Are Bagels Healthy for You?

Like most Americans, chances are that you enjoy grabbing a bagel for breakfast. Whether you only eat bagels occasionally or if you eat them on a day to day basis, the most important thing is for you to be aware of the nutritional value of bagels. Here, we will take a much closer look at how healthy or unhealthy bagels are for you.

Bagels Are Extremely High in Calories

One of the main reasons that bagels are not known to be very healthy for you is because they tend to be very high in calories. The amount of calories that is in the bagels you eat depends on various factors, such as where the bagels have been made and the type of bagel (e.g. plain, blueberry, cinnamon raisin). It is also important to keep in mind that what you add to the bagel also adds calories. A plain bagel with cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts, for example, contains about 500 calories.

People Often Add Many Unhealthy Toppings to Bagels

When most people eat bagels, they do not eat them plain. They add many unhealthy toppings to their bagel. A lot of these toppings tend to be very high in fat and calories, especially when you used in excessive amounts. Whether you use cream cheese, butter, bacon, tailor ham or lox, it is likely that you are putting something unhealthy on your bagel - which only makes the bagel even more unhealthy for you.

Bagels Contain Significant Amounts of Saturated Fat

The same plain bagel with cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts contains about 13.5 grams of saturated fat. This is more than half of the amount of saturated fat that the average person should be eating in a day - or someone who is following a 2,000 calorie diet, that is. Of course, the bagels from Dunkin Donuts are a bit larger than the bagels that you would find in the grocery store. At the same time, they are also more convenient, which makes them a more popular choice among Americans.

One Bagel is the Equivalent of Three to Four Slices of Bread

The average slice of bread has about 150 to 200 calories. What this means is that eating one bagel is the equivalent of eating three to four slices of bread. Chances are that you would not eat three to four slices of bread since it is quite a lot of bread. When you eat a bagel, you probably do not even realize the size. There are also many people who cannot limit themselves to just one bagel because they are that good.

Bagels Tend to Contain Lots of Carbohydrates

As with any other type of processed bread, bagels tend to contain lots of carbohydrates. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are known to turn to fat quickly. What's worse is that carbs can also cause people to become hungry, which means that you will be more likely to eat more after you have eaten a bagel to start your day off. Whole-wheat bread products are a much better alternative than processed, high-carbohydrate choices, such as bagels.

Can Bagels Be Enjoyed Without Sacrificing Your Diet?

If you want to eat bagels, then eat them - but only eat them occasionally. You cannot eat a bagel every single day and honestly think that what you are eating is healthy. Some people want to eat bagels more frequently, and there are several ways to make bagels a healthier option. For starters, you should think about the toppings that you are adding. Instead of eating two tablespoons of fattening cream cheese on your bagel, you should try switching to one tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese. Another thing that you should do is opt for smaller bagels, or only eat half of a bagel at one sitting. Lastly, you might want to consider switching to whole wheat English muffins instead, which typically contain only about two hundreds calories and less than five grams of saturated fat.