Most bagel eaters don't buy and eat them because they are healthy items of food. They eat them because A. they like them and B. they've always eaten them. But what's in a bagel that might deter you if you are now on a diet? Not a lot to worry about is the short answer. Even the biggest bagel you can get, just under 4 ounces, only has a little more than 300 Calories in it. Of course there are many variations on a theme when you eye up a bagel. There are sesame bagels, poppy seed bagels, plain bagels, fancy bagels, traditional bagels, modern bagels, big and small bagels and so on. The seeds that are usually sprinkled on the outside of a bagel have hardly any calorie value, so there's nothing to upset the dieter there. Of course, if you eat a lot of bagels, then you are going to consume many calories, so it's more a question of number not the item itself. There are bagels to avoid if you are on a diet. These are bagels with fillings such as cream bagels, cheesy bagels or cream cheese bagels. They are loaded with calories because of the extras, not because of the bagel itself. So what's in a bagel that makes it so innocuous? The average bagel is made of flour, water, salt, malt and yeast. Bagels do not generally have any added sugar in them and no fat to speak of, hence the relatively low calorie rate. Bagels are not fried, like donuts, but are steamed then baked, again ensuring that no extra calories come from the frying or cooking process. Bagels have a small amount of protein - less than half an ounce per bagel, but no cholesterol. As for vitamins and minerals, there is quite a lot of sodium and potassium from the salt in the bagel, and folate from the enriched flour that is used, but not much else. So, to sum up the food facts of the bagel, if you are health conscious or on a diet, you can order your bagel delivery or stop by and buy a bagel or two with your morning coffee on the way to work without it weighing down your conscience. Like a lot of the food that is on offer ready-made, it does take a dedicated dieter to avoid eating too many or too much - but you can't blame the bagel for that! Just stick to a traditional or plain bagel with no fillings or extras and you can't go wrong.
