Bagels are undoubtedly one of most people’s favorite foods, and what’s not to love about them? They have crispy chewing crusts and light fluffy insides, and they come in enough flavors to satisfy everyone. But since a bagel is made out of yeast and dough, some people wonder how it compares to slices of bread when it comes to ingredients, carbs, fat, and so on. The truth is, while both bread and bagels are tasty, there are a few important differences to keep in mind when you’re deciding what to eat for breakfast.
Is a Bagel Equivalent to Six Slices of Bread?
Technically, bagels are equivalent to a little more than three slices of bread and not six. Why? For one thing, the average plain bagel has around 245 calories, while a slice of bread has around 80 calories. As far as carbs go, a slice of bread has around 13 to 14 carbs, while a bagel has around 40. Keep in mind that these numbers can vary greatly depending on the type of bagel it is, and the size of the bagel as well. These numbers apply mostly to store-bought plain bagels and not to bagels that are homemade or purchased from a bakery.
If you’re curious about the fat content in bagels, it usually isn’t enough to even register. A plain bagel with nothing on it has only around one gram of fat, whereas a piece of bread can have nearly three grams. All around, both bagels and bread (toast) make great breakfast items, but if you’re on a diet, there are some differences between the two that you might want to be aware of. If you’re dieting, you should check the content of the bagel you’re eating and compare it with a slice of bread to determine what the differences are.
What Is One Serving of a Bagel?
One of the things you have to watch regardless of the food you’re eating is the “serving size,” which isn’t always what you think it is. For instance, one slice of bread is a serving size for bread, but when you consider that a sandwich requires two pieces of bread, it changes what you think a serving size is. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one serving of bagels is actually one-half of the bagel, so the entire store-bought bagel is equal to two servings. This means that a homemade or bakery bagel is equal to four servings and not one.
That being said, if you purchase the bagels in a store, you can check the label to see what they consider to be a serving size. Remember that it’s the per-serving content that they’re listing when they list things such as calories, fat, carbs, and more on their label. Whatever the label classifies as a serving, that’s what you should pay attention to when you’re calculating any type of nutritional information.
Is it Bad to Eat Two Bagels a Day?
As a general rule, bagels are healthy for you. The question of whether or not it is bad to eat two bagels in a day depends a lot on whether you’re trying to diet or not. If you’re counting calories or fat grams, you should be all right because bagels are low in both of these areas. Bagels are a little high in carbs, but again, it all depends on how many other carbs you’re eating that day. But keep in mind that bagels usually have very little sugar in them, unless you get something such as a cinnamon or blueberry bagel.
If you stick with plain or whole-wheat bagels, they’re going to be very nutritious, so eating two bagels in one day won’t exactly ruin your health. But as with all other foods, moderation is key. You certainly don’t want to be eating bagels all day long and nothing else because that would be unhealthy.
Conclusion
Overall, you might consider a bagel to be less healthy than a slice of bread, but look what you’re getting in return! Most people would agree that bagels taste much better than regular bread, which is why up to 10 million of them are sold every day of the year. Bagels are extremely popular, and even when you look at the ingredient list, most people agree that it’s a healthy and tasty item to have for breakfast, snack, or even lunch.
