6 Ways to Make Your Weekend Bagel Habit Healthier (2024)

FAQs

How to make a bagel more healthy? ›

Opt for savory instead of sweet.

Skip cinnamon-sugar bagels and choose something savory like an everything bagel, which is covered with spices and seeds. Fun fact: Many seeds contain fiber, protein and healthy fats. Sugary bagels add more carbohydrates to the meal, which can spike blood sugar even more.

1) Whole-Wheat Bagels: Whole-wheat bagels are the healthiest choice, says Hunnes, because they provide a substantial amount of fiber (which helps keep your digestive system healthy), protein, vitamins, minerals and a variety of phytochemicals that improve digestion, reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol.

Eating a plain bagel in a calorie deficit can be okay, as long as it fits within your overall daily calorie intake. A plain bagel typically contains around 250-300 calories, so it's important to consider the calorie content of the bagel in relation to your total daily calorie goal.

As they're typically unrefined, they have a lot more plant compounds that are good for our health. To get the additional health benefits, you might want to opt for a bagel that has grains such as oats, whole wheat or rye.

Most bagels are made from refined flour, which has reduced fiber and vitamins. Flour is often enriched with additional vitamins, but not fiber.

Calories and Macronutrients Bagels contribute more toward your daily calorie intake. Each whole-wheat bagel contains 245 calories -- 12 percent of your daily energy needs, based on a 2000-calorie diet -- compared to 138 calories in two slices of whole-wheat bread.

Why is an egg bagel healthier? Because these bagels contain eggs, they are good sources of protein, iron and vitamins A and B12. Regular bagels have about half the amount of protein and iron as egg bagels and have zero vitamin A or B12. Compare the two and choosing an egg bagel is a no-brainer.

A new study suggests ice cream is better for you than a multigrain bagel. Researchers at Tufts University ranked the nutrition of foods on a scale of one to 100, with 100 being the most healthful. A cone with nuts and chocolate scored a 37, while a multigrain bagel with raisins scored 19.

Winner: Neither. “Both pancakes and bagels are high in refined flour, which has important B vitamins removed,” says Thomas. “The toppings can also blow your healthy eating habits, as bagels typically come slathered in cream cheese and pancakes come with empty-calorie syrup.”

"The portion size of most packaged bagels is equal to just over three slices of bread. Enjoying a bagel every morning is fine if you watch your portion size. Consider eating half a bagel one day and the other half the next day," says Laura M. Ali, M.S., RDN, a culinary nutritionist in Pittsburgh.

Is it OK to eat 3 bagels a day? ›

When fresh from the bakery, 3-4 would be considered adequate bagel consumption. If at home for a day, 2 seems extravagant.

Bialys (without holes) and bagels (with) A chewy yeast roll bearing similarity to the bagel, the bialy has a diameter of up to 15 centimetres (6 in). Unlike a bagel, which is boiled before baking, a bialy is simply baked, and instead of a hole in the middle it has a depression.

It's fairly rich in nutrients and a decent protein source. It's also loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, although this doesn't seem as significant when you consider the high calorie load. It is perfectly fine to incorporate moderate amounts of peanut butter into a healthful diet.

Eggs are low in calories

An egg meal commonly consists of about 2–4 eggs. Three large boiled eggs contain less than 230 calories. By adding a generous serving of vegetables, along with a source of fiber and fat like sliced avocado, you're able to have a complete meal for 500 calories.

Typical nutritional values per large egg:

If you are using the pan method, then two large eggs scrambled with a small knob of melted butter and 2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk would contain between about 200 and 245 calories, depending on the amount of butter added.

Bagels loaded with nuts and seeds on top may appear super healthy, but may have as much as 100 calories more calories and more fat. The good news is that the calories from bagels are nutritious and good for you (when you forgo the chocolate chips or sugary toppings), so you can make room for them in your diet.

In terms of the healthiest bagels, plain may seem like the obvious choice but Taub-Dix notes that seed-rich sesame and everything bagels contain heart-healthy fat and fiber. Rye, pumpernickel, oat and whole-wheat are also good choices.

“Toasting bread does not change the composition of the bread. So unfortunately, no, it does not reduce the calories content. It may, however, change the flavor.”