This Sneaky New York Trick Could Save You Calories But It's Controversial

Pizza by the slice. Dense, creamy cheesecake. And bagels stuffed with everything from cream cheese to tomatoes.

New York has a rich culinary heritage, and it’s easy to eat well in the city. Your waistline might say it’s too easy. If you’re looking to cut calories while still enjoying your favourite doughy foods stuffed with fillings, we have the answer – but you might not like it.

It’s called scooping your bagel, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. When ordering a bagel at your favourite deli, you can ask them to tear the bready innards out of your bagel, leaving only the shell behind.

This does save calories, and it leaves more space for filling if you haven’t yet learned to unhinge your jaw like a python (mental note: learn to do this). If you prefer extra cream cheese and whitefish to doughy insides, it’s a win all round.

It is wasteful, however, as those scoopings go directly into the bin. In a city where there are hungry people on the streets and food banks distribute food to 1.5 million New Yorkers a year, that could be difficult to swallow.

Some have argued that by scooping, you are literally throwing away NYC’s culinary heritage, and it’s true that you might see a few raised eyebrows if you order your bagel scooped. The city does run on dollar pizza slices and bagels, after all, and there’s a rich cultural history behind the chewy foodstuff.

There’s even been a book called Should I Scoop Out My Bagel by dietitian Ilyse Schapiro and Hallie Rich. They claim that ‘scooping a bagel won’t leave you missing anything important, but it will help you cut excess calories and carbs’.

When you think about it, the scooped-out part isn’t even that good. You still get the chewy, flavoursome dough, you just don’t have to chew through a brick-sized wedge of it.

Experts say that the number of calories saved is minimal. ‘You’re saving maximum 75 calories by scooping it out,’ says nutritionist Marissa Lippert. That’s around the number of calories in an apple.

It comes down to personal preference. America is a land where you can buy a rainbow bagel covered with sprinkles, deep-fried butter and pizzas can be 1.3 miles long. In the land of opportunity, where anything goes, order your bagel scooped if you want to, and no-one is going to stop you.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.