But fried foods are so fatty!

Not if they’re done right. For when frying is done properly, at the right temperature and with reasonably fresh oil, the effect is more akin to steaming. How is that, exactly, Joe? Again we’re back to the issue of heat. Properly fried food cooks so quickly (in about a minute and a half), there’s very little time for the cooking oil to penetrate it (outrushing steam also forms a barrier that prevents much oil from getting in). What little oil is left in the doughnut after frying is actually on the doughnut, which is it to say it’s residual oil that doesn’t run all the way off the doughnut’s surface. Here’s an interesting fact: cake doughnuts have less oil by weight that yeast doughnuts. Why? Partly because yeast doughnuts are lighter, so they have more surface area relative to their mass. But also because they spend a little more time in the oil, so they absorb a bit more.