IT’S FAR FROM burritos and doughnuts we were raised. (Or is it ‘donut’? That’s another issue.. ‘doughnut’ is clearly harder to spell and got lost in translation some time ago. Then the brand power of ‘Dunkin’ Donuts’ put the nail in the spelling coffin).
Donuts are one of those precious gifts we got from America. But they’re more like a poison chalice.
Dublin is a city obsessed, with a new donut store popping up on every street, quickly filling the available space next to the latest burrito store.
The thing is though, burritos are pretty healthy as far as take-out goes. Sure, there’s a fair amount of rice and that means carbs, but there’s less drippings of fat than your average chipper meal and you will probably find some high fibre beans and veggies in there too.
The guacamole is always a euro extra though. Go on, splash out – it’s good fat.
We’ve been through the ice-cream and milkshake obsession and have come out the other side. Some might say at least there is a bit of calcium in the ice-cream, if you were really trying hard to find the good in it. The truth of it is though, that relationship really only lasts as long as a summer romance … Winter Dublin is not so keen on snuggling up with an ice queen.
Donuts on the other hand, really and truly, are the spawn of the devil. No good can come from them. They are high in fat and sugar – and don’t tell me all the frosting and sprinkles are naturally flavoured and coloured.
We all know they are the bad guy
There is obvious psychology where telling someone that something is bad for them is not actually helpful, and in some ways might even push them to want it more.
Much like the boyfriend your father hated, nobody wants to date the piece of fruit or green salad your mother would rather see you with, with its boring ‘good for you’ attitude and absolutely-no-craic-vitamins-and-minerals.
But there is no way to dress it up; the donut obsession might just be the worst relationship disaster to hit our city. And it’s going to be very hard to resist when they are all over the place, with their bad boy charm.
Do you have the sneaking suspicion your father is right? Or are you still tempted to ‘swipe right’?
The romance needs to run its course
It certainly seems the allure is strong at the moment, if the queues for the Krispy Kreme are anything to go by.
We thought the traffic was worse around the M50 because the recession was over? Enter Krispy Kreme Blanchardstown and it’s full on gridlock.
The returning boom, with its strengthening high employment rates, is said to have us all too busy having high stress lives with no time for work-life balance.
Who would have thought we would have a spare two hours to queue for a donut?
Young love, it makes us pretty foolish alright… Let’s just hope the romance is over before it really does some lifelong damage.
One day you’ll be older and wiser, and you’ll realise your parents were right about that boy. Hopefully before your doctor hands you the cholesterol medication.
Ciara Wright PhD DipNT, Senior Nutritionist and Director of Glenville Nutrition and The Wellness Crew.
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