Is A Bagel One or Two Servings?

The USDA's Food Guide Pyramid counts a bagel as two servings from the grain group. But, this is based on a three-inch plain bagel, not the hefty 4 1/2-inch deli-style version now popular. Those super-size bagels are equivalent to four Food Guide Pyramid servings or more, says Becky Gorham, a registered dietitian with the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

To estimate the number of Pyramid servings provided by a bagel or other bread product, check the Nutrition Facts panel. One Pyramid serving of most bread products is roughly one ounce (28 grams) and provides about 70 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Bigger bagels also hold more high-calorie spreads and toppings. Those loaded with nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate or topped with a thick slathering of cream cheese can easily tip the scales at 450 to 600 calories, which is about one-third of an inactive woman's daily caloric requirements.

- From the Kids' Nutrition Q&A, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine

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Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/health_briefs/02_15_00-bagel.html"