When you’re on a vegan diet it can be challenging to find vegan-friendly foods, especially when you’re eating out. Breakfast can be especially tricky since many popular breakfast foods aren’t vegan-friendly like bacon, eggs, and pancakes made with milk. Even when you’re not dining out, you’re likely used to checking the ingredient lists of foods to search for hidden animal-derived ingredients.
Most bagels are vegan because they don’t contain animal-derived ingredients like milk or eggs. However, certain brands of bagels might use non-vegan ingredients so you should always check the ingredient list to be sure. Some vegan-friendly bagel alternatives include Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins, Food for Life Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread, and BFree Whole Grain Pita Bread.
Bagels are a popular breakfast food but can be used to make vegan-friendly sandwiches as well. Are bagels worth including in your vegan diet? We’ll cover the nutritional pros and cons of bagels and more in this article.
Contents
Nutritional pros of bagels
Fiber
Some types of bagels (such as those made with whole wheat flour) can be rich in fiber. Fiber is a beneficial nutrient for heart, digestive, and blood sugar health. If a bagel has ingredients like seeds added it will be even richer in fiber.
Protein
Depending on the ingredients bagels can be a great source of protein. Protein helps boost satiety which means it helps you feel full longer, helping to reduce hunger cravings. Protein is especially important for vegans since many high-protein foods come from animals like meat, eggs, and dairy.
Nutritional cons of bagels
Carbohydrate content
Many types of bagels are high in refined carbs like white flour. Refined carbs aren’t as nutritious as whole grains and can lead to blood sugar spikes in people with altered glucose metabolism like those with prediabetes and diabetes.
An average bagel (per the USDA food database) contains 48 grams of carbohydrates. For reference, many people on a consistent carbohydrate diet to manage high blood sugar aim to limit carbs to around 45 grams per meal. That means that one bagel would fulfill a whole meal’s worth of carbs.
Added sugars
Bread products like bagels often have added sugars to help achieve a desirable texture and taste. Added sugars in bagels can be harder to identify since they might not taste sweet. Added sugars should be limited to less than 24 grams per day for women and less than 36 grams per day for men.
Sodium
Bagels fall under “The Salty Six” which is a list of six common foods that provide the majority of added sodium in a typical Western diet. Bagels don’t taste as salty as other foods on the Salty Six list, but the number of bread products can add up throughout the day.
For example, if you eat a bagel with breakfast, have a sandwich for lunch, and a roll with dinner, the sodium content adds up quickly.
Which types of bagels aren’t vegan?
Bagels with obvious non-vegan additions like cheese aren’t vegan. Beyond that, you’ll have to look at the ingredients list to make sure the type of bagel you’re buying is vegan.
The majority of bagels are vegan-friendly, but some kinds might use milk or egg ingredients. For instance, Franz makes a gluten-free bagel that contains dried egg white powder.
How to choose a healthy bagel
Here are some general guidelines to help you choose a healthy bagel:
- Made with whole grains containing at least three grams of fiber per serving
- Low in/free of added sugar – four or fewer grams per serving is ideal, but can be hard to find with many bagels found in your regular grocery store
- Contains less than 20% of the daily value for sodium – the lower the better!
- Contains at least five grams of protein per serving
Bagel Nutrition Information
Thomas’ Plain Bagels
This is an example of a plain, typical white flour bagel.
Ingredients:
- Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Reduced Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid]
- Water
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Wheat Gluten
- Salt
- Cornmeal
- Calcium Propionate And Sorbic Acid (To Preserve Freshness)
- Monoglycerides
- Citric Acid
- Guar Gum
- Vegetable Oil (Soybean)
- Soy Lecithin
Nutrition facts (per 95 g bagel):
- Calories: 270
- Total Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg (20% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 53 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2 g
- Total Sugars: 6 g
- Added Sugars: 5 g
- Protein: 9 g
Dave’s Bread Epic Everything Bagels
These bagels are impressively high in both fiber and protein. They also fall within the four or fewer grams of added sugar per serving guideline.
Ingredients:
- Organic Wheat (Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour)
- Water
- Organic Epic Everything® Seed And Topping Mix (Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Whole Flax Seeds, Organic Black Sesame Seeds, Organic Brown Sesame Seeds, Organic Poppy Seeds, Coarse Sea Salt, Organic Dried Minced Garlic, Organic Dried Chopped Onion)
- Organic Wheat Gluten, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Rolled Oats, Yeast
- Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Vinegar, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Yellow Cornmeal, Salt, Organic Cultured Wheat Flour, Organic Fermented Rye Flour, Organic Acerola Cherry Powder, Enzymes
Nutrition facts (per 95 g bagel):
- Calories: 260
- Total Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Sodium: 350 mg (15%)
- Total Carbohydrate: 44 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5 g
- Total Sugars: 4 g
- Added Sugars: 4 g
- Protein: 13 g
Thomas’ 100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Water
- Whole Wheat
- Sugar
- Wheat Gluten
- Yeast
- Wheat Bran
- Cornmeal
- Salt
- Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid (To Preserve Freshness)
- Mono- and Diglycerides
- Datem
- Cellulose Gum
- Citric Acid
- Xanthan Gum
- Maltodextrin
- Cornstarch
- Algin
- Soy Lecithin
Nutrition facts (per 95 g bagel):
- Calories: 250
- Total Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg (15% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 51 g
- Dietary Fiber: 7 g
- Total Sugars: 7 g
- Added Sugars: 6 g
- Protein: 11 g
O’Doughs Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagels
These bagels don’t contain any added sugar which can be difficult to find.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Potato Starch
- Tapioca Starch
- Chickpea Flour
- Soya Flour
- Brown Rice Flour
- Sprouted Brown Flax Powder
- Cellulose
- Sunflower Oil
- Yeast
- Rice Syrup
- Grape Juice
- Potato Fiber
- Natural Flavor
- Sea salt
- Xanthan Gum
- Cultured Rice Flour
- Cultured Brown Rice
- Brown Rice
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
- Sodium Bicarbonate
Nutrition facts (per 2 bagels – 100 g):
- Calories: 200
- Total Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 380 mg (17% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 38 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5 g
- Total Sugars: 4 g
- Added Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Calcium: 10% DV
- Iron: 6% DV
Thomas’ Everything Bagel Thins
If you want a more petite serving size for your bagel, these are a great choice. They still pack in five grams of fiber while being much lower in carbs than most traditional bagels.
Ingredients:
- Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Reduced Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid]
- Water
- Cellulose Fiber
- Sugar
- Wheat Gluten
- Cornmeal
- Yeast
- Sesame Seeds
- Onion
- Salt
- Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid (To Preserve Freshness)
- Poppy Seeds
- Monoglycerides
- Garlic
- Cellulose Gum
- Citric Acid
- Soy Lecithin
- Xanthan Gum
Nutrition facts (per 46 g bagel):
- Calories: 110
- Total Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Sodium: 190 mg (8% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 25 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5 g
- Total Sugars: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Calcium: 6% DV
- Iron: 6% DV
Other Vegan Alternatives to Bagels
Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins
Whole grain bread is richer in fiber and nutrients compared to refined grains. Try to make at least half of your grains whole grains! These sandwich thins are great for people who want to cut back on their carbohydrate intake while still enjoying the convenience of sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Water
- Yeast
- Bulgur Wheat
- Sugar
- Wheat Gluten
- Whole Wheat
- Wheat Bran
- Sea Salt
- Olive Oil
- Preservatives (Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid)
- Grain Vinegar
- Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate)
- Datem
- Natural Flavor
- Citric Acid
- Monoglycerides
- Cellulose Gum
- Xanthan Gum
- Soy Lecithin
Nutrition Facts (per 1 roll):
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 330 mg (13% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
- Dietary Fiber: 4 g
- Total Sugars: 2 g
- Added Sugars: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Calcium: 6% DV
- Iron: 8% DV
Food for Life Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread
Sprouted grains are more nutritious than mature grains and can help decrease the gluten content. This means that sprouted grains might be better tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities.
Ingredients:
- Organic Sprouted Wheat
- Filtered Water
- Organic Sprouted Barley
- Organic Sprouted Millet
- Organic Malted Barley
- Organic Sprouted Lentils
- Organic Sprouted Soybeans
- Organic Sprouted Spelt
- Fresh Yeast
- Organic Wheat Gluten
- Sea Salt
Nutrition facts (per 34 g slice):
- Calories: 80
- Total Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 15 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3 g
- Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 5 g
BFree Whole Grain Pita Bread
If you’re searching for a vegan and gluten-free option, BFree brand is a great choice. Most of their products are gluten-, wheat-, and soy-free as well as vegan-friendly.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Whole grain Flours 25% (Whole grain Sorghum Flour, Whole grain Millet Flour, Wholegrain Rice Flour, Buckwheat Flour, Whole grain Teff Flour, Whole grain Amaranth Flour, Whole grain Quinoa Flour)
- Corn Starch
- Potato Starch
- Bamboo Fiber
- Tapioca Starch
- Brown Milled Flaxseed
- Glycerol
- Apple Fiber
- Inulin
- Sourdough (Fermented Rice, Corn, and Quinoa Flour)
- Psyllium
- Yeast
- Pea Protein
- Apple Juice Concentrate
- Carbohydrate Gum
- Canola Oil
- Xanthan Gum
- Cellulose Gum
- Salt
- Apple Extract
- Mono and Diglycerides
- Guar Gum
- Sorbic Acid (A Mold Inhibitor)
- Citric Acid (A Mold Inhibitor)
- Malic Acid (A Mold Inhibitor)
- Tartaric Acid (A Mold Inhibitor)
Nutrition facts (per 55 g pita):
- Calories: 120
- Total Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 220 mg (10% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 21 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5 g
- Total Sugars: 2 g
- Added Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Iron: 6% DV
How to store bagels
Bagels can become stale quickly if they aren’t stored correctly. Bagels can be stored in an air-tight bag on your countertop or in your pantry for a few days. Otherwise, it’s best to freeze bagels until you’re ready to use them.
Related Questions
Are bagels gluten-free?
Most bagels are made with wheat flour. Bagels aren’t gluten-free unless you buy specific gluten-free bread products.
Are bagels good for weight loss?
Many bagels are high in carbohydrates which can make weight loss difficult for some people, especially if you choose bagels made with low-fiber enriched white flour. Eating high-carbohydrate foods stimulates the release of insulin, a fat-storage hormone.
Eating a high-fiber diet low in refined carbs like bagels might help with weight loss by boosting satiety and reducing insulin levels.
Can bagels cause constipation?
Low-fiber bread products may cause constipation in some people. To avoid constipation from eating bread products, opt for bagels that contain at least 3-4 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Do bagels contain soy?
Many bagels contain soy in the form of soy lecithin, an emulsifier.