The folks at Holey Donuts were kind enough to include me in their latest blogger contest and I could not be more ecstatic! I first heard about these low fat, handmade donuts from Hungry Girl, and later heard the founder interviewed on Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy.

Since first hearing about these pastries, I have wanted to try them, but had never gotten around to ordering them. Sadly, right now, Holey Donuts are only available via mail order, making it a bit more inconvenient than just picking them up at the corner grocery store (though this does allow excellent quality control).

When comparing the nutrition facts of these products with their traditional, mass produced counterparts, you will be pleasantly surprised! With about half the calories and a fraction of the fat of say, Krispy Kremes or Cinnabon, a Holey Donut is a fairly guilt-free treat.

Roll out!

After opening a generous (and full disclosure FTC-style: free) package of donuts, I found three smaller boxes of donuts and cinnamon rolls (Get it? Holey Rollers?). The company also sells donut holes and mini-cinnamon rolls that they call “Cinnamon Bun Middles.” They were kept fresh through dry ice. To thaw, the company recommends leaving them on the counter with the box closed or tossing in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. To store, keep the items in the boxes or baggies in the freezer.

My Mom couldn’t wait to try one, considering cinnamon rolls are among her favorite foods. I warmed a roll for her and she said, “These are scrumptious! Are you sure this isn’t like the Seinfeld episode where the nonfat yogurt really isn’t nonfat and they all pack on pounds?”

Despite the very decadent taste, you can tell these doughy treats are one-of-a-kind because of their completely grease-free taste and texture.

My Dad tried a roll as well—I thought he would be a good judge to include since he is not a health food fan. My Mom and I have tried to fool him with a (turkey) bacon BLT sandwich to no avail. He often teases me for my “low fat crap.” So did these donuts pass the Dad test? He was impressed by their large size, similar to a compact disc in diameter, and the taste was spot-on. The texture, however, was a bit too chewy for his liking.

Next up, I tried a Vanilla Crumb donut as an afternoon snack at work. To tell you the truth, I haven’t had a donut in years and years, but I think I can fairly accurately remember what “normal donuts” taste like.

Eating off of a paper towel=classy :)

These donuts, which come in many different flavors, filled and un-filled, are about as wide as a baseball. They are light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of sweetness and topping. DEE-lish! My picture does not do these Vanilla Crumb cakes justice, as it was stored in a Ziploc and stuffed in my bag for the better part of the day and a train ride. For a better idea of what the donuts look like when they arrive at your door:

(Photo from Holey Donuts)

After all those drool-worthy details, here’s the scoop about how you can potentially try these donuts and win 250 dollars to buy additional tasty treats!

There are other bloggers currently reviewing and participating in this contest, so this is basically a competition between my readers and my fellow blogger’s readers. Let’s show them who the “Holiest” fans are!

If you mention my blog when subscribing to their newsletter, we both are entered to win. If my blog receives the most visitors to the Holey Donuts site signing up for the deal-packed emails, one of my readers who has subscribed will win 250 dollars in store credit as well as four six-pack boxes of delicious donuts! And I will win 500 dollars, which I promise to spend on ways to make my blog better and more exciting ;)

So take a click over to the “Contact Us” page and enter your name and email with the subject “Reader Contest.” Then in the message box, simply copy and paste this message:

“Please subscribe me to your newsletter. I heard about your products through Healthful Bites!”

You can learn more about Holey Donuts, see videos about how they are made and earn extra contest entries by becoming their Facebook fan.

This is a short contest, ending on February 28 (next Sunday), so please head over to the Holey Donuts site today to subscribe. We may both be winners like these champions! We may not get medals, but victory will sure taste sweet!