Thursday fitness fun fact

The Bagel Vs. Muffin: Let's get ready to Ruuumble!! 

This nutritional battle has been discussed in coffee houses the world over: steaming cup of joe and a bagel. Or a muffin. Doesn't a bagel have less fat? What about the cream cheese? I gotta have cream cheese. Damn, those muffins have blueberries in 'em. I love blueberries.

You're stuck on one of the mankind's most defining questions: bagel or muffin? Now, we realize that some of you will never, ever be muffin people. They're just so...muffiny. For now, let's put that aside and consider the facts, and just the facts.

For those, we turn to Joanne Larsen, a registered dietitian and the expert behind dietician.com. "First, consider that your average muffin is about 35 percent fat," says Larsen. "A bagel without cream cheese is about 3 percent." Now, Larsen knows there's no way you're eating a dry bagel for breakfast (and if you are, we are so, so deeply sorry). But she does recommend eschewing cream cheese in favor of peanut butter, which is loaded with potassium (104 milligrams per tablespoon), protein (4 grams per tablespoon) and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (4 grams per tablespoon).

Allergic to peanut butter? Hit the jam, which will help you choke the darn thing down without dying from anaphylactic shock. Plus, it'll add some quick carbs in the form of sugar (12 grams per tablespoon); that's a good thing if you're about to rip out a hard ride or run.

But what about the blueberries? Aren't they good for you? True enough, says Larsen, but not enough to make the difference. "Yes, a blueberry muffin is going to have more antioxidants than a bagel, but we're talking about four or five blueberries. To generate an actual health benefit, you need a half-cup or more of blueberries."

The upshot? Get the bagel. Get it with peanut butter. Or jam. And leave the muffins to the muffin people.

BikerChick Bicycling.com

 

So what about a blueberry bagel with blueberry jam?  Best of both worlds?  yes, still a small amount of blueberries but more than the muffin. Rich

Jam's tasty but full of sugar unless you get the sugar-free stuff which is actually pretty good. Too expensive for me though. Ever notice how expensive sugar-free stuff is? They really stick it to the diabetics. Kind of like how the big men clothing stores stick it to obese men. What a frickin' ripoff! Boner  

A bagel with peanut butter...looks like the perfect combination for instant foamies....

Certainly not a lunch item for first-year post ops but I can eat em', no problemo. I actually add raisins and bananas on mine and typically will have a couple of these babies on my long bike rides. Great fuel for the engine! Truthfully, a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, bananas and raisins is a frickin' super health food that is, as you point out, if your pouch can handle it. Complex carbs, protein, heathy fat, and a little fiber to top it off. Tasty as well.