Doughnut vs. Muffin: Which Is the Lesser of Two Evils? (2024)

FAQs

Doughnut vs. Muffin: Which Is the Lesser of Two Evils? ›

When it comes to calories, carbs, and sugar, there's a clear winner: doughnuts. The fried rings have 155 fewer calories, half the carbs, and 21 fewer grams of sugar than muffins. Muffins don't lose out completely, though: They have 1 gram more protein than doughnuts—and half the saturated fat.

On average, fiber and fat content are similar, but salt and carbohydrate content are usually lower in the doughnut. Store-bought muffins are generally much larger than home-baked ones, too, and that increases the calorie content compared to one you might make at home. It's all about choices, too.

The sugars in donuts can become a risk factor for gum inflammation and cavities. And keep in mind that one donut can contain as much sugar as a chocolate chip cookie, or even more.

Unless you are on a medically restrictive diet, or we'll have an allergic response that could threaten your health, many people eat 3 to 6 donuts “a day” at the office, at church, in the mornings with milk or coffee. They are full of white starch carbs,also full of sugar carbs.

One donut has a quarter of all of the saturated fat you should have in a day. DUH, donuts are bad for you. But do you know just how bad? An original Krispy Kreme donut has 11 grams of fat—5 of those being saturated—while a Dunkin' original donut has 6 gram of saturated fat (30 percent of your fat intake).

When it comes to calories, carbs, and sugar, there's a clear winner: doughnuts. The fried rings have 155 fewer calories, half the carbs, and 21 fewer grams of sugar than muffins. Muffins don't lose out completely, though: They have 1 g more protein than doughnuts—and half the saturated fat.

But the doughnut proper (if that's the right word) supposedly came to Manhattan (then still New Amsterdam) under the unappetizing Dutch name of olykoeks--"oily cakes."

✓ Sugared Donut

The classic sugared donut is also the most nutritious donut on the menu. It has 240 calories, 11g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 13g sugars, and 270mg sodium. If you love donuts, you've got plenty of varieties to choose from.

Greasy foods like fries, chips, pizza, and doughnuts are high in calories and unhealthy fats. A high intake of these foods can lead to weight gain, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, bloating, diarrhea, acne, and impaired brain function.

Overnight Oats, Eggs, and Beyond

It's probably not news to you that oatmeal and eggs are each a mainstay in the breakfast world for good reason. They are packed with nutrition, low in sugar, and keep us full. Basically, they provide us with good fuel to get the day started.

Are Dunkin donuts bad for you? ›

Also, the sodium, saturated fat, and sugar content of their foods isn't that different from Starbucks, Panera, or most other restaurants for that matter. The point is that these foods aren't meant to sustain our bodies… ​but they are a wonderful pleasure for the soul.

If you give in too often, they can bulk up your belly. Better Bet: Stop at one. A glazed doughnut has 260 calories. The whole box packs 3,120 calories.

So back to the original question, “Can you eat doughnuts and lose weight?” Well, YES. Provided you can account for your daily macronutrient and micronutrient requirements, there's absolutely no reason why you can't enjoy your doughnuts in moderation.

Unhealthiest Doughnut: Blueberry Butternut Donut, Bismark, or Glazed Jelly Stick. Why it's bad: Imagine eating eight teaspoons of sugar.

The most unhealthy type of typical doughnut averages about 360 to 500 calories each. The most unhealthy slice of pizza could be about 2300 calories, more than your daily value entirely.

The fluffy batter is what gives cupcakes their soft, spongy texture. Muffins, on the other hand, are moist and dense. Another important difference between a cupcake and a muffin is that cupcakes tend to have more sugar and so they're a lot sweeter than muffins.

Muffins and cake are very similar in ingredients, but muffins will have less fat content and sugar than cake due to a lack of frosting, and the use of liquid oils that are usually plant based instead of solid fats (such as butter), that are usually animal based and higher in saturated fats.

Bomboloni, munkki, Berliners, and pączki are all fried treats that are similar to doughnuts. Buñuelos, puff puffs, and loukoumades are bite-sized fried treats. Many fried desserts, like jalebi, sopapillas, and koeksisters are coated in a sugary syrup.

Donut is an alternate spelling of doughnut. Some dictionaries point out that donut is rarely used outside the United States. All of them recognize doughnut as the main spelling, as do some of the more popular style guides. Doughnut might be the spelling you should use if you want to be sure you're not making a mistake.