Turn Bagels Into Ba-Goals
A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Your Waistline
As a New Yorker, I know a thing or two about bagels. They can be savory, sweet, simple, loaded with toppings, a quick snack, or a whole meal! This versatility is part of what makes them so delicious. But are they adaptable enough to fit into our health goals? Whether you’re picking up a package at your grocery store or stopping by your favorite shop to buy a fresh one, here are a few things to keep in mind so we’re getting the “hole” picture.
The first factor to consider is the size and thickness of our bagels. Your standard, medium-sized, plain bagel is about 3.7 ounces (or 3.5 inches diameter) and about 55 grams of carbohydrates (wild!). If we’re eating at a restaurant, picking up catered food, or grabbing a bite at a bagel place, what they’re serving us is often larger than what’s considered standard! That means we’re more likely to be eating around 69 grams of carbs. To put this in perspective, most breads are around 20 to 30 grams of carbs per slice, so our bagel may be equivalent to eating 3 to 4 slices of bread. Keep these varying sizes in mind as we talk nutrition.
If you’ve been reading my articles for awhile, you know that one of the most important things we can do to achieve our health goals is read nutrition labels on anything and everything we’re eating…and buying! If you’re grabbing bagels from the grocery store or eating them at places that list their food’s nutritional content, take a closer look at the ingredients. Despite what marketing callouts may claim, bagels are generally not made with whole or sprouted grains! Usually, they’re made with refined or enriched flour, which means that they often lack the fiber and protein we want when eating grains. Bagels have a GI (glycemic index) score of 72. The highest number on the GI scale is 100; anything over 70 is likely to spike your blood sugar. When blood sugar is high, our body is in fat storage mode. Glycemic Index gives us an idea of the quality of the food, while glycemic load is a function of the quantity. Bagels have a glycemic load of 33 (anything over 20 is considered high) which means you don’t have to eat much for it to cause that blood sugar spike. Together this tells us we probably don’t want to eat them often and when we do, we may not want to eat a whole one. But life without ever eating bagels isn’t for me. I opt for a bagel made with medium glycemic impact grains such as sourdough, rye, or pumpernickel; maybe every little bit helps?
But who eats a bagel with nothing on it?! Let’s talk toppings. Remember, they add to the total nutritional content of your meal. Including ingredients like nut butter, veggies, eggs, fish and avocado on your bagel can help round out this treat into a slightly better balanced meal. Protein, fiber, and quality fats can blunt the impact of carbs on our blood sugar and help bagels fit better into your health goals.
The trick is to understand how bagels fit into your goals so you can plan ahead, build your well-rounded meal and continue to support your optimal health. Just remember, as with everything, you can have your health and eat bagels too!
