There can be a real punitive, moralizing air around snack foods, especially the kind on the shelves and fridges of a health food store. If you’ve ever walked through a place like Erewhon in search of an indulgent snack that didn’t feel like repentance in a pouch, you know what I’m talking about. What if you’re not looking for gluten-free, sugar-free dessert that will just elicit intense cravings for the real thing? What if you just want something like a donut that isn’t saccharine or ultra-processed, and of course, actually tastes good?

Thankfully, there are the occasional companies that understand the desire for food that’s as comforting as our memories of it, that aim to be at least a little healthier than the standard formulas without skimping on what makes it fun in the first place.

While Donutful aims to make a healthier donut, they still want to provide the dopamine rush of sweets. Meaningful Works’ shame-free marketing emphasizes a truth anyone with a sweet tooth knows: that “sometimes you just need a dumb donut.” They make their dedication to classic donuts clear by grounding their nostalgic branding with the iconic pink of a frosted cake donut, simple design that lays all the necessary information out there, and an ingredient list “so simple, it’s dumb.” The accompanying campaign carries on the “modern classic” theme with comforting, childlike imagery and smart nods to ’50s nuclear family advertising. Come on, let the kid have a donut!