Diet donuts? Japan’s most popular donut chain releases new low-fat line, and we try them all

Mr. Donut just got even more tempting with these three healthier treats.

Regular RocketNews24 readers may already be aware of this, but our Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato doesn’t exactly have the healthiest diet. In pursuit of journalistic excellence, Mr. Sato has eaten cheese and bacon by the fistful, and we’ve also seen him polish off multiple plates of curry in a single sitting. Oh, and he always has room for dessert.

But Mr. Sato has been trying to turn over a new leaf by molding a new physique for himself. As part of his weight-loss plan, he’s made a conscientious effort to cut sweets out of his diet over the past few months, but there’s one thing he’s been seriously craving.

See, Mr. Sato loves donuts. Specifically, he’s got a soft spot for the products from Japan’s most popular chain, Mr. Donut. Thankfully, Mr. Donut has just released a line of low-fat donuts, and Mr. Sato jumped at the chance to try them.

Collectively called the Oil-Cut Donuts, the treats come in three flavors: plain, kinako (a sweet soybean powder with similarities to cinnamon), and beni imo (purple sweet potato).

▼ The plain Oil-Cut Donut

All three are identically priced at 129 yen (US$1.10), and are much healthier options than regular Mr. Donut offerings. For starters, the Oil-Cut Donuts are between 115 and 120 calories each, compared to 328 for a standard Mr. Donut old fashioned.

▼ Kinako

The new donuts’ fat content is significantly lower as well. On average, the Oil-Cut Donuts contain roughly 40 percent fewer grams of fat than Mr. Donut’s most popular existing varieties.

So how do they taste? Just fine, in Mr. Sato’s opinion. While he was worried the Oil-Cut Donuts might be dry or hard, they were as moist and fluffy as he’d expect of any Mr. Donut product. He came away completely satisfied, and because he’d made a healthier choice, felt no guilt for his culinary indulgence.

Of course, even if each Oil-Cut Donut only has 60 percent of the usual fat, eating three of them in one go, as Mr. Sato did, probably isn’t the best weight-loss plan. But if you’re longing for something sweet that can work within your healthier eating plan, one of these might be just the thing.

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