The doughnut, a little darker than its more famous counterpart, is part of the Winston-Salem company's effort to regain public favor after a string of negative publicity about its accounting procedures and slumping financials.

Not to mention those bad carbs.

But there might be little incentive for Krispy Kreme loyalists to switch. There are only 20 calories and one gram of fat difference between the whole wheat and original glazed.

"It does kind of seem to be an oxymoron, doesn't it," asked Durham resident Ron Rogers, who stopped by the Triangle's lone Krispy Kreme, on Person Street in Raleigh, and left the store with a half-dozen original glazed.

Still, the new doughnut might win over some customers.

Durham resident Cindy Davis said she thought it tasted a lot like the original glazed.

"Once you swallow, you can taste the whole wheat," she said. "But I eat whole-wheat bread. It's good."

But is it really better for you?

There are more nutrients and fiber in a whole-wheat food, registered dietitian Diane Danchi with Rex Wellness Center in Cary said. But all of the flour in the doughnut would have to be whole wheat for it to be substantially more healthy. "Nutritionally, you'll get a few more nutrients, but [with] the calories and fat, it's a negligible difference," she said.

Because Krispy Kreme's core business is a doughnut with 12 grams of fat, the whole-wheat variety might be "too much of a stretch," said Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic, a Chicago food industry research firm.

"Consumers who are worried about their health are going to avoid Krispy Kreme entirely," he said.

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