Kirkland Signature Plain Bagels — TREAT

Munch or Dump rates Kirkland Signature Plain Bagels by Kirkland Signature TREAT — score 50/90.

A short, honest bagel list: enriched flour, water, sugar, yeast, gluten, salt, and cornmeal. No dough conditioners or preservatives, which is better than most bagged supermarket bagels. But it is still a big dense ball of refined white flour with added sugar, so treat it as an occasional carb, not a health food.

Why this verdict

• Short seven-item list with no artificial preservatives or dough conditioners
• Base is enriched (refined) white flour, stripped of the whole grain
• Added sugar in a refined-flour bread pushes it out of neutral territory
• Large portion size means a heavy fast-carb load per bagel

Ingredients (6)

• Enriched wheat flour (moderate) — Refined flour re-fortified with B vitamins and iron.
• Sugar (caution) — One of two added sugars; the product is high in total sugar.
• wheat gluten (safe) — Boosts the chewy bagel structure.
• yeast (safe) — Leavening for the laminated layers.
• Cornmeal (safe) — Dusting to prevent sticking.
• Salt (moderate) — Adds sodium; the only reason to watch portions if you are sodium-sensitive.