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This is the Most Underrated Breakfast Item at the Grocery Store

It satisfies your morning carb craving and even helps you lose weight!

When it comes to finding the healthiest breakfast items at the grocery store, health foodies generally talk about the same types of items. Containers of plain Greek yogurt are pretty versatile for smoothies, baking, and yogurt parfaits in the morning. Large bags or plain rolled-cut oats can be turned into bowls of oatmeal topped with all kinds of fruits, nut butters, and seeds to boost your fiber intake. Bags of frozen fruit can be turned into smoothies or even cooked down into warm low-sugar jams. Generally, healthy breakfasters go for the same items, and would probably steer clear of the bread aisle—right? Well, that's where they are going wrong. Because the most underrated breakfast item is there, and you're not going to want to miss it.

So what is the most underrated breakfast item? Why it's the bagel thin.

If you're a bagel fanatic like me, having bagels a part of your regular diet is a must. I love to toast up a bagel on the weekend and enjoy it with some cream cheese or make myself a breakfast sandwich with a fried egg, turkey bacon, and half of an avocado.

However, most store-bought bagels are full of carbohydrates, and while I do love a good bagel, when it comes to actually making a sandwich I don't need all the bread! I just want the taste of the bagel and some kind of contraption to hold my sandwich fillings. This is why the bagel thin (which has less than half the carbs of a bagel) is the perfect alternative for my morning sandwich. Here's why, and for more healthy eating tips, make sure to check out our list of 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.

What kind of bagel thin is the best?

Now, hear me out. We know most of the bread and bagels in that part of the grocery store are stripped of their grains and fiber and don't provide your body with a ton of nutrition. White bread, bagels, and rolls are high in carbohydrates but low in dietary fiber, which means your body won't feel as full compared to a high-fiber item.

Most bagel thins fall under this category. Which is why you need to scout out the right type of bagel thin at the store. We swept the aisles of the grocery store and picked out the perfect underrated breakfast item for you, one that's lower in calories and carbs but still includes a good amount of fiber for your morning breakfast sandwich.

odoughs bagel thins
O'Doughs
Per 1 bagel: 100 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 190 mg sodium, 19.5 g carbs (2 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 2 g protein

Not only are O'Doughs bagel thins low in calories and carbs, but they also assist with a lot of other dietary restrictions. O'Doughs bagel thins are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and they're even kosher. The bagel thins are a great source of dietary fiber and include seven essential nutrients from plant sources. Instead of using enriched white flour, these bagel thins are made from a mix of potato starch, soya flour, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, and chickpea flour. Plus, no added sugars!

My personal favorite is the O'Doughs Everything Bagel Thins, but you can actually get these thin bagels in all kinds of flavors. Find them in Pumpernickel, Sesame, Sprouted Whole Grain Flax, and Apple Cranberry. Or just keep it plain!

Why are they better than regular bagels?

Are they better than a fresh New York everything bagel hot out of the oven? Okay, maybe not so. While I do love to treat myself to one of those once in a blue moon, when it comes to buying bagels for my pantry, I always turn to O'Dough's—or some other healthier bagel thin that will give me some of that filling dietary fiber.

To give you an example of how these, let's compare them to one of Thomas' Plain Bagels—one of the unhealthiest bagels at the store.

  • Thomas' bagels have 53 grams of carbs, while O'Doughs only has 19.5 grams.
  • Both Thomas' bagels and O'Doughs bagels have the same amount of dietary fiber—2 grams each.
  • Thomas' bagels have 270 calories, while O'Doughs has less than half the amount.
  • Thomas' bagels have double the amount of sugar—6 grams compared to 3.
  • Thomas' bagels include 20% of your daily sodium intake, while O'Doughs only use 8%.

So if you're craving a bagel in the morning, but you're looking to lose weight and keep it low on the calories, a bagel thin like O'Doughs is probably the right choice. Especially because you'll get a boost of that dietary fiber into your diet for fewer calories and carbs total, which is key because fiber can help you lose weight! Grab a pack of bagel thins yourself, and try filling them with one of these 16 Delicious Breakfast Sandwich Recipes You Won't Believe Are Healthy.

Kiersten Hickman
Kiersten Hickman is a freelance health and nutrition journalist. Read more about Kiersten