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Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme serve free doughnuts, but calories will cost you

Free doughnuts are on the menu at Dunkin' Doughnuts, Krispy Kreme iStockphoto

(CBS) Happy National Doughnut Day! To celebrate the occasion - which occurs every June 3 - Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme are doling out free doughnuts all day. At Dunkin' Donuts, customers can get one free doughnut with the purchase of a drink. At Krispy Kreme, no purchase is necessary - customers can walk out with any doughnut in the store.

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Doughnut-lovers no doubt are parading to their favorite doughnut dispensary. Not to rain on your parade, but health-conscious consumers need to know that free doughnuts come at a cost - not in dollars and cents, of course, but in fat and calories.

A Dunkin', a glazed doughnut will set you back 260 calories and 14 grams of fat, according to the Dunkin' Donuts website. More of a Krispy Kreme connoisseur? Its original glazed doughnut will cost you 190 calories and 11 grams of fat, according to the Krispy Kreme website.

Feeling guilty? Just be glad National Doughnut Day doesn't fall on October 31, when Krispy Kreme offers its special Halloween treat - a chocolate-iced, cream-filled extravaganza that packs 400 calories and 20 grams of fat.

Limiting fat and calorie intake are key to avoid obesity as well as heart disease and other medical problems. How many calories you should consume every day depends upon several factors, including how tall you are - and how physically active. The American Heart Association offers a handy tool for calculating just what your should be aiming for.

National Doughnut Day got its start in Chicago in 1938, when the Salvation Army wanted to salute women who served doughnuts to U.S. soldiers during World War I, the New York Daily News reported.



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