Ditch the Croissant: Dietitian Recommends This Low-Calorie Pastry Instead!

No sleeping in on Sundays. It isn’t just the anticipation of a routine lunch with your mother-in-law that drags you out of bed at dawn—much as you’d prefer to stay tucked under the covers—but the prospect of sinking your teeth into a freshly baked pastry. A quick shower, and off you rush to the bakery to stand by the front window at exactly seven o’clock, beating all the neighborhood’s sweet-toothed early birds. First come, first served, here as anywhere. Croissants, chocolate breads (or ‘chocolatines,’ but let’s not restart that debate), apple turnovers… Just the sight of all that glistening pastry is enough to make your stomach growl so loudly that everyone in line can hear it (so much for being discreet).

Usually, you scoff at dietary concerns. The weekend is for indulgence after a taxing work week—no detox juices or lettuce diets for you. It’s time to relish the moment. Swiss brioche or a custard snail? Why not both? However, a recent visit to the doctor’s scale put a stop to your butter-laden cravings: an 8-pound gain in six months. Perhaps it’s time to slow down on the brunch basket, or at least fill it with somewhat lighter options. The question remains: what to opt for when you’re dieting?

Nutritionist-dietitian Jessica Peyrou recently shared a calorie comparison of popular pastries on Instagram. The differences range from minimal to fourfold! At the top of the “most devilish” list are the cinnamon roll—a well-known Swedish cinnamon bun—and the almond croissant, each packing 420 kcal apiece. Our good old croissant, with its 250 kcal, lands in the middle. It outdoes the chocolate bread (300 kcal), the apple turnover (320 kcal), and the raisin bread (350 kcal). Looking for something even lighter? The milk bread, at just 140 kcal per 40g serving, is your best bet.

A word of caution: these average calorie values apply to standard-sized pastries. A giant milk bread might not necessarily be wiser than a mini-croissant… Your heart might yearn for a raisin bread, but reason suggests a milk bread. The decision is yours to make.