We Tried It: Tim Hortons’ Protein Bagel

With cottage cheese flying off grocery store shelves and the checkout lane at my local Walmart featuring multiple flavours of protein-enhanced chips (yes, chips), we are clearly living in a protein-packed world. This morning, I was standing in line at Tim Hortons for a little Friday treat when a new offering caught my eye: protein bagels.

These plain bagels, available either on their own or as part of a BELT sandwich, get their protein boost from soy protein isolate, fava bean protein and pea protein. On its own, the bagel rings in at an impressive 20 grams of protein—11 grams more than Tims' standard plain bagel.

I'm not a huge fan of protein-fortified foods as I often detect a weird aftertaste; instead, I like to get my protein the old-fashioned way. (Yes, the cottage cheese shortage is my fault.) But my bagel—which is topped with shreds of asiago and mozarella—was surprisingly delicious and the texture of the bagel itself was preferable, in my opinion, to Tims’ standard offerings. (I like a bagel with a bit of heft.)

Pair it with a small protein latte, and—bam!—you've started your day with 33 grams of protein.

Want more healthy menu options? Here’s a registered dietitian’s top Tim Hortons picks.