What Exactly Is In Low-Carb Better Bagels?

You read that right: Low-carb bagels are a real thing. Much like the way chickpea pasta and gluten-free pizza crusts have appeared in stores, bagels are another universally loved food getting a nutritional makeover. However, among the many tasteless, tough, and disappointingly thin low-carb bagel options there are in the world stands something significantly more impressive: The Better Bagel. With 90% fewer carbs and 250% more protein, per Women's Health, all of you bagel-loving keto, low-carb, vegan, and diabetic eaters can enjoy a new type of bagel — a better one.

What makes a Better Bagel better than any other bagel? Besides being chewy, bready, and tasting a whole lot like a regular bagel, Better Bagels deliver a whopping 26 grams of protein and 17 grams of fiber per bagel — that's around triple the amount you get from a standard bagel. And, if you're someone who needs or prefers to eat low-carb foods, Better Bagels come with just 5 net grams compared to the standard 50 net grams in a regular bagel (via Forbes). 

The combination of protein and fiber makes the Better Bagels particularly beneficial for those who monitor their blood sugar levels, or anyone who wants to enjoy a breakfast bagel that will actually hold them over until lunch.

While Women's Health says that the technology behind the alternative bagels has been kept under tight wraps, their ingredients haven't. Surprisingly, Better Bagels consist of nine simple elements: water, modified wheat starch, wheat protein isolates, potato starch, inulin fiber, olive oil, yeast, salt, and enzymes. Of course, that lists grows depending on the flavor you choose. Per Eat Better, Better Bagels are offered in four varieties: plain, everything, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Of the four, the latter two, cinnamon and pumpkin spice, utilize a sugar alternative known as monk fruit sweetener in addition to other seasonings that is considered safe for people with diabetes (via Food Insight).

As of August 2022, Forbes says that Better Bagels can be found at Whole Foods, where they are sold in packets of four for $12. The Better Bagels can also be found at Gelson's, Fresh Market, and Sprouts Farmers Market. However, by the end of the year, Better Bagels CEO and founder Aimee Yang says that the alternative bagels will be available in two thousand stores, followed by 10 thousand in the year after. 

While they're expanding the number of stores the bagels are in, Yang is also interested in expanding "The Better" name to more foods. From "Better Pretzels" to "Better Pizza," don't be shocked if more of your favorite foods to get a "Better" makeover in the years to come.