Are Bagels With Cream Cheese Healthy?

Cream cheese, created in 1872, post-dates the bagel by about 200 years, according to Columbia University. The sweet, creaminess of cream cheese balances the chewy texture of a variety of bagel flavors. When choosing whether to have bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, lunch or a snack, discover ways to make certain your bagel and cream cheese fit within your dietary requirements.

USDA Food Pyramid

Bagels and cream cheese are both part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid. Bagels belong in the grains group, and cream cheese resides in the dairy group. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, the USDA recommends you have 3 cups of dairy, and the equivalent of 6 oz. of grains. Grains that have high fiber content can help with constipation, and eating bagels or other foods with whole grains may help lower your risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis, as evidenced by a June 2007 study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Dairy products, such as cheese and milk, give you protein, calcium and other nutrients.

Bagel Nutrition

The size and ingredients in the bagel dictate its nutritional and caloric content. A large 4 1/2-inch plain, onion, poppy or sesame bagel has about 337 calories, while a small, 3-inch bagel contains 177. If you consistently eat a large bagel for lunch, you are eating more than 15 percent of your calories from the bagel, limiting the calories you can get from other healthy foods. Small bagels made with white flour contain 1.5 g of fiber, 7 g of protein and about 350 mg of sodium. Choosing a 2- or 4 1/2-inch oat bran bagel increases the fiber to 2.5 and 4.7, respectively. Bagels contain little fat, with a 2- inch or 4-inch bagel having 1 to 2 g of fat, respectively.

Cream Cheese Nutrition

Cream cheese is a natural accompaniment to a bagel, but full-fat cream cheese is high in fat and calories. Cream cheese contains 99 calories per 2 tbsp., 89 of which are in the form of fat, half from unhealthy saturated fat. The cream cheese contains just 28 mg of calcium, about 3 percent of your recommended intake. If you selected low-fat cream cheese, you reduce the calories by 39 per 2 tbsp. However, the low-fat cream cheese contains 4.6 g of fat, 2.8 g which is from saturated fat. Fat-free cream cheese contains 30 calories in 2 tbsp., and only 0.28 g of fat. Fat-free, low-fat and fat-free cream cheese contain 4.44 g , 2.35 g and 1.72 g of protein, respectively.

Strategies

If you are following a reduced-calorie diet, you can still have bagels and cream cheese occasionally. Choosing fat-free cream cheese and smaller bagels saves calories and fat. Look for bagels made with whole grains, such as oat flour or whole-wheat flour, for higher fiber content. If you eat a bagel for breakfast, pair it with a piece of fruit. If you eat the bagel at lunchtime, pair it with a green salad topped with strawberries or blueberries to help you meet your vegetable and fruit requirement.