Should a body run on Dunkin Donuts?

It’s no secret that New Englanders love Dunkin Donuts. With a shop on most corners, it’s a convenient place to grab a snack, meal, or a coffee. But how does it affect your health and what are the best choices? I took a look at their nutrition information to find the answer.*

*The American Heart Association has the following nutrition recommendations:

• Sodium: No more than 1500 mg of sodium per day
• Sugar: Men should have less than 9 teaspoons (or 36 grams). Women should have less than 6 teaspoons (or 25 grams). CLICK HERE for an infographic on how sugar affects the body. 
• Saturated fat: Limit to less than 5-6% of calories or about 13 grams of saturated fat for a 2000 calorie diet

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Want to see for yourself? Here’s the link to the Dunkin Donut’s nutrition pdf

​The coffee and tea are not the issue. It’s what they put IN the coffee that is troubling.  When you get a regular, medium Dunkin coffee (cream + sugar), they put in over 7 teaspoons!  The cream provides 25-30% of your daily saturated fat!
Your best choice in general is to get the coffee or tea black (or with a flavor shot) and then add milk (skim or whole). If you must add sugar, add your own so you can control the amount.

I’m not saying you should never ever go to Dunkin Donuts or that if you do, you can only have an English muffin.  The danger is when these foods become a regular part of a daily routine (eg,  daily, weekly, etc). 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.