- 1 bagel (2-1/2″ diameter) (26 g) = 72 calories
- 1 bagel (2-3/4” diameter) 1 oz (28.35 g) = 78 to 127 calories
- 1 bagel (3″ diameter) (57 g) = 157 to 177 calories
- 1 bagel (3-1/2″ diameter) (71 g) = 189 to 220 calories
- 1 bagel (4″ diameter) (89 g) = 234 to 289 calories
- 1 bagel (4-1/2″ diameter) 4.6 oz (110 g) = 303 to 340 calories
The accompanying cream cheese may contain the following:
- Regular, full fat, 2-oz. = 98 calories
- Low-fat, 2-oz = 130 calories
A bagel is a dense bread using yeasted wheat dough that is formed by hand into something that looks a bit like a doughnut, complete with a hole in the middle. Bagels are boiled in water prior to being baked which gives them their shiny crust and chewy texture. In fact, the bagel was discovered by accident when some dough was knocked into a pot of boiling water some time around the 16th century. Bagels are typically split in half so that both sides have a hole, and are eaten as a breakfast food with cream cheese or for lunch with sandwich fixings in between the halves.
Bagels
- Small bagels contain about 350 mg of sodium and the largest ones can contain twice that amount or more, depending on the manufacturer.
- Bagels fit into a reduced-calorie diet so you can have them occasionally, even with cream cheese if you choose wisely. Eating the small bagels with fat-free cream cheese saves on both calories and fat.
- However, bagels are high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are known to make us fat, particularly when they are acquired from processed grains, so if you are trying to restrict carbohydrates and “wheat belly”, pass up on the bagels.
- Small bagels made with white flour contain 1.5 g of fiber, For a higher fiber content, look for bagels made with whole grains, oat flour or whole-wheat flour. Choosing oat bran bagels increases the fiber content.
- Grains that have high fiber content can help with constipation, and may help lower your risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis.
- Bagels contain very little fat. A 2- inch or 4-inch bagel has 1 to 2 g of fat, respectively.
Cream Cheese
- Cream cheese was created in 1872 and the creaminess seems to balance the chewy texture of the bagel, hence their tendency to be eaten together.
- Cream cheese contains a lot of calories from fat. Around 34 percent of cream cheese is made up of fat.
- Cream cheese contains a lot of calories from fat. Around 34 percent of cream cheese is made up of fat.
- Low-fat cream cheese, is 59 calories for the same amount, but it contains 4.6 g of fat, 2.8 g of which are saturated fat and 2.35 g of protein.
- Fat-free cream cheese contains 30 calories and only 0.28 g of fat with just 1.72 g of protein.
- Dairy products, such as cheese and milk, give you protein, calcium and other nutrients.
