We love bagels here at The Madhouse, not just because they're so versatile but also because they remind us of our honeymoon to the States back in 2001. Every morning, we'd pick up a cream cheese bagel and a bottle of Snapple for breakfast as we headed out exploring for the day (except for the couple of days we stayed at the YMCA in Boston where they served up home fries and eggs for breakfast instead, and where I spent most of the time humming the Village People tune)! Usually, we grabbed plain bagels but when we stayed with our friend Kate in Boston, she pulled out what she had in her cupboard and we ended up eating spinach bagels with cinnamon Philly cheese. A weird but nevertheless tasty combination !
When the New York Bakery Co offered us the chance to try out some of their bagels, we obviously said yes please (or should that be "Sure Dude, bring it on!" as we're on an American theme here !). They sent us through a pack of their plain bagels and a pack of their cinnamon and raisin bagels to try out. Also in the range are Sesame, Multi-seed, Wholemeal and Onion, which we've tried in the past and which make fabulous cheese on toast(ed bagels) !
Now, we buy bagels because they're versatile (you can fill them cold with anything from cheese and ham or smoked salmon to BLT, passing by honey and melted butter on hot grilled bagels) and because they're more resistant than normal bread when being bashed about in a lunch box all morning, but I was also impressed to learn that they're a low-fat option. The New York Bakery Co explains : "Made with an authentic recipe, so they are baked to perfection with a chewy, golden outside and soft centre, and low in fat, they are the perfect start to your New Year health drive. Ideal for a nutritious breakfast, yummy lunch or snack on-the-go. Five of the delicious bagel flavours have less than 2% fat so why not treat yourself by slathering on a selection of scrumptious toppings."
Each bagel weighs 90g and the nutritional information on the pack reveals that 100g contains 255 calories and 1.9g of fat (of which 0.3g saturated) and 9.1g of protein for a plain bagel. I thought the cinnamon and raisin ones would be higher in fat and calories but 100g of those contains 257 calories, 1.1g of fat (of which 0.2g saturated) , 10.1g of protein and 3.6g of fibre. So you don't have to feel you should go for the plain ones if you're watching your waistline which is great news !
If you're used to eating soft white baps or standard sliced loaves, you might find them a bit hard and chewy in comparison but that's the way they're supposed to be ! More good news is that they freeze really well too.
They only cost £1.35 for a bag of 5 which makes them a measly 27p each. If you're planning on taking part in the Farmhouse Breakfast Week challenge to get a healthy start to the day at the end of the month, these would be a great thing to stock up on to add some variety to the bread bin.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £1.35 for 5
for more information : http://newyorkbakery.co.uk/
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I love the Cinnamon and raisin bagels especially toasted with lots of butter
ReplyDeleteBagels make the world go round.
ReplyDeleteWhatever I fill them with I like mine with plenty of mayo as they can be a little dry sometimes!
I just love cream cheese lovingly lashed on top of a seeded bagel . They make such a great alternative to sandwiches ! x
ReplyDelete