Doughnuts and Dieting: Can They Coexist During Chanukah?

Many of us are gearing up for Chanukah, and doughnuts have already started popping up in cafes. Apart from the steep prices some places charge, nutritionist Dr. Maya Rosman addressed the topic on her radio show on 103FM.

In the "Good to Know" segment, Dr. Rosman discussed how to enjoy doughnuts during Chanukah without derailing your diet. "A lot of us wait all year for Chanukah, sometimes just for those big, fluffy doughnuts and their sweet aroma, and sometimes because of fun childhood memories," she said.

When asked if a doughnut can fit into a diet, she pointed out: "Let’s start with the dietary issue that concerns everyone who has started a weight loss journey. Instead of dinner, you can have a doughnut every day during Chanukah. An average doughnut has about 400 calories. A diet dinner, which includes 2 slices of light bread, 3 tablespoons of cheese, a hard-boiled egg, and a vegetable salad with one teaspoon of oil – also contains around 400 calories."

She also highlighted that although a doughnut isn't the healthiest choice, "The advantage of a doughnut is that it can be incorporated in moderation, instead of resisting all holiday and then binging on several doughnuts at once." Dr. Rosman added that a good diet should include less healthy foods too, making it easier to stick with.

On the health drawbacks of doughnuts, she noted: "Doughnuts are fried in oil that's been heated for a long time – such oil contains harmful substances that cause inflammation and are considered carcinogenic."

For healthier doughnuts, she suggested: "It's a good idea to preheat the oil to the right temperature before frying. This significantly reduces the final calorie count of the fried food." She also mentioned making smaller doughnuts, substituting half of the flour with whole wheat flour, and trying baked doughnuts if you like the taste.