Mini Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Let You Enjoy a Mini-Indulgence Without Blowing Your Resolutions

One big thing that has been on my mind lately is how I wish restaurants offered smaller portions. Like I wish I could look at a menu and say, "I'll have a half order of _____" or "I'll take a 1/4 order of that, please" or "I'd like ONE piece of bruschetta for my appetizer rather than six." 

Why can't you just buy individual French fries, anyway? I like French fries, but I either skip getting them (and then continuing to crave them) because I only want about a half dozen of them, not a huge order or I order them and then over eat or end up pitching half the order. And I hate to waste food. And because I hate to waste food, sometimes I eat more of it than I should. At home, I can always share with my dog and then I feel like it's not really going to waste. In a restaurant, my dog isn't sitting next the the table waiting for his share (although sometimes I bring him a doggie bag).

I'd also love smaller portion options because I'm a sampler. I like to try a lot of things. Anyone who dines out with me pretty much knows that they're not getting out of there without passing over a bite of whatever is on their plate. I love places that do flights - beer fights are common and sometimes even wine or martini flights, but I've also been to places that have done salad flights, soup flights, dessert flights and cheese flights. And I have left there so happy!

I know that sometimes there's a lot of labor, prep and cost involved and it's probably not feasible to break down orders into smaller portions. But, how great would this foodie world be if I could order 1/3 of a pasta order or a 1/4 salad or 3 ounces of hot chocolate or pay 10 cents a French fry and order 4 or 6 or 8 of them? I'd get a few bites of something I'm craving, but not over do it.

Anyway, this long introduction was put on paper (well, on computer screen) because as I was pondering how much I'd love a world where I could buy the portion sizes I really want, I noticed that Krispy Kreme had read my mind. They've introduced mini doughnuts. Honestly, when I get their doughnuts, I almost always end up cutting them in half or in quarters because I just can't eat that much sweet stuff at one time. I end up finishing the whole thing over the course of the day. Now they have mini versions available in four flavors - Original Glazed®, Chocolate Iced Glazed, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles and Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles. These new minis are being marketed as a way to stay focused on those New Year's resolutions by offering this sweet little "cheat" item where you can indulge in a couple bites and get right back on track with the healthy eating.

Each Monday in January they're having a happy hour from 4-7 p.m. at the locations in Homewood, Evergreen Park, Hillside and Block 37 in Chicago and giving guests a free mini doughnut of their choice. Now, I hope my favorite restaurants are reading my mind, too, and adding a pay-per-fry option.