Glazed Donut Calories Is It Worth the Extra Calories

As a nutritionist who has worked with clients for more than seven years to help them eat healthier, I’m often asked how many calories are in common foods like glazed donuts. Read below about “Glazed Donut Calories Is It Worth the Extra Calories”.

While many people enjoy glazed donuts as a sweet treat once in a while, the high number of calories and sugar may make some people think twice. Here, I’ll talk about how many calories are in glazed donuts and whether the extra calories are worth it.

How many calories are in a glazed donut?

A regular glazed donut, which is about 3 1/2 inches wide, has about

• 220 calories
• 12g of fat in all
• 2.5g of saturated fat
• 2g of trans fat
• 15 mg of cholesterol
• 160 mg of sodium
• 28g of carbs in all.
• Fiber in food: 1g
• 16g of sugar
• 3g of protein

From this picture, you can see that one glazed donut has a lot of calories—nearly a quarter of your daily calories!

That’s why donuts have a bad reputation for being a treat food that makes healthy eating plans fail. But do glazed donuts really have that many calories? How about we take a closer look?

Evaluating the Calories and Nutrition

With 220 calories, a glazed donut is definitely more caloric than a lot of other breakfast foods. Here are the calories in some common breakfast foods to give you an idea:

• There are 190 calories in 1 cup of cheerios with 1/2 cup of skim milk.
• 190 calories for a whole wheat toast slice with a tablespoon of peanut butter
• It has 160 calories for 1 cup of Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries.

But the number of calories doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s also important to know how healthy a food is.

When I’m counseling clients, I’ve learned that treats like donuts can be part of a healthy diet as long as they are balanced out with foods that are high in nutrients.

There is some protein, calcium, and iron in glazed donuts, but not much. They are high in sugar and refined carbs. And for some clients, the pleasure of a treat once in a while is worth the extra calories.

Tips for Enjoying Glazed Donuts in Moderation

As a nutritionist, here are some of the best ways to enjoy glazed donuts in moderation as part of a healthy diet:

• Watch how much you eat: Don’t get a huge donut. Just stick to one regular-sized one.
• Make it even. Add protein, fiber, and healthy fats to your donut to make it healthier. For instance, you could eat it with Greek yogurt and berries.
• Enjoy every bite: For a sweet tooth, eat slowly and with awareness. Don’t eat donuts for no reason.
• Do not do it until the afternoon: Donuts are sweet, so eat them as a dessert instead of breakfast.
• Share it with a friend: You can cut a donut in half and share it with someone to lose weight and sugar.
• Go for a little: If you want something lighter, pick a mini donut, which has about 50 calories. Or cut a regular donut in half.
• Do it yourself: If you want to make healthier donuts at home, use less sugar and whole wheat flour.

As a nutritionist, I don’t think any food is bad. Most clients can eat fun foods like donuts on occasion without going overboard as long as they plan ahead and don’t eat too many of them.

Healthier Donut Alternatives

There are many tasty foods that are better for you than donuts if you like donuts but want to cut down on empty calories. Here are a few of my favorite deals:

• Donut holes that have been baked: Many bakeries sell short donut holes that have been baked. Each one has about 100 calories. Try to find ones that are made with whole grain flour.
• Protein donuts: These are made with protein powder added, so they can have twice as much protein. Chocolate, maple, and pumpkin spice are all very popular flavors.
• Yogurt donuts: Greek yogurt and oat flour donuts have more protein and less sugar. Add fresh fruit on top to make it healthier.
• Quinoa donuts: If you want something gluten-free, try making mini donuts with quinoa and banana. They give you iron, fiber, and potassium.

If you don’t want to fry the dough, make donut muffins instead. Add a little cinnamon and a light glaze or drizzle and bake them.

Even though these options have a few less calories than a regular glazed donut, remember to still eat in moderation. The size of the portion is very important.

Conclusion

Glazed donuts are a sweet treat that is high in calories. Each one has about 220 calories. But are the extra calories really worth it? What you eat in general and how happy that occasional donut makes you will determine that.

Many people can eat donuts in moderation as long as they watch their portions, eat healthy foods to balance them out, and choose healthier baked goods instead. Even though you shouldn’t eat donuts every day, the odd one won’t likely throw off your health goals if you plan ahead.

As a nutritionist, I tell my clients that instead of strictly avoiding favorite foods, they should focus on making healthy eating habits that will last. You really can have your donut and eat it too if you watch how much you eat.