if given the choice between a bagel (450 calories) and a WW KrispyKreme donut (180 calories), you can bet I'm grabbing the donut. For the person who eats 3 or 4 a day at the office, choosing WW would at least mean 6 to 8 grams of fiber as well as other nutrients that they wouldn't otherwise get. The key is to not make a lifestyle out of eating donuts, WW or otherwise.
Moderation in all things is wise. If doughnuts are not a staple in your diet, an occasional splurge in most cases won't hurt. I applaud companies who are trying to provide healthier choices. They are helping to raise awareness of the problem. Of course they want to profit -that's why they're in business. They aren't forcing you to buy their products.
WHOLE WHEAT does NOT mean WHOLE GRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like for the person screaming that "WHOLE WHEAT does NOT mean WHOLE GRAIN" to explain.
cjm
Transfats should not be tolerated at any level! Saturated fats have taken the blame for the hydrogenated fats. (Hydrogenation increases the amount of saturated fats while producing transfats)
Transfats cause insulin resistance (pre-diabetes):
http://www.tfx.org.uk/page221.html
According to the University of Florida, canola oil contains up to 4.6% transfat due to the "deodorizing" process, mostly affecting the omega-3 fatty acids:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4522.1994.tb00244.x?journalCode=jfl
Further description of the deodorizing process and production of transfats:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j8jj360651173754/
In response to the transfat "problem", companies are looking at interesterified fats as their replacement. However, studies are showing that these modified fats are far worse than transfats, raising bad cholesterol even higher as well as raising fasting glucose levels (pre-diabetic):
http://www.tfx.org.uk/page248.html
On the other hand...
Palm oil, which is about 50% saturated fat actually reduces cholesterol levels:
http://www.americanpalmoil.com/palmtruth.html
Furthermore, palm oil contains many antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and other carotenoids, squalene, phytosterols, CoQ10, and a more potent form of vitamin E called tocotrienols. Tocotrienols can reduce arterial plaques, fight cancer 3x better than the drug tamoxifen, protect your skin from damaging UV rays, lower your cholesterol (safer than statins), and has 60x the antioxidant power of most vitamin E supplements (alpha-tocopherol).
http://www.tocotrienol.org/en/index/health_benefits.html
http://www.tocotrienol.org/en/index/sources/comparison_palm_rice.html
Saturated fats help to reduce triglyceride levels, whereas monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats raise triglycerides (aka VLDL):
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0271531703002057
Saturated fats helps stabilize (prevent oxidation of) unsaturated fat, one of the reasons for hydrogenation (they even hydrogenate LARD so they can let it sit on the shelf unrefrigerated for months)
The best oils are those that are LOW in POLYunsaturated fats. Many researchers believe that the omega-6:omega-3 ratio (which is about 20:1 in the US) is the more important than simply getting more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Most vegetable oils are HIGH in omega-6s compared to omega-3s. Canola oil, if it weren't for its high trans content (up to 37% of its omega-3s are trans), would be a good source of omega-3s with a ratio of 2.4:1. Pumpkin seeds have a ratio of 2.8:1. Walnuts, which claim to be high in omega-3s, have a ratio of 10:1.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/oil/chart.html
Polyunsaturated fats are fragile and easily oxidize when heated. Furthermore, toxic compounds are formed:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050502190054.htm
Olive oil is considered a healthy oil and contains mostly monounsaturated fat, 10% saturated fat, 8% polyunsaturated fat. High-oleic versions of safflower and sunflower oil are available and would be suitable for frying, as are the traditional animal fats and palm oil. For those still shy about saturated fat, lard actually has more monounsaturated fat than saturated fat, but to finding non-hydrogenated lard you just might need to find a butcher and render it yourself.
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