How many Weight Watchers PointsPlus in a Bruegger’s Bagel?

Bruegger’s Rosemary Olive Oil Bagel

Before Weight Watchers I used to eat lots of bagels without giving it a second thought. Toasted and slathered with cream cheese, they were a favorite breakfast option. I was clueless about the amount of calories they contained or servings of bread they represented.

(According to nutrition experts a bagel 20 years ago was 3 inches in diameter and had 140 calories and today’s version is more than 4 inches in diameter with more than 300 calories. But, I’m not so sure. I remember the bagels I ate back in the 1980s and 1990s being pretty darned big.)

Fast forward to today, where as a lifetime Weight Watchers member wanting to stay on track, bagels have become a once-in-a-while treat. I still love them, but not their Points Plus value. (A typical bagel has 6 to 8 PPV – the equivalent of 3 to 4 slices of bread!)

And don’t try to convince me to settle for the “bagel thins” sold at the supermarket. I’m a food snob from the east coast, who wouldn’t consider wasting my precious daily PointsPlus allowance on one of them. If I’m going to eat a bagel I want it to be freshly baked, chewy and delicious.

My plan to only in indulge in a bagel occasionally has worked perfectly for years, until this week when Bruegger’s decided to open up in my neighborhood, where it’s virtually impossible for me to avoid seeing them several times a day.

Yesterday, I decided to drop in and give one a taste test. When I asked the helpful lady behind the counter, what her favorite was, she exclaimed, “Oh, definitely the Rosemary Olive Oil”. “Okay,” I said, “I’ll take one to go.”

I brought it home, cut it in half and quickly wrapped up the other half, so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat the whole thing. Then I carefully sliced the remaining half, toasted it lightly and savored it as part of my lunch. She was right. It was delicious. Chewy. Flavorful. I’m afraid after just one bagel I may be hooked.

“How many Weight Watchers PointsPlus in a Bruegger’s bagel?” you ask? Well, in the Rosemary Olive Oil, the sad reality is 9. So my little lunchtime splurge cost me 5 PPV. To calculate the PointsPlus of their other bagels, here’s a link to Bruegger’s nutrition information.

Bruegger’s also offers a “skinny bagel” option with 100 fewer calories, which is essentially the same bagel, sliced horizontally into thirds so the middle portion can be removed. According to their website, it’s the “first ever “Skinny Bagel,” with the same taste and texture as a classic bagel, but with 100 fewer calories. Instead of changing the recipe of its time-tested, New York-style bagel, Bruegger’s cuts the bagels using a patented knife, removing approximately one-third of the bagel’s center but preserving its unique eggshell crust and delicious toppings. The result? Guests have a lower calorie option without sacrificing variety or taste.”

But since the price is the same, you may be better off eating half and sharing and/or saving the other half, if you’re feeling in control. If not, I say, don’t take the risk and go with the Bruegger’s Skinny Bagel option!

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