Low Carb Bagels & Muffins

Traditional versions of bread and baked-good products, such as bagels and muffins, use grain flours as a primary ingredient. Grain flours contain high amounts of carbohydrate. As a result, bagels and muffins can contribute to a large intake of carbohydrate throughout the day.This makes these products less desirable as food choices for advocates of carbohydrate-restricted diets. The baking industry has created low-carbohydrate, or low-carb, bagels and muffins to meet the needs of low-carb dieters, which affect 20 percent of their business, according to a report published in the April 23, 2009 issue of "Baking Management."

Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet Theory

In their review of the literature published in the June 1, 2006 issue of "American Family Physician," Allen R. Last, M.D. and Stephen A. Wilson, M.D. define a low-carbohydrate, or carbohydrate-restricted diet, as a meal plan that limits the daily consumption of carbohydrates to less than 20 percent of total caloric intake. This equates to eating about 20 to 60 g per day. Advocates of carbohydrate-restricted diets believe that an excessive intake of carbohydrates leads to weight gain, especially when obtained from simple carbohydrate sources. The simple carbohydrates found in traditional bagel and muffin products are easily digested by the body. They are thought to have a more dramatic effect on blood sugar and insulin levels in comparison to complex carbohydrates, which are found in insoluble fiber and are not digestible. To improve the carbohydrate content of bagels and muffins, the baking industry has either reduced the amount of simple carbohydrate flour or replaced it with complex carbohydrate ingredients.

Dietary Fiber

Low-carb bagels and muffins are high in dietary fiber and low in simple carbohydrate ingredients. This substitution results in a lower net carbohydrate content.The net carbohydrate content is calculated by subtracting the amount of fiber in grams from the total content of carbohydrate in the product.

Resistant Starches

Resistant starches function similarly to dietary fiber and are not readily digested by the body. They can replace the flour in bagels and muffins without increasing the net carbohydrate content or compromising the taste of the products. Unlike the simple carbohydrates found in grain flour, resistant starches have a minimal effect on blood sugar levels.

Locust Bean and Xanthan Gums

Locust bean and xanthan gums are food stabilizers. They can be used to reduce the carbohydrate content of bagels and muffins. Carbohydrate content can be significantly reduced when gums comprise as little as .1 percent to 5 percent of the ingredients.

Considerations

Low-carb bagel and muffin products may be low in net carbohydrates, but this does not mean they are low in calories and fat as well. Careful reading of the product label will help prevent the over consumption of calories and fat. Furthermore, low-carbohydrate diets, in general, can lead to nutritional deficiencies of vitamins and minerals; therefore, a multivitamin supplement may be needed.