Bagels have gotten a bad reputation for being a dieter's nightmare, since one plain bagel contains 260 calories and 56 grams of carbs. But I believe a carb-free diet isn't the healthiest way to drop pounds and maintain a healthy weight, so I think it's more than OK to enjoy a warm, toasted bagel every so often. They're not all as unhealthy as everyone thinks, especially if you choose one made with whole wheat flour, whole grains, or seeds. It also depends on what spread you choose to smear on. Does butter contain more cholesterol than cream cheese? Which contains more calories, almond butter or peanut butter? To find out the answers and see the nutritional info for other bagel spreads, keep reading.
The calculations below are based on a serving of two tablespoons (.7 ounces). As you can see from the chart, when it comes to calories, fat, and cholesterol, cream cheese is the better option when compared to butter. And if it's protein you're after, almond and peanut butter are definitely the way to go.
| Spread | Calories | Fat (g) | Sat. Fat (g) | Chol. (mg) | Sodium (mg) | Carbs (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
| Cream cheese | 70 | 7 | 4.5 | 20 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lowfat cream cheese | 60 | 5 | 3.5 | 15 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Veggie cream cheese | 60 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 16 | 65 | 2.3 | .9 | 1.4 |
| Lowfat veggie cream cheese | 42 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 12 | 48 | 1.4 | .9 | 2.8 |
| Strawberry cream cheese | 65 | 6 | 3.2 | 14 | 46 | 1.8 | .9 | 1.4 |
| Honey walnut cream cheese | 69 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 16 | 58 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Lox (4 oz.) | 132 | 4.9 | 1 | 26 | 2,260 | 0 | 0 | 20.7 |
| Salted butter | 204 | 23 | 14.6 | 61 | 164 | 0 | 0 | .2 |
| Margarine (Earth Balance) | 200 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 240 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Strawberry jam | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 24 | 0 |
| Butter and jam (2 tbsp of each) | 304 | 23 | 14.6 | 61 | 164 | 26 | 24 | .2 |
| Peanut butter | 210 | 16 | 2.5 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| Almond butter | 190 | 16 | 1.5 | 0 | 70 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Stila
KangaROOS
This is perfect for my sister who is a bagel lover I'll spread the word. (That was not meant to be a corny joke).
1i prefer hummus- full of protein and low in calories- good for vegans
2My husband used to eat bagels until he had to do a low sodium diet - a bagel is 500 mg of sodium almost a quarter of the recommended maximum daily intake. We don't eat bagels in our household anymore - we do whole grain english muffins which only have about 160 mg of sodium.
3You forgot avocados! Mmmm. . .
4I have a half bagel every friday morning with one tablespoon of peanut butter. It's only about 250 calories, and it takes away the craving for bagels. It's full of protein and keeps me full till lunch. Every once in a while I'll throw in a couple egg whites, only about 40 more calories, and even more protein!
5Mmmm I love bagels! Haven't had one in forever, maybe I'll rethink my anti-bagel stance...
6I will not eat a bagel unless it has cream cheese on it. Lots of cream cheese.
7I love a multigrain bagel with almond butter.
8Fit, I love that you advocate a balanced diet with occasional splurges. I'm so tired of hearing about cutting carbs out entirely. It's not realistic and frankly not fun! Kudos to you for this post!
9I love bagels with a little pizza sauce and cheese as a snack
10ok seriously, who puts two tablespoons of butter AND two tablespoons of jam on ONE bagel?! that's a lot!
11I've not had bagels in awhile. I love 'em though. These days, I don't have any appetite in the morning...I've been skipping breakfast
12I love bagels! Usually i eat them with cream cheese.
13I don't consider a bagel a splurge, Lo Lo
14my yoga instructor recently told me her nutritionist said bagels are the worst food you can eat...this made me so sad and i've chosen to ignore it...good bagels are amazing...and i enjoy them with just about anything on top...yum
15jelibean .. I wonder if your yoga instructor is actually seeing an RD - a registered dietician .. the only person qaulified to give diet advice. anyone can call themselves a 'nutritionist'! (it makes me angry when people who have no business giving nutrition advice do so).
and the worst food you can eat, really?
16I would think double stuffed fried oreos might beat that!
Mmm. I like my bagels plain, or covered in melted cheese. *Drool*
Rye bagels aren't so bad, but they're so expensive and hard to find!
17I don't really care much for bagels, but if I eat them they have to be plain!
18I like them without any topping. Maybe a teaspoon of butter or honey. If I'm going to make a bagelwich then I like cream cheese with lox, or cream cheese with sprouts and turkey.
19I like to top mine with eithe dill dip or light cream cheese. Raw baby spinach, A tomato slice, & a few slices of cheese. yum
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