Bagels

A lot of folks think a bagel smeared with a moderate amount of Smart Balance or cream cheese is a low-cal/healthy/smart way to start the day.  That's not really true.  Bagels are a good example of empty calories.

The average deli bagel contains about 300-380 calories and is made from refined white flour, i.e., flour whose nutrients have been milled right out of it and then (maybe) put back in synthetically.  Relatively harmless, a bagel has .8 grams of fat, of which only .2 grams are saturated.  It has no cholesterol, 278 grams of sodium, 1.2 grams of fiber, 5.4 grams of protein and 9.4 mg. of calcium.  Not so bad.  But if you smear on two tablespoons of cream cheese, you're adding  3 grams of saturated fat, 20 mg. of cholesterol, 140 mg. of sodium, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.  Skipping the cream cheese eliminates some of the negatives, but wouldn't it be better to aim for purely positives?

Our family really likes Alvarado Street Sprouted Wheat Bagels (and breads).  They're made from sprouted organic wheat berries and organic unbleached wheat flour.  Whole Foods carries them as does our local Shop Rite (in the bakery section).  They contain 250 calories, 0 grams of saturated fat (.5 grams of other fats), no cholesterol, no trans fat, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugars, 10 grams of protein, 1.5 mg. of iron, and 20 mg. of calcium.   Unfortunately, they also contain a whopping 430 mg. of sodium, which I wish Alvarado Street would do something about.  But they clearly provide more of the nutrients your body needs than standard issue bagels do.  If you top a sprouted wheat bagel with unsweetened almond or peanut butter, you've upped your protein content considerably while adding important nutrients and oils.  You can eat these bagels with apple or pumpkin butter and boost the nutritional values that way.  This is a much better break-the-fast meal.  This is treating yourself right.

*A note about nut butters:  If you're a Skippy addict--as I was for most of my life--and think unsweetened nut butters are dry and tasteless, open your mind and give yourself a couple of weeks to get used to them.  Try to find a brand that contains just ground-up nuts, preferably organic, with nothing else added.  Many stores make their own and these usually don't separate the way some healthy commercial brands do.  Be aware that peanut butter is the least healthy type; almond and macademia provide more nutrients and generally don't pose a problem for people with arthritis issues.  

**Another note--this one about sprouted grains:  There are several reasons why sprouted grains are highly desirable.  When the seed is allowed to sprout, the grain becomes alive, active, and nutrient-rich.  There are more vitamins in sprouted grains than in regular ones.  In addition, we're aiming for the most natural and unrefined foods we can find.  Sprouted grains fit that description perfectly.  What's more, the sprouting produces enzymes that are vital for digestion, so the nutrients in the grain are handled by the body with true efficiency (and less gas).  And finally, sprouting breaks down the phytic acid found in the bran part of wheat.  When it's intact, this acid blocks the absorption of iron, calcium and other essential minerals.