Bagels: Calories and Recipe

Bagels have been around for more than a few centuries – as far back as the late 1600s – and are a mainstay in most people’s menus.

That said, there is something about a bagel that makes it seem like a different kind of bread – one that you cannot make at home. Maybe it is the need to twice-cook and leave them overnight for fermentation or the fine polenta on the surface; most people rarely consider making this doughnut-shaped bread at home.

We have the notion that making these buns requires difficult techniques. Well, we couldn’t be further from the truth. In this piece, we review the calorie contents in a healthy homemade bagel and include a simple healthy bagel recipe you can try out for a palatable breakfast.

How Many Calories Are in a Bagel

The appeal of a warm and toasty bagel with a cream cheese topping – you can replace this with your favorite topping – is irresistible. What’s more, its high carb content will leave you full, especially if you use protein and fiber-enriched floor.

However, like most high carb foods, this common breakfast snack has gained a negative reputation recently – high carb content is linked with increased risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. A bagel will contain about 240 - 400 calories and as many carbs as three slices of white bread. A medium plain one will contain approximately 277 calories.

Well, this might put you off the bagel, but not just yet. Dietitians claim that while the high carbs and sugar toppings are not suitable for health, you can substitute the ingredients accordingly to make a healthy bagel.

For instance, you can use whole grain wheat with calcium and magnesium traces for your dough and top the bagel with seed-rich sesame. Besides, you can improve your dough with dried herbs, nuts, or dried grains such as oats and rye. You can also try out vegan toppings such as vegan patties, leafy greens, and nut butter for vegan bagels.

You may also like: Three Easy Gluten-free Desserts To Make

A Healthy Bagel Recipe

Is it possible to bake a healthy bagel without compromising on the tasty flavor and chewiness? Yes, you can. Here is a recipe for healthy homemade bagels – spoiler alert! You will not even need to boil the bagels to make them chewy. Even better, you need just 5 main ingredients and a few toppings.

Ingredients

• Unbleached whole wheat flour (2 cups)
• Baking powder( 4 teaspoons)
• Sea salt (1 tablespoon)
• Plain non-fat Greek yogurt (2 cups)
• 1 egg white
• Optional toppings: cinnamon sugar, sea salt flakes, sesame seeds and cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to about 375 degrees F and spray some oil on the parchment paper to avoid sticking.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl and mix them thoroughly
3. Add the Greek yogurt to the mixture. Then mix it using a spatula until the dough looks like small crumbles. You can allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes before removing it from the bowl.
4. Remember to dust flour on your hands and work surface before placing the dough on it to prevent sticking. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until the small crumbles of dough become tacky.
5. Roll the dough into a large ball and divide it into 8 equal smaller parts. To form a bagel shape, you can roll each of these parts into a thick cylinder and poke a slightly large hole in the center or just roll each ball into a rope and join the ends. Top the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with your sesame seeds or your favorite seasoning.

6. Finally, bake the bagels in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes until they are golden. Once done, allow your freshly baked bagels to cool for at least 15 minutes.

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