Are Bagels Healthier Than Bread for Weight Loss?

Bread and bagels are packed with carbohydrates and calories and aren't considered suitable food for weight loss. It's hard to recommend either bagels or bread for weight loss.

Bagels are among the most popular breakfast foods and are often included in other meals. These bakery products are generally made from refined wheat flour with salt, yeast, and other ingredients. Bagel calories depend on size, ingredients, and toppings. Bread and bagels are packed with carbohydrates and calories and aren't considered suitable food for weight loss. But is one healthier than the other? 

Bagels come in a variety of flavors. But most contain flour, wheat gluten, sugar, salt, vegetable shortening or oils, yeast, and water.

Bagels can be made with additional ingredients like seeds, cheese, fruits, nut meats, and chocolate chips. They are often sweetened with malt extract, granulated sugar, molasses, honey, dextrose, corn syrup, or high-fructose corn syrup. Bagels are usually eaten with cream cheese, but some bakeries serve bagel sandwiches.

Bagels come in various sizes and may be enriched with dry fruits, sugar, honey, and other ingredients. But a 100-gram portion of a regular, unsweetened bagel provides:

• Energy: 269 calories
• Protein: 8.65 grams
• Total fats: 1.4 grams
• Carbohydrates: 53.8 grams
• Fiber: 1.9 grams
• Sugar: 2.88 grams
• Minerals: calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium
• Vitamins: folate and riboflavin

Most bagels are made from refined flour, which has reduced fiber and vitamins. Flour is often enriched with additional vitamins, but not fiber.

Compared to bagels, bread has fewer nutrients. A 100-gram portion of white bread contains:

• Energy: 209 calories
• Protein: 4.48 grams
• Total fats: 1.49 grams
• Carbohydrates: 43.3 grams
• Fiber: 11.9 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams
• Minerals: calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium
• Vitamins: folate and riboflavin

Bread has fewer carbohydrates and calories, and portions tend to be smaller. A slice of bread is usually 30 grams. If you eat two slices in a meal or snack, you've only consumed about 125 calories and 26 grams of carbohydrates. But bread has much less protein than bagels, which is important when trying to lose weight.

It's hard to recommend either of these foods for weight loss. They're usually made from refined flour, which is packed with carbohydrates and calories. Also, they don't have enough protein by themselves for a satisfying snack or meal. A 100-gram serving of bagels contains 53 grams of carbohydrates, compared to 43 grams in bread. Most weight loss diets prohibit foods high in carbohydrates.

Meals containing 20 grams of protein or more are satisfying, help you avoid hunger for longer, control your eating, and reduce your calorie intake. A diet with 25% of calories from protein is recommended for losing weight. Bagels and bread have relatively little protein by themselves. When trying to lose weight, you must eat them with some high-protein food.

Refined flour is considered a high glycemic index food. It raises your blood sugar rapidly, causing an insulin response from your pancreas. This doesn't help weight loss. If you're eating bread or bagels while trying to lose weight, look for those made from grains with a low glycemic index. 

Bagels and bread aren't among your top choices when trying to lose weight. But if you love bagels or bread, you can certainly continue eating them, even when on a weight loss plan. You just need to carefully choose the bagel or bread and other foods you eat with it.

Weight loss success requires consuming fewer calories than you are using. Bagels have a large number of calories in a single serving. Weight loss diets spread your calorie intake throughout the day so that you remain energetic and don't suffer hunger pangs that tempt you to cheat. Bagel calories and carbohydrates can unbalance your diet plan. But if your diet plan includes bagels and manages a negative calorie balance, your weight loss plan will work. 

Bread, too, is low in protein but is not as calorie-dense as bagels. Besides, you're more likely to eat bread with high-protein food like eggs or a meat sandwich. Protein is very important for maintaining lean body mass while losing weight.

Many diet plans for weight loss eliminate or reduce carbohydrates. These diets restrict bread, bagels, sweets, chips, potatoes, rice, and apples. But this can be harmful since carbohydrate foods also provide essential nutrients. Reduced carbohydrate diets are no more effective than regular diets, as long as calorie restriction is followed.

Consult your health care provider or a dietitian. They'll help you plan a diet to take in 30% fewer calories than your daily requirement. For most men, the target is 1,500 to 1,800 calories. Women should aim to eat 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. This depends on your current body weight and physical activity levels. 

This negative calorie balance will ensure you lose weight, regardless of what you're eating. With high fiber content and few calories, vegetables and fruit are good for a weight loss diet. Foods rich in protein are often energy-dense but are valuable in weight loss diets. They help you stay full and prevent muscle loss during weight reduction. Bagels and bread have a lot of calories and little protein, but you can include them in your diet with some precautions. Your weight loss plan will still work if you don't go over the calorie target.

You should eat 120 to 180 grams of grain daily on a weight loss diet. Two slices of bread are about 60 grams, so you can have three servings daily. On the other hand, a single bagel may fulfill your grain quota for the entire day, making it hard for you to balance your other meals. Mini bagels or half a bagel at a time will help you in your meal distribution.

Bagels and bread are packed with carbohydrates and calories and aren't the best for a weight loss diet. But if you like them, you should choose wisely.

Size. Many bakeries make large bagels that have 300 or more calories. Choose the regular bagels that provide about 100 to 120 calories. Look at the labels to be sure. If you cannot find regular bagels, look for mini bagels, bagel thins, or cut a large bagel into half.

Ingredients. Some bagels contain added sugar or honey, which are bound to be higher in calories. Look for unsweetened bagels made from whole grains. Apart from wheat, other healthy grains are rye and oats.

Toppings. Butter and cream cheese are high in fats and calories. Replacing them with hummus, nut butter, avocado, or yogurt will help your weight loss effort. You can also top your bagel with fruits, vegetables, or tomatoes.

Accompaniments. A bagel is high in carbohydrates, which aren't great for satiety. A side or filling of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, or turkey can add significant protein to your meal or snack. Meals high in protein keep you feeling full for longer. Satiety is a crucial component in the success of weight loss diets.

Your diet should still be balanced when trying to lose weight, and you should consume all the major food groups, including grains. With some care, bagels and bread can be a part of your healthy meal plan.