Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey
Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren Boga bam here. It's often said that
Speaker 1: breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but
Speaker 1: people don't always make it the nutrient packed dining experience
Speaker 1: that it probably should be. As three of the most
Speaker 1: popular breakfast options in America, bagels, muffins, and doughnuts aren't
Speaker 1: always the best for you, but they can be the
Speaker 1: easiest when you're on the go or have to make
Speaker 1: do with the offerings at school or work. So if
Speaker 1: you're wondering how bagels, muffins, and donuts rank in terms
Speaker 1: of nutritional value, we talked to some experts to find
Speaker 1: out which to select and which to maybe skip. Obviously,
Speaker 1: nutritional profiles vary depending on the particular recipe used to
Speaker 1: make the baked goods in question, and nutrition and our
Speaker 1: bodies are complicated. But if you are faced with a bagel, muffin,
Speaker 1: and doughnut, the best option of the three is generally
Speaker 1: going to the bagel, especially a savory variety, topped with
Speaker 1: something that contains some protein and fat. For the article,
Speaker 1: this episode is based on how staff Works spoke by
Speaker 1: email with Diana Gariglio Cleland a registered dietitian with Balance
Speaker 1: one supplements. As she explained, bagels rarely have much added sugar,
Speaker 1: whereas muffins and doughnuts are sweetened with her fine sugars
Speaker 1: that are detrimental to our health if we consume large
Speaker 1: amounts consistently. She continued, bagels are high in carbohydrates but
Speaker 1: usually lacking in protein and fat. By adding peanut, butter
Speaker 1: or cream cheese, the body will break down the carbohydrates
Speaker 1: more slowly, which can lead to feeling fuller longer, and
Speaker 1: minimizing blood sugar and energy spikes and crashes. If you
Speaker 1: can find a whole wheat bagel, that's an even better choice.
Speaker 1: How ste Works also spoke by email with nutrition coach
Speaker 1: in r D Emily Tills. She said, when you choose
Speaker 1: whole wheat, you get heart healthy fats, some protein and
Speaker 1: fiber too, which you don't usually find in a doughnut
Speaker 1: or muffin. Speaking of donuts, a single donut will often
Speaker 1: contain fewer calories overall than a single bagel because donuts
Speaker 1: are smaller and less dense, but that means that people
Speaker 1: often eat more than one doughnut at a time, and
Speaker 1: the Clark intake per donut can as much as double
Speaker 1: when fillings like pastry cream are involved. Furthermore, since those
Speaker 1: calories come from sugars and a little bit of fat
Speaker 1: but very little protein, donuts may help fill you up temporarily,
Speaker 1: but they won't keep you going for very long. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: muffins are often the least healthy choice of the bunch
Speaker 1: because they're larger and denser than donuts, more on par
Speaker 1: with the bagel. But muffins also contain a lot more
Speaker 1: sugar than either donuts or bagels. Gardglio Cleveland points out
Speaker 1: that a single muffin can account for a person's sugar
Speaker 1: intake for an entire day. As the US Day Dietary
Speaker 1: Guideline recommend limiting added sugar intake to two calories daily,
Speaker 1: which is about fifty grams worth. She said, However, I
Speaker 1: actually suggest people opt for a lower amount recommended by
Speaker 1: the American Heart Association, which is twenty five grams or
Speaker 1: less per day for women and thirty eight grams are
Speaker 1: less per day for men. If you look at options
Speaker 1: from the restaurant chain Duncan Donuts, for example, their Plaine
Speaker 1: bagel contains seven grams of sugar, their frosted chocolate donut
Speaker 1: contains thirteen grams of sugar, and their blueberry muffin has
Speaker 1: forty four grams, which is over the American Heart Association's
Speaker 1: daily recommended intake for anyone, but a muffin can be
Speaker 1: redeemed if made at home. Has to Works also spoke
Speaker 1: with nutritionist Lisa Richards, who said muffins can easily be
Speaker 1: made with flax or cheese, seeds, walnuts, and raisins in
Speaker 1: addition to many more editions that bulk up the nutrient
Speaker 1: quality of this quick breakfast item. Of course, keep in
Speaker 1: mind here that nutrition is complicated and everybody's body is different,
Speaker 1: and furthermore, treats are nice. It's okay to have treats,
Speaker 1: to pay attention to how different foods make your body feel,
Speaker 1: and read nutrition labels when you can, and when you
Speaker 1: need something that's going to keep you going, probably reach
Speaker 1: for something with more protein and fat than sugar. Today's
Speaker 1: episode is based on the article bagel, muffin or doughnut
Speaker 1: which is the best and the worst health clause on
Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Written by Leah Hoyt. Brain
Speaker 1: Stuff is production by Heart Radio and partnership with house
Speaker 1: Toff Works. Dot com and it's produced by Tyler Clang
Speaker 1: and Ramsey Yung. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit
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