Dunkin’ Donuts has been a New England institution for more than half a century, serving up all sorts of delicious coffees and bakery treats. But in a land of all things donuts, bagels, and “extra extra,” is healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food an impossible reality?
It certainly doesn’t have to be! Dunks has plenty of offerings that are calorie and fat-conscious, but are still incredibly tasty. They even have a healthier DD Smart menu, filled with sensible options. That said, if you have a hankering for a donut, there are still options for you too.
Obviously, the best tip is to enjoy your food and eat everything in moderation, but with these healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food options, you can still treat yourself and run on Dunkin’.
1. Whole Wheat Bagel
Bagels often get a bad rap in the nutritional world, and Dunkin’ Donuts’ bagels are generally no exception. However, if you can’t get through the morning without a bagel, spring for whole wheat.
This bagel landed itself on the DD Smart menu for good reason: a whole bagel only has 320 calories and two grams of fat. Additionally, one bagel has 28% of your daily intake of dietary fiber and 13 grams of protein. With this many nutritional facts in this bagel’s favor, you can definitely afford to add some cream cheese.
2. Multigrain Oatmeal
Like the bagel before it, the big draw of this DD Smart menu item is the whole grains. This cup of oatmeal has five grams each of protein and dietary fiber.
The brown sugar flavor will give you the burst of sweetness you need, and you can even top your cup with some dried fruit. Just beware if you have a nut allergy—this oatmeal may contain traces of almonds, walnuts, and pecans.
3. Ham, Egg, and Cheese on an English Muffin
A breakfast sandwich is many people’s go-to in the morning. It’s a quick way to get some carbs, protein, and some tasty breakfast breads. Good news is, if you want some healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food, you don’t have to give up your beloved breakfast sandwich.
This sandwich is on the DD Smart menu, along with its cousin, the regular egg and cheese sandwich, because it’s at least 25% reduced in calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium as compared to the sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. So if you’re looking for a healthy twist on your fave BEC, this might be your best bet!
4. Latte Lite
If you need a lil’ espresso to get through your day, but you still want some healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food, a Latte Lite is a great option. You can get a Latte Lite in any size, and you don’t even have to compromise on flavor—there are vanilla, caramel, and mocha options!
These drinks are a good choice because they’re made with skim milk, and as such they are around 25% lower in fat and calories than a regular DD latte. If you order a small, you can get a little coffee indulgence for less than 100 calories. Lite indeed!
5. Reduced-Fat Blueberry Muffin
If you ask me, a muffin is just a clever excuse to eat a cupcake for breakfast…without the frosting, of course. Most of the muffins at Dunkin’ take this idea pretty literally, boasting enough calories, fat, and sugar to make these baked goods as good as a dessert.
The OG blueberry muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts was one of the worst offenders here, but the reduced-fat version has made its way onto the DD Smart menu. As the name suggests, this version has 25% less fat than the original. However, these muffins are still pretty hefty. Try shaving even more fat and cals by saving half of the treat for later.
6. Iced Tea
Sometimes you get to Dunkin’ Donuts and just aren’t in the mood for coffee. Hey, it happens! On the rare days when I’m not feeling coffee, I usually spring for unsweetened iced tea. If you choose to get your tea without sugar and extra flavoring, a large will only run you 10 paltry calories.
My favorite is the green tea, which is chock full of added health benefits. But if you can’t stand unsweetened tea, you can get the new fruited varieties for less than 100 calories as well.
7. English Muffin
Honestly, English muffins are criminally underrated. I much prefer them to bagels because I think these babies get a lot crisper in the toaster than the rest of their bakery counterparts. The English muffins at Dunkin’ Donuts are sure to satisfy.
An English muffin off the Dunkin’ menu clocks in at 140 calories, with 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of dietary fiber, and only half a gram of fat. Plus, this bakery item is on the DD Smart menu because it has 25% less calories, fat, and sodium than a DD plain bagel. Maybe our neighbors across the pond got something right in terms of breakfast breads?
8. Munchkins
I honestly don’t think you had a real New England childhood unless a PTA mom brought Munchkins in to every single class party throughout elementary school. These donut holes are a healthy Dunkin’ Donut food because they satisfy your craving for a donut without wrecking your whole diet.
Most flavors of these treats only clock in at 70 calories a pop, so a Munchkin is a great way to get that great donut taste without going overboard on sugar and fat. You can even have two or three without blowing your healthy eating (we won’t tell if you sneak a few more!).
9. Flavor Shots (not Swirls!)
If you can’t have your coffee without a little something extra added in (like flavoring), a flavor shot would be the better option as opposed to a flavor swirl. You can get a flavor shot in hot or iced coffee, and a lot of your fave swirl flavors also come in shot versions.
According to the official nutrition info on the Dunkin’ Donuts website, flavor shots are unsweetened and sugar-free, which will save you plenty of extra calories. Plus, there’s a wider range of shots versus swirls, from classic mocha and caramel, to more exotic flavors like blueberry and coconut.
10. French Cruller
Okay, but the real reason people go to Dunkin’ is for the donuts. Can healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food include donuts? It can if you get the French cruller. This donut consistently tops lists of the healthiest donut options at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Each French cruller from Dunkin’ only has 220 calories and 10 grams of sugar. As far as donuts go, the French cruller is practically a health food. Sure, you probably shouldn’t have on every day, but choosing this as an occasional treat won’t wreck anyone’s diet.
11. Original Glazed Donut
So maybe you want a donut that’s a little more…American? If one little glazed Munchkin isn’t doing it for you, try a full glazed donut. This donut is still under 300 calories, so it’s perfectly within a healthy calorie range for breakfast.
Plus, there’s only 12 grams of sugar, which isn’t too terrible for a bakery treat. Sure, with this option you’re not getting crazy fillings or drizzles, but sometimes simple is definitely better.
12. Bavarian Kreme Donut
That said, if you’re missing some filling in your donut with the previous two options, you can order a Bavarian Kreme donut. This donut clocks in at 270 calories, making it one of the lower calorie options on the Dunkin’ Donuts menu.
Plus, even with all the delicious cream, there’s only 9 grams of sugar per donut. So, if you get a fairly simple coffee or tea to pair with this donut, you can get away with having a little bit of morning indulgence.
Healthy Dunkin’ Donuts food definitely sounds like a myth, but clearly it’s not impossible! If you hit up Dunkin’ on the regular, you can walk in with confidence knowing that you have plenty of options to make smart choices. You can still “run on Dunkin’,” but with these choices, you won’t need to go for a run after every trip.