This story has been updated since it was originally published on 06/18/2021
What’s better than a trip to the bakery on a Saturday morning? The smell of fresh-baked bread, the wide selection of pastries, and the promise of a flaky treat in your future is enough of a reason to get out of bed bright and early. Unfortunately though, indulging too frequently in certain beloved bakery items can make it difficult to reach your weight loss goals. And while some of the culprits are obvious—for example, you likely know that eating a donut every day is a major mistake if you’re trying to shed some points—a few may be surprising. In fact, according to experts, donuts aren’t even the worst option.
Don’t get us wrong. Donuts are definitely bad for you: they’re teeming with empty calories, fat, and sugar, and you’ll be full again soon after eating one. We’re not suggesting that you adopt a donut diet, but there’s a surprising catch when health experts are asked which baked foods are to be considered the worst. Lisa Richards, CNC, founder of the Candida Diet tells us that calorie-dense bagels are actually the food you should be avoiding because they cause weight gain. Here’s what she had to say about them:
Bagels
"Bagels are one of the worst bakery items to purchase due to their calorie density and the toppings that are typically eaten along with them," Richards explained. "Bagels are a dense bread, which are nearly 1,200 calories per pound making them a food that easily leads to weight gain." Say it ain't so!
The nutritional content poses some health concerns. "They are generally made with refined carbohydrates as well, which aid in weight gain through poor gut health and inflammation," she explains. "These carbs are processed quickly by the body causing a rapid glucose and insulin response. This leads to fatigue, irritability, and eventual overeating." Yikes!
Amy Adams, RDN, LDN, agrees that refined carbs can be detrimental to weight loss. "When you continuously experience these blood sugar spikes, your body works overtime to utilize that sugar. Eventually, if your body becomes overloaded with those sugars it cannot process, it will begin to store those sugars as body fat," she warns. For this reason, it's safe to say that avoiding these carbs as much as possible is important if you want to lose weight—and unfortunately, that also means avoiding bagels.
But that's not all; you typically don't eat bagels alone. The creamy, sugary, and highly processed toppings add a load of calories, too. "The cream cheese, sweeteners, nut butters and high fat meats used as toppings increase the calorie density of a bagel as well," Richard points out. Okay, we're rethinking that bagel sandwich we had planned for lunch...
Of course, moderation is always key. We're not saying you should never treat yourself to a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel every now and then. However, if you want to lead your healthiest life and lose weight, it's best to limit your bagel intake a bit.
