Sugar Rush

The newest kid on the junk food block here is Krispy Kreme donuts. The franchise recently opened its first outlet in Doha at the Villagio mall. Here is the article pertaining to this newsworthy item in the local English newspaper, the Gulf Times.

Krispy Kreme is an American franchise, whose claim to fame is their hot, freshly made donuts. All stores have a glass enclosed, built in donut making equipment, so you can see your donut being made on the premises. The donuts are also made from a special secret recipe; hence they are much softer & lighter than the competitors.

The company had aggressively begun advertising weeks before the opening date. A week before they were set to open, K bought a box from work, courtesy of Krispy Kreme. Apparently every employee had received a box. Makes you wonder what their marketing budget was.

The opening date and time were Feb. 1st at 5 pm. The first 25 customers were to receive one dozen donuts free for a week for 1 year. People actually began lining up from 2 am. By 5 pm there was a huge mob. Sanity prevailed and we decided to pass on this great event. We eventually did purchase a box a few days later. Compared to the United States (where you can get a dozen for 6-7 dollars), they are extremely expensive here, 55 riyals for a box of a dozen original glazed donuts. This actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise; we won’t be buying them that often.

Meanwhile, the Krispy Kreme franchise is not doing well in the United States. New store openings are scarce, and its stock prices are plunging. You can, of course, blame Dr. Atkins for this.


The following are the nutritional facts for 1 Original Glazed Donut:

Serving size: 52 gm
Calories: 200
Calories from fat: 100
Total fat: 12 gm
% daily value: 18
Saturated fat: 6 gm
% daily value: 29
Trans fat: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 5 mg
% daily value: 1
Sodium: 95 mg
% daily value: 4
Carbohydrates: 22 gm
% daily value: 7
Dietary fiber: <1
% daily value: vitamin a=0; vitamin c=2; calcium=6; iron=4

(Facts courtesy of Krispy Kreme website: http://www.krispykreme.com/)

Calorie or ... Calorie?

When we first arrived in Qatar, the abundance of food products from all over the world were both tantalizing and overwhelming. In the beginning we experimented quite a bit, and often indulged in purchasing an assortment of new, fascinating and often delectable items. Some things we liked and have since remained loyal to, some we did not. In the fervor of the moment we often overlooked the nutritional value of many of the products we purchased.

Now that the honeymoon period is over, I carefully watch what we eat and try to obtain healthier alternatives. I also regularly read the food nutrition and ingredient labels. I hardly see ingredients like ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil’ (also known as the much hyped ‘trans fat’) and various forms of ‘high-fructose corn syrup’ in much of the products here, except in the American imports. However, I often do see ‘palm oil’ which is high in saturated fats and equally unhealthy as trans fats, along with the highly undesirable ’monosodium glutamate (MSG)’ in many products, mainly in Asian imports. Even though junk food (snacks such as chips, confectionary items etc) from all over the globe is widely available in great profusion; my children are thankfully not susceptible to much of it. We generally stick to the things we enjoy, both our new finds and old favorites from back home. The fact we are developing brand loyalty is an indication that we have planted our roots in our adopted home.

I have a tremendous love for dairy products; therefore it is not unexpected that one of the items I was drawn to and now greatly enjoy is laban. It is best described as a subtler, creamier and less tart version of buttermilk. It comes unsalted so one can flavor it according to taste, though most drink it plain. Activia, a product of Dannon, is a brand of laban that I usually buy, since it comes fortified with probiotic cultures, which are beneficial to the digestive system. I usually drink it lightly salted with a bit of ground roasted cumin sprinkled on top. It somewhat reminds me of the popular Iranian drink called dugh (minus the club soda), something I used to drink once as a poor college student (they are great with falafels!).

Upon reading Activia’s nutrition label, I found that 100 ml (3.38 US fluid ounces) of the product has 62 kcal’s. Since I am not much familiar with the metric unit, I asked K & H to do some research at tell me how many calories it has. After a few minutes they came up with the number - 62,000 calories. So an 8 oz. glass has 146,3600 calories, enough calories to sustain an average person on a 2000 calorie a day diet for over 741 days!

This number seemed outlandish, to say the least. So I decided to do some research of my own and here is the outcome:

There are 2 types of calories, the first is called the gram calorie (aka small calorie) which is used in scientific context and is often written as cal. It approximates the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C. The second kind of calorie (aka large calorie) is called the nutritional calorie, the term North Americans are more familiar with. The term kcal is the same as what we commonly call ‘calorie’. So, both colloquially speaking and in nutrition and food labeling, the term "calorie" almost always refers to the kilogram calorie. Hence, 1 nutrition calorie = 1 kcal = 1000 gram calories.

So, K & H were both right yet (thankfully) wrong. I can also discuss how all this relates to kjoules, but I think I have now confused everyone adequately, including myself.

You want fries with that?

I recently saw the Academy Award nominated documentary ‘Super Size Me’ by Morgan Spurlock. Though this film had been released in 2004, I did not get a chance to view it until recently. In this film Spurlock documents his life as he eats three meals a day for thirty days at McDonalds. All daily calories consumed by him (which are about 5000) must be purchased solely at McDonalds. Whenever an employee requests to ‘super size’ his meal ( in which one receives a much larger soft drink and french fries for a few extra cents), he must accept. He must also try everything on the menu at least once.

Throughout this ‘experiment’ Spurlock is frequently monitored by his doctors and nutritionist, who greatly advise him against it. This film documents the effect this diet has on him, both physically and psychologically. After the release of this film, the practice of ‘super sizing’ a meal has been discontinued at McDonalds, and more healthy alternatives have been added to the menu. Though this movie targets McDonalds and focuses on Americans and their appalling eating habits, the detrimental addiction of over-indulging in fast food is rapidly becoming an international predicament.

After viewing this film I felt compelled to write this entry, since this dilemma is pertinent here as well. Eating out is one of the national pastimes, and over the years, fast food chains have become exceedingly popular. So much so, that when a franchise opens a branch in a new location, it is announced in every major newspaper. Besides McDonalds, most of the fast food giants such as Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins have firmly established themselves here and are hugely popular. At food courts in malls, lines for these restaurants tend to be the longest.

Unfortunately, obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic here as well, among both the Qatari’s and expats. Sadly children are the fastest growing group. Diabetes has become the national disease. The traditional Qatari diet, however, is parallel to the so-called Mediterranean Diet, consisting of mainly fruits, vegetables, grains and lentils, while dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in moderate amounts.

Fortunately we also have many healthy alternatives, including numerous shwarma & falafel joints, freshly grilled kebabs and row upon row of glistening mahogany rotisserie chicken eateries, both which are served with khubz (unleavened Arabic flat bread), salad and small cups of plain yogurt. Also popular are the much beloved juice stalls found in almost every street in every neighborhood, where one can get an assortment of just-prepared, comparatively healthier, sandwiches and fresh squeezed juices from a large variety of seasonal fruits (just remember to tell them to hold the sugar!), all at a fraction of the price you would pay elsewhere. My personal favorite is the club sandwich with layers of chicken, cheese, egg and fresh vegetables, along with refreshing pomegranate juice in the winter months and luscious mango in summer.

I would recommend this film/documentary to anyone who has an addiction for fast food or knows someone who has. With the exception of a few scenes, it is also appropriate to watch with older children. It has definitely been an eye opener.

The following are select web sites for further reference:

Super Size Me web site
Fast food facts from the Super Size Me web site
Qatar Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
Recent article on childhood obesity in the Penisula newapaper
US Food and Drug Administration
Information on the Mediterranean diet