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Most of weight loss is the result of diet (not exercise!), so making smart decisions about your food is the first step you should be taking when it comes to losing weight. A strict restrictive diet is not a healthy goal, but there are some ways to make more mindful food decisions while prioritizing your health and weight loss goals.
For example, keeping carb-heavy foods, like bagels, in moderation (or swapping them out for healthier alternatives) could make all the difference when it comes to seeing results.
Keep reading for more information.
Bagels
Bagels are one carb that you will want to keep in moderation, particularly if you are hoping to drop a few pounds. According to Eat This, Not That!, "A bagel could pack 250 to 300 calories and a whopping 50 grams of carbs. That makes a morning bagel significantly more caloric and carborific than a serving of white-flour pasta."
Plus, that number does not take into account whatever spreads you might be using.
One of the most common bagel toppings is cream cheese, which will pack in even more calories.
According to Very Well Fit, one tablespoon of cream cheese contains around 50 calories, which can quickly add up. To put this in context, the typical serving size of cream cheese is two tablespoons, meaning you could be adding up to 100 calories to your breakfast.
While being high in calories and carbs, bagels do not contain a lot of nutritional value that will actually keep you full throughout the day. According to Healthline, "Though their nutritional content varies widely, bagels tend to be high in carbs and low in fat and protein."
Eating high-protein foods is a good way to establish a weight loss friendly diet, so bagels may not be the best idea if that is your goal.
If you can't part with bagels, try eating them in moderation instead. Of, if you want to get really creative, you could keep reading for a healthy bagel recipe that has less calories and carbs and more protein.
