On June 7 - National Donut Day - Dunkin' Donuts launched its latest breakfast item: the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich with a whopping 360 calories and 20 grams of fat (8 saturated fat). Touted as a "smorgasbord of bacon slices and pepper fried egg, sandwiched by a Glazed Donut," a poster of this sandwich is displayed prominently in the foyer of the Linden Street and Elizabeth Avenue shop in Bethlehem.

As great as it tastes, the problem is with the nutritional value of this item, according to Whitney Butler, RD, LDN, a Sodexo dietitian at Lehigh Valley Health Network Weight Management Center.

"Saturated fat is fat that clogs the arteries and causes heart disease, diabetes and obesity," Butler told the Bethlehem Press.

She notes, however, the sandwich has actually less calories and "bad fat" than some of their other sandwich offerings, including the Bacon Egg & Cheese on a Biscuit (430 calories, 24 g fat, 13 saturated fat) and the Bacon Egg & Cheese on a Croissant (480 calories, 27 g fat, 12 saturated fat).

But that still doesn't necessarily make it good.

In fact, Dunkin' Donuts also seems concerned about its health-conscious customers: it's created several breakfast sandwich wraps all under 175 calories, including ones with egg whites and veggies (7 g of fat and 3 g of saturated fat), and even one with ham, egg and cheese (8 g of fat and 3.5 g of saturated fat).

So how important is eating breakfast anyway?

Well, it turns out it's the most important meal of the day, Butler explains.

"Breakfast will sustain your hunger and stabilize your blood sugar when you eat protein and carbohydrates. If you skip breakfast, you're not as alert and your metabolism slows down. And you're more likely to overeat later in the day," she adds.

For starters, Butler recommends selecting a healthier breakfast choice, such as Dunkin' Donuts Egg White Turkey Sausage Flatbread sandwich with 280 calories, 8 g fat, and just 3 g of saturated fat with 18 g of protein. Or, you can create your own breakfast sandwich with two slices of toast, one slice of turkey bacon, and one egg (or egg whites) for about 200 calories, said Butler, who earned a bachelor of science degree in nutritional sciences from Penn State University.

Beginning with small goals is key to changing your eating habits. Packing your own healthy snacks versus the temptation of less healthy choices in the vending machines and work cafeterias can really make a difference. Once you get a daily breakfast in place and healthy snacks in your lunch bag, then work on other habits, Butler says.

She recommends www.choosemyplate.gov for choosing other food throughout the day. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it provides the plate method by illustrating the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet.

The site also provides information on weight management, physical activity, healthy eating tips, food labeling, and a tool called SuperTracker, which can help you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity and personalize it with goal setting, virtual coaching, and journaling - plus 400+ SuperTracker tips.

In addition to managing your diet, you may want to find a supportive program that includes behavioral strategies, such as exercising, attending a monthly support group, and professional counseling by a dietitian, a behavioral health specialist and a physiologist.

LVHN's Supportive Weight-Loss Program is a six-month program that provides "personal attention and follow-up with an emphasis on long-term weight maintenance with lifestyle modification," according to its brochure. It costs $525, but enrollees can be reimbursed if certain aspects of the program are completed, Butler said.

Besides the Supportive Weight-Loss Program, LVHN's Weight Management Center provides other services to treat obesity, including weight loss surgery and physician-monitored weight loss.

To enroll in any of these services or programs, call the Weight Management Center at 610-402-5000.