If you’re looking for something to smear over your bagel first thing in the morning, do you turn to cream cheese?
Replacing peanut butter as one of the top condiments, cream cheese is something that more and more people are choosing to use. But before you smear that second tablespoon on the other half, you should realize the nutritional stats of this food so you can learn the impacts it’s going to have on your body.
Major Nutrients Found In Cream Cheese
The good news is that you can purchase cream cheese in a variety of fat levels from full fat to reduced fat, to ultra low fat (or fat free).
If you opt for the ultra low fat variety then you won’t be taking in more than 20 calories per tablespoon and it will not contain any fat, but will actually offer a tiny amount of protein instead.
If you opt for the regular variety however, as illustrated in the table above, then unfortunately you’ll be taking in far too much saturated fat and calories.
Since peanut butter on the other hand would have supplied you with healthy fats and a good dose of protein, as far as spreads go, that would have been the far superior option.
Cream cheese doesn’t contain much calcium either, so from that perspective it really doesn’t have much to offer.
Storing/Selecting
Cream cheese will last for quite a few weeks when stored in the fridge, however do be sure to check the expiry date on the variety you purchase so you know when it should be used by.
Eat It With:
Cream cheese can be eaten with bagels or English muffins, used to create other spreads, made into a cheesecake, or combined with other condiments to create a whole new dressing, dip, or sauce.
Burn Off Calories In Cream Cheese
To burn off the number of calories in a serving of cream cheese you would have to do:
- 12 minutes of calisthenics
- 35 minutes playing cards
- 32 minutes studying