Hmmm, maybe you are craving right after you read the title above. Bagel and cream cheese. Imagine the silky soft and milky taste of cream cheese, to be dipped by a hot warm piece of bagel. Makes one perfect combination doesn’t it? Particularly when eaten for breakfast or tea time. Anyway, what are the health benefits of bagel and cream cheese?
What is a Bagel?
The bagel is a donut-like pastry that has its roots on the Jewish community in Poland. It is made out of wheat dough, formed into a hand-sized ring like a donut, boiled first briefly and then baked. The result is one dense, chewy, doughy interior with a crisp outer layer. Common toppings used in bagel are grain-like toppings such as sesame or poppy seeds as well as salt.
Bagels are very popular in New York, United States, particularly among the local Jewish population. Variations of bagels have also appeared in several other countries such as Finland, Turkey, Austria and Romania. Today, bagels can be bought in several bakeries or cafes in large Indonesian cities, or even made at home using affordable local ingredients.
Nutritional Contents of Bagel
- 360 calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 70 grams of carbohydrate
- 3 grams of fibre
Those values above are applicable on conventional dough bagels. Bagels made out of whole grain should contain 30 grams less of calories and more fibres in return. Thus, the health nutritions of a bagel is largely dependent on the dough type it is made of.
Health Benefits of Bagel
Here’s the health benefits of Bagel and Cream Cheese:
- Rich in Carbohydrates and Calories
Bagel is a wealthy source of carbohydrates plus calories, with one piece of it containing as much as 50-60 grams of them plus 360 calories respectively. That value is equal to 3 or 4 slices of bread slices. That amount should also be enough for you as an energy supply to carry out your daily activities.
- Practical yet Filling
Despite not being a truly health fact, but then bagels are practical for those who are in tight schedules with little or no time to spare for a meal due to its popular role as a grab-and-go food. Other than that, its popularity as a convenient alternative to a proper meal is perhaps also due to its firm and dense interior, hence making you full easier as you munch on them.
What is the Cream Cheese?
The cream cheese is a soft, light-tasting cheese made with fresh milk and cream. It is often used as a spread for bread, biscuits, bagels, pretzels, crackers, as well as other baked goods. In some cases, they can also be found in salads such as the potato salad, cheesecakes or as a condiment for potato chips.
There are two versions to the cream cheese, notably the European and the American version. The European version is more classical, with cream cheese recipes existing in 17th century French and 16th century English cookbooks. Meanwhile, the cream cheese saw popularity in the United States from the late 1700s. Throughout the 1800s, cream cheese began to be mass produced there.
Nutritional Contents of Cream Cheese
All values listed below are as per 100 grams of serving.
- 342kCal of Energy
- 4 grams of Carbohydrates
- 34 grams of Fat
- 19 grams of Saturated Fat
- 9 grams of Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 grams of Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 grams of Protein
- 98 grams of Calcium
- 110 grams of Cholesterol
These are the other health benefits of cheese.
Health Benefits of Cream Cheese
Here’s the health benefits of Bagel and Cream Cheese:
- Low Product Lifespan
Cream cheese has a very short product lifespan, even when refrigerated. It is firmed with lactic acid, which is why it is highly recommended for you to consume it fresh. Lactic acid is a compound produced as glucose is broken down and then oxidized.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
Vegetarians are also okay to consume cream cheese because the milk is clotted with acids, such as citric acid. Just like its name, citric acid is a citrus-based acid that serves as a natural preservative and used to provide acidic or sour flavour to foodstuff.
- Relatively High Vitamin A Content
Just like the health benefits of eating Parmesan cheese, cream cheese also contains a moderate vitamin A content of 26% per 2000 milligrams of serving. As we all know, vitamin A is essential for human growth and development, immune protection as well as to uphold vision at its best.
- There is Also a Healthier Option Available
Good news for the health conscious! Cream cheese is now available in a low-calorie form, which is the whipped cream cheese. How does whipped cream cheese make it healthier compared to conventional cream cheese? Well, the whipping process adds air into its molecules and fluffs it up. So, it looks like you have more cream cheese where in fact it is actually less.
Also, another healthier option to cream cheese is available, where it is made with low fat or skimmed milk. Sure, with this one you can also obtain less calories.
Here are the 8 Amazing Health Benefits of Swiss Cheese.
Suggestions on Bagel and Cream Cheese
It is understandable that bagel and cream cheese may seem to be a tempting yet irresistible combination for some of us, but unfortunately there are more health disadvantages known compared to its advantages. However, you can easily enjoy bagel with cream cheese without guilt at these following conditions;
- Bagels that are made of conventional dough (yeasted wheat) are higher on calories. In this case, go for bagels that are made out of whole grains. They are for sure much resourceful in vitamins, minerals and fibres compared to that of regular bagels.
- Go for a mini-bagel when available. Smaller size equals to lesser nutritional values (re: calories). Mini bagels can cut down calorie and carbohydrate intake for as much as 200 calories per daily intake.
- Use less cream cheese, which is equals to less calories, and less saturated fat as a result.
- When possible, go for whipped cream cheese or low-fat cream cheese. Low-fat or low-calorie cream cheeses reduces fat content up to a third compared to the traditional version.
For some health benefits of other delicious treats, these are also the health benefits of cheeseburgers and the health benefits of cheese pizza.